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Western Notes: Murray, Moody, Powell, Williamson, Missi

January 19th, 2025 at 7:09pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jamal Murray isn’t fazed by criticism. The Nuggets guard signed a four-year, maximum-salary contract extension in September and feels it comes with the territory, he told Bennett Durando of the Denver Post.

“I’m totally ready for it,” Murray said. “That’s why I literally signed up for it.”

Murray understands that with the big contract numbers comes increased scrutiny. He’s endured a roller coaster season thus far and admits he hasn’t played up to par.

“I think I deserve it, to a certain extent,” he said. “So I’m not gonna complain about it. And that’s what people do. They’re gonna talk about what they see. And if they don’t see me performing the way they want me to perform as a fan, they’re gonna let me hear it, or tweet about it or whatever they’re doing. … I mean, I admit I haven’t been playing well. So it’s not like it’s a surprise to me to hear it from everybody else if I’m saying it as well.”

We have more from the Western Conference:

In his fourth NBA season, the Warriors’ Moses Moody may have found his niche as an undersized power forward, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater writes. The 6’5″ Moody has played 54 minutes the past two games, mostly at power forward, and could see a lot more time there in the near future, as Draymond Green is expected to miss multiple games with a calf strain. “Moses seems to really thrive at the (power forward),” coach Steve Kerr said. “That’s his spot. He’s comfortable using his strength and the ability to stretch the floor.”
Norman Powell is a candidate to make the All-Star reserves in his 10th season and the Clippers swingman is gratified how this season has played out thus far, he told Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. He’s averaging a career-high 23.7 points per game. “It was always an individual goal,” Powell said. “It was, ‘I want to be an All-Star. I want to be on that stage. I want to be in the same position that I saw my favorite players being in growing up. And honestly it’s surreal. … It’s been 10 years and I kind of take it as a little shot or a little chip on my shoulder when everybody is talking about, ‘Oh, this is his 10th year in the league and this and that.’ It just adds to the beauty of being mentioned now as an All-Star, this being my 10th year.”
The Pelicans could be without two frontcourt starters against Utah on Monday, both due to non-COVID illnesses. Rookie Yves Missi, who did not play Friday against the Jazz, and Zion Williamson are both listed as questionable, according to a team press release. Williamson has averaged 20.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in four games since returning from a hamstring strain.

Trade Rumors: Butler, C. Johnson, Nets, Grizzlies, Pelicans

January 3rd, 2025 at 1:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The rest of the NBA is watching the standoff between the Heat and Jimmy Butler with “their popcorn out,” according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (Insider link), who notes that team president Pat Riley doesn’t make a habit of deferring to his star players, operating with a “bluntness and strength” that’s somewhat atypical of team executives in this era.

“You cannot intimidate Pat Riley,” one prominent player agent said to ESPN.

As Windhorst details, Riley let longtime franchise star Dwyane Wade walk over a contract dispute in free agency in 2016 and reportedly shut down LeBron James when the star forward hinted he wanted head coach Erik Spoelstra replaced back in 2010. If the longtime Heat president approaches the Butler situation with a similar mindset, he’s not likely to grant the 35-year-old’s trade request if he doesn’t like what Miami is getting in return.

“The Heat make mistakes and sometimes have issues with players just like everyone else,” one general manager told Windhorst. “But they do not get pushed around.”

As Tim Bontemps of ESPN points out within the same story, under the NBA’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement, it’s not necessarily the worst outcome to have a maximum-salary free agent walk away for nothing. The Clippers took that route with Paul George this past offseason, opting for additional cap flexibility rather than taking back contracts that they didn’t want and would’ve had trouble moving. If the trade offers for Butler are underwhelming, the Heat may decide that’s the best path for them too.

Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:

While Cameron Johnson is among the most coveted trade targets in the NBA, talks involving the Nets forward are expected to be more complex than the ones for Dennis Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith, according to Windhorst, so they’ll take more time. There will be more suitors in play for Johnson, and Brooklyn has made it clear the price will be higher than it was for its other veterans. As Windhorst writes, the Nets have expressed a belief that Johnson could be a long-term keeper, since he’d fit well alongside just about any impact player they’re able to land in the coming years. Still, at least one rival executive believes that stance may just be a negotiating tactic. “That’s all good to say, but they’ll trade him if they get what they want,” the exec said. “They like him as a player and a person and all that, but they built his contract specifically to be able to trade him by next summer.”
The bidding war between Memphis and the Lakers for Finney-Smith resulted in “hard feelings emanating” from the Grizzlies and the Nets for the way their talks played out, according to Windhorst. That doesn’t mean the two sides can’t come together for another deal – Memphis is reportedly among Johnson’s possible suitors – but it’s something worth keeping in mind ahead of February 6.
Bontemps asked several people around the NBA how many players earning more than Johnson’s $22.5MM will be traded at this season’s deadline. “Not many,” one said. Another replied, “Maybe two?” The thinking is that CBA-related restrictions will complicate moves involving players with significant cap hits.
William Guillory of The Athletic takes a closer look at the Pelicans‘ trade options, identifying Herbert Jones, Trey Murphy, and Yves Missi as the only players on the roster who are essentially untouchable this season. Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, Jordan Hawkins, and Jose Alvarado aren’t technically in that group, but are also unlikely trade candidates, in Guillory’s view.

