Zion Williamson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Trade Rumors: Brogdon, Ayton, Blazers, Zion, CP3, More

June 19th, 2023 at 2:08pm CST by Luke Adams

With Bradley Beal headed to Phoenix, the Suns are no longer likely to be players for Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon, whom they were linked to last week, writes Brian Robb of MassLive.com.

As Robb notes, the Suns still have Deandre Ayton as a trade chip and could theoretically send him out in a Brogdon trade. But the Celtics aren’t interested in Ayton due to his pricey multiyear contract, Robb says, so a third team would have to be involved to take Ayton and send something to Boston. Even if the Suns and Celtics could find a third team, it seems unlikely that Phoenix would want to trade Ayton for another guard, given the current make-up of the team’s core.

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

Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer has gotten the sense from league sources that if the Trail Blazers were to make a trade with the Pelicans involving the No. 3 pick, they’d rather acquire Zion Williamson than Brandon Ingram. Shams Charania of The Athletic previously reported that the Hornets (at No. 2) would likely prefer Ingram to Williamson.
Although he expects Williamson to open the 2023/24 season with the Pelicans, Ian Begley of SNY.tv explores potential pathways for the Knicks to acquire the former No. 1 overall pick.
During an appearance on FanDuel TV (Twitter video link), Charania says the Warriors were among the teams to discuss a Chris Paul trade with the Suns before Phoenix agreed to acquire Beal from Washington. With the Wizards exploring the possibility of flipping Paul to a third team, it’s unclear whether or not they’ve touched base with Golden State.
The Clippers, previously identified as a possible trade partner for Paul, wouldn’t shut the door on re-signing Russell Westbrook if they were able to land CP3, according to Law Murray of The Athletic, who hears from sources that the Clips would still offer Westbrook the biggest deal they can using his Non-Bird rights (120% of the veteran’s minimum).

Southwest Notes: Wembanyama, Williamson, Ingram, Jones

June 18th, 2023 at 8:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Spurs are hopeful that Victor Wembanyama will participate to some degree in the Las Vegas Summer League, Marc Stein writes in a Substack post.

A previous report suggested Wembanyama would likely only practice with the Summer League team, as the Spurs want to give him some time off from competitive action following his French league season. It’s unclear if Stein is suggesting that Wembanyama might see some game action after all.

Wembanyama will be the top pick in the draft on Thursday after the Spurs won the lottery. They are scheduled to play in Sacramento’s California Classic summer league July 3-5 before heading to Las Vegas.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

While rumors have been flying that the Pelicans might consider dealing Zion Williamson or Brandon Ingram this offseason, Rod Walker of the New Orleans Times-Picayune believes the franchise would be better off holding onto them and hoping for better results next season. While the team reportedly has interest in trading up in the draft to select G League guard Scoot Henderson, the Pelicans with Williamson and Ingram are better than they would be with either the Henderson/Williamson or the Henderson/Ingram combo, Walker opines.
Ja Morant‘s 25-game suspension makes it a tougher decision for the Grizzlies to trade backup point guard Tyus Jones for help on the wing, Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal opines. If the Grizzlies trade Jones, they’ll have to find another starting point guard to hold them over until Morant’s suspension ends. However, finding an upgrade at small forward will be more difficult if they hold onto Jones, who has one year left on his contract. Even if they keep Jones, they still need more depth at guard.
In case you missed it, the Rockets might make a strong run at free agent point guard Fred VanVleet.

Stein’s Latest: Beal, Heat, Suns, Zion, Harden, Rosas, Bucks

June 17th, 2023 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards may be motivated to move Bradley Beal sooner rather than later, Marc Stein writes at Substack, observing that the team’s leverage in trade negotiations could take a hit if Damian Lillard asks the Trail Blazers for a trade while Beal is still in D.C.

As Stein writes, the Heat are currently one of Beal’s prime suitors, but if Lillard were available, Miami would be at the top of his wish list too. The Heat are believed to prefer Lillard to Beal, but may not have the luxury of waiting to see if the Blazers guard will request a trade, says Stein. Miami theoretically has the assets to make a play for both stars, but the Wizards probably don’t want to risk having the Heat pivot to Lillard and away from Beal.

As we noted within our initial story on Beal this afternoon, the Wizards seem to be prioritizing cap relief rather than players on long-term contracts, which means Kyle Lowry and Chris Paul would be at the center of offers put forth by the Heat and Suns, respectively. Stein and Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) confirm that Paul is expected