Yves Missi, Alex Sarr Named Rookies Of The Month

January 2nd, 2025 at 2:21pm CST by Rory Maher

A pair of big men have been named the NBA’s Rookies of the Month for games played in December, the league announced on Thursday (via Twitter). Pelicans center Yves Missi won the award for the Western Conference, while Wizards forward/center Alex Sarr has claimed the award in the East.

The No. 21 overall pick of last June’s draft, Missi has been one of the few consistent bright spots amid an injury-plagued season in New Orleans. The 20-year-old averaged 11.2 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 30.8 minutes per game across his 13 appearances last month, shooting 57.1% from the field and 66.7% from the free throw line.

Sarr, the No. 2 overall pick in 2024, struggled with his shot over his first month-plus of NBA action, but he kept firing away and his results have improved pretty dramatically of late. He averaged 13.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.1 APG and 1.7 BPG on .461/.455/.556 shooting in nine December games (28.4 MPG).

Unlike some other weekly and monthly awards, team record doesn’t matter much for rookies, who often receive the most opportunities on bad teams. The Pelicans currently have the worst record in the league at 5-29, with Washington at No. 2 in the reverse standings (6-25).

Missi beat out Stephon Castle, Donovan Clingan, Zach Edey and Jaylen Wells to win the award in the West. Carlton Carrington, Tristan Da Silva and Zaccharie Risacher were the other nominees in the East (Twitter link). Wells and Jared McCain won the awards for games played in October and November (McCain subsequently suffered a torn left meniscus and is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery).

And-Ones: Fears, 2025 Draft, 2026 Draft, Graham, Young, Wells

December 26th, 2024 at 8:36pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears has improved his draft stock with his early season performances, according to Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report. In Wasserman’s view, Fears now projects to go anywhere from No. 3 to No. 10 next June after leading the Sooners to a 12-0 start, including a 30-point outing against Michigan.

Saint Joseph’s forward Rasheer Fleming and Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis have also been impressive during the first two months of the college season. Fleming is now receiving first-round consideration, while Jakucionis is solidifying his projected lottery status.

We have more from around the basketball world:

While the 2025 draft class has received plenty of hype, the top of the 2026 draft could be even more impressive, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. Wing AJ Dybantsa is the top player in his class, while Cameron Boozer and Darryn Peterson have also generated some buzz regarding their futures. One NBA executive suggested to Vorkunov that teams might start positioning themselves for the 2026 draft ahead of this year’s trade deadline.
Unsigned NBA veteran guard Devonte’ Graham may have earned at least a 10-day deal with his outing in the G League Showcase, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic. Graham had a 24-point game for the South Bay Lakers. Graham spent training camp and the preseason on a non-guaranteed contract with the Trail Blazers before being waived. A few other unaffiliated players stood out, Hollinger adds, with Grand Rapids Gold guard Jahmir Young heading that group. He had 50 points in two games. He was waived by the Nuggets during training camp.
The race for the Rookie of the Year award is wide open, The Athletic’s Fred Katz notes. With the Sixers‘ Jared McCain sidelined, Grizzlies‘ second-rounder Jaylen Wells currently tops Katz’s ballot. He lists Pelicans big man Yves Missi second and Spurs wing Stephon Castle third but any number of players could emerge from the pack in the coming months and challenge for top honors.

Southwest Notes: Wembanyama, Paul, Thompson, Missi

December 26th, 2024 at 7:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Those who tuned in for the early Christmas game between the Spurs and Knicks saw an overwhelming performance by Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama, even though the Knicks pulled out a three-point win.

Wembanyama finished with 42 points, 18 rebounds, four assists and four blocks in 40 minutes. No previous player had ever turned in a combination of that many points, rebounds, assists and blocks on Christmas Day. Wembanyama also came close to Wilt Chamberlain‘s record of 45 points in a Christmas debut.

However, Wembanyama was more focused on the loss than his big numbers, Joe Vardon of The Athletic writes.

“It’s not my first thought at all, I don’t even know the real history by heart of the best Christmas games in history,” Wembanyama said. “I’m thinking about the game right now and just thinking we’re close, but we lack some attributes at times. You know, we’re right there. It was a really disputed game.”

We have more from the Southwest Division:

The Spurs are sitting at .500 after losing their last two games. Chris Paul believes the team’s next step is to learn to execute during crunch time, he told Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News. “For us, the next step is winning those games,” Paul said. “We got to get to that point where all that ‘young guy stuff’ got to go out the window. We pros just like everybody else and there’s a grit and a will that you got to have in this league in order to figure out ways to win those games, especially on the road when we are the only ones that’s cheering for us.”
Klay Thompson has passed Reggie Miller for fifth place on the league’s all-time 3-point makes list. That’s a special accomplishment for the Mavericks guard, “I loved Reggie Miller growing up,” Thompson told Christian Clark of The Athletic. “I watched his film and game-winners my whole life. He’s always inspired me to shoot the ball and be a killer. It’s just surreal. Talk about times I prayed for. I prayed for times like that.” Thompson is wearing No. 31 as a tribute to Miller, who wore the same number in his 18 seasons with the Pacers.
Due to injuries, Pelicans rookie center Yves Missi has been thrown into the fire this season and he seems to be improving with each game. Messi had 21 points, nine rebounds, three blocks and two steals against Denver on Sunday. “He’s well ahead of the curve,” teammate CJ McCollum told Rod Walker of the New Orleans Times Picayune. “He’s probably surprised himself. The development has been great for him. From the first day he got here to now has been night and day.”

Stein’s Latest: Schröder, Johnson, Pelicans, Lakers, Kings, Reed

December 15th, 2024 at 7:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Warriors acquired a valuable rotation piece in Dennis Schröder this weekend, but it’s possible he won’t last the season with his new team. Schröder can traded again this season and could be part of a package to get a star-level player before February’s trade deadline, according to Marc Stein in his latest Substack post.

Miami’s Jimmy Butler could be among the players targeted by the Warriors, whom many rival teams believe will make a splashier move this season. Stein notes the Warriors aggressively pursued Lauri Markkanen and Paul George during the offseason.

The timing of the Warriors’ trade for Schröder was significant. The latest CBA instituted a new exception that allowed players who are traded by Dec. 16th to be aggregated in another deal before the trade deadline.

Golden State had interest in trading for Nets’ forward Cameron Johnson as well as Schröder but would likely have needed to include Jonathan Kuminga in a deal for both players, Stein suggests.

Here’s more from Stein:

The Pelicans aren’t inclined to trade young pieces Herbert Jones, Yves Missi and Trey Murphy but they are open to trade inquiries for virtually anyone else on the roster.
The Lakers aren’t looking to make a blockbuster move but they’d like to add depth and are expected to make at least one trade.
The Kings are dangling the contracts of Kevin Huerter and Trey Lyles in order to upgrade the roster.
The Sixers have some interest in a reunion with Paul Reed, who waived by the Pistons on Saturday. However, it’s unlikely they’d attempt to add him prior to the trade deadline in order to maximize their roster and cap flexibility. Reed was waived by Philadelphia during the offseason.

Pelicans Rumors: Ingram, Tax, Green, Missi, Health

December 6th, 2024 at 6:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Confirming a Michael Scotto report from earlier in the week, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) says Brandon Ingram spent the offseason seeking a maximum-salary contract extension (which could’ve been worth as much as $208MM over four seasons), while the Pelicans would have been comfortable with a deal more in the vicinity of $40MM per year.

Fischer also provides some details on the trade opportunities involving Ingram that the Pelicans explored over the summer, noting that the Kings initially had the forward on their radar before landing DeMar DeRozan and that the Cavaliers weren’t interested in a deal centered around Ingram and Jarrett Allen. While there were some talks with the Jazz, Fischer classifies those discussions as “preliminary,” suggesting Utah’s pursuit of Mikal Bridges got much further down the road.

A return to the Lakers has been mentioned by scouts as a possibility for Ingram, but Fischer says he’s been given no indication Los Angeles is seeking a reunion with their former No. 2 overall pick. The Lakers, according to Fischer, are more focused on adding more frontcourt depth and perimeter defense to their roster.

Given that there doesn’t appear – at this point, at least – to be a team eager to do a long-term, maximum-salary contract for Ingram, league sources expect the forward and his new reps at Klutch Sports to be open to lucrative shorter-term deals, Fischer writes, pointing to Fred VanVleet‘s three-year deal with Houston as an example. That contract is worth the max but features a third-year team option.

It’s still possible the Pelicans will be the team to work out a new agreement with Ingram, but there’s a ceiling on what they’re willing to pay him, Fischer adds.

Here’s more on the Pelicans:

Executives around the NBA talk about the Pelicans making a move to get out of luxury tax territory as if it’s an inevitability, per Fischer. The team is currently operating about $1.4MM above the tax line, so it might be as simple as shedding a minimum-salary contract at the deadline, though a deal involving Ingram could also potentially get New Orleans out of the tax.
Fischer doesn’t expect New Orleans to make a head coaching change anytime soon, despite some speculation around the NBA about Willie Green‘s job security. “Ownership is loyal to their people,” a New Orleans figure tells Fischer.
People within the Pelicans organization have raved about how quickly rookie center Yves Missi is learning and progressing, according to Fischer, who compares it to the way that people in Dallas were talking about Dereck Lively last season. Nonetheless, Fischer has heard New Orleans remains in the market for frontcourt depth.
Although Zion Williamson, Jose Alvarado, and Jordan Hawkins remain on the injured list, the Pelicans were as healthy as they’ve been since opening night on Thursday, with Ingram, Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, Herbert Jones, and Trey Murphy all active together for the first time. The result – a hard-fought 126-124 win over Phoenix – was an encouraging one, as William Guillory of The Athletic writes. The Pelicans are still just 5-18, but Thursday’s game provided a glimpse of what the team thought it could be, with the first-time starting lineup of Ingram, Murray, McCollum, Jones, and Missi outscoring the Suns by 14 points in 11 minutes of action.

Pelicans Notes: Ingram, Jones, Missi, Losing Streak

December 5th, 2024 at 12:31pm CST by Rory Maher

The injury-plagued Pelicans will get some key reinforcements back on Thursday against Phoenix, as Brandon Ingram and Herbert Jones have been upgraded from questionable to available, the team announced (via Twitter).

Ingram has missed the past five games with right plantaris tendonitis, while Jones has been sidelined since Oct. 29 with a right shoulder strain and small low-grade partial thickness tear in his rotator cuff. An All-Defensive First Team selection in 2023/24, Jones has missed the past 18 games due to the injury.

Shams Charania of ESPN reported earlier this week that the two starting wings were on track to return on Thursday.

Here are a few more notes from New Orleans:

Another player who has been upgraded from questionable to available for Thursday’s matchup is rookie first-round pick Yves Missi, who is dealing with a right ankle sprain. While the Pelicans’ season has been an unmitigated disaster to this point, having lost nine straight and 15 of their past 16 games, Missi’s play has been one of the few silver linings. As Christian Clark of NOLA.com writes, the 20-year-old big man had a career night in Monday’s loss to Atlanta, recording 23 points (on 11-of-14 shooting) and 12 rebounds. “He’s just getting better and better,” head coach Willie Green said. “A true bright spot for our team.”
Will the Pelicans be able to salvage their season after a 4-18 start already has them 7.5 games behind San Antonio for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference? William Guillory of The Athletic explores that topic. According to Guillory, a major roster or coaching change seems unlikely in the near future, but the pressure is definitely mounting on Green after a string of non-competitive losses.
In case you missed it, on Wednesday the Pelicans provided injury updates on Zion Williamson (left hamstring strain), Jose Alvarado (left hamstring strain) and Jordan Hawkins (lumbar spine annular fissure). Williamson and Alvarado are out at least two more weeks, while Hawkins will be checked out again in one week.

Pelicans Notes: Payton, Missi, Green, Ingram

November 30th, 2024 at 5:22pm CST by Arthur Hill

Elfrid Payton posted one of the most impressive lines of the season on Monday as he celebrates his return to the NBA. He was gone from the league for more than two full years before the Pelicans gave him a chance amid a rash of injuries. Playing on a non-guaranteed contract, Payton had 21 assists, 14 points, seven rebounds and two steals against Indiana.

Payton’s journey back to the NBA took 920 days after he became a free agent following the 2021/22 season. It meant playing in Puerto Rico and the G League, but Payton tells Will Guillory of The Athletic that he never gave up hope.

“It’s tough when you feel like you can still play but you have to wait for the opportunity,” he said. “It really forces you to show how much you love the game, how much you’re willing to put into it. I just kept believing that day would come.”

Payton grew up in New Orleans, played one prior season with the Pelicans and maintained a relationship with the team while he was out of the league. Guillory states that the Pelicans considered signing him earlier in the season, but he felt tightness in his hamstring after a workout and an MRI showed that he had a slight strain that would necessitate several weeks of rehab. Although he was frustrated by the news, Payton was willing to wait a little longer for his dream.

“I believed the opportunity would come,” he said. “It was longer than I thought or expected, but that ain’t the point. … (There were) some days when I felt like all the work was for nothing. But I had to find ways to keep going. If you really have a passion for the game and a love for the game, you’ve got to find a way to push through.”

There’s more from New Orleans:

Yves Missi already looks like one of the best big men in this year’s draft class, averaging 8.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in his first 19 NBA games. In an interview with Grant Afseth of Sportskeeda, Missi talked about making the adjustment from college. “The NBA is more about trusting my instincts,” he said. “Whenever I feel like I can go for a block, I trust my teammates to have my back and just go for it. It’s about trusting the system while relying on my instincts.”
The Pelicans expected to be contenders coming into the season, but they’ll finish up November last in the Western Conference with a 4-16 record, notes Christian Clark of The New Orleans Times- Picayune. Friday’s loss to Memphis was their seventh straight, but at least they were more competitive than in Wednesday’s blowout against Toronto. Coach Willie Green said he challenged his players after that performance. “We allowed a team to come on our home floor and really make us look soft,” he said. “That’s what I told our group. That can’t happen.”
Brandon Ingram has already been ruled out of Sunday’s game at New York, marking his fourth straight absence with a strained right calf, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link).

Pelicans Notes: Green, Rotation, Potential Trades, Lakers Pick, McCollum, Hawkins

November 21st, 2024 at 9:16pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Pelicans, who had hoped to reach or surpass the 50-win mark this season, are spiraling due to injuries. At 4-12, there’s been some outside speculation that head coach Willie Green‘s job could be in jeopardy, William Guillory of The Athletic writes. However, Guillory doesn’t believe Green is in danger of losing his position, given that the team’s current starters include Brandon Boston Jr., Javonte Green and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl — Green wasn’t on the team until late August, while Boston was added the day before the regular season tipped off.

Even though those players have had some nice individual moments, it’s important to consider that Zion Williamson, Herbert Jones, CJ McCollum and Dejounte Murray — most of the starting lineup — have all missed extensive time. Key rotation pieces like Trey Murphy, Jordan Hawkins and Jose Alvarado have also suffered injuries.

While the injuries are a large part of the Pelicans’ slow start, Guillory opines that Green could still be making some improvements as the schedule wears on. New Orleans has struggled in close games this year. However, Guillory doesn’t believe that any one person should be shouldering the blame, including the medical staff.

We have more from the Pelicans:

Once the Pelicans get healthier, they’ll have some key rotation decisions to make. Rookie Yves Missi has been a bright spot this season and should be under consideration for the starting center spot when the team is healthy, Guillory suggests in the same mailbag. Still, Green might opt to close some games with Robinson-Earl or Jones (when he’s healthy) for spacing purposes. Guillory also sees Boston continuing to see some minutes when the team is closer to 100%. The fourth-year swingman has been impressive, averaging 12.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game on a two-way contract.
While there still isn’t much smoke regarding a potential Brandon Ingram trade despite his pending unrestricted free agent status, Guillory expects any potential trade involving Ingram to bring back a starting-caliber center. Still, Guillory writes that it doesn’t make much sense to move assets when the team is far from playoff contention at the moment.
In light of Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht exploding for 37 points, it’s easy to wonder if the Pelicans regret giving up that pick. The Pelicans had the rights to Los Angeles’s No. 17 overall pick (used on Knecht), but chose to defer the selection to a 2025 unprotected first-rounder. Guillory points out that adding another first-round salary would’ve been difficult, given the Pelicans’ current financial situation, and that punting on the selection and hoping the Lakers would have a rough season seemed like a better idea than taking another swing in an uncertain class. The Lakers are 10-4 and third in the Western Conference, so it looks like that first-round pick may end up being worse than No. 17.
McCollum was upgraded to doubtful on the Pelicans’ latest injury report, according to Guillory (Twitter link). Hawkins was also upgraded to questionable for Friday’s game. It looks like both players will return from injury in the coming days, which lines up with recent reporting.
In case you missed it, Elfrid Payton, signed to a contract on Wednesday, played well in his debut with the Pelicans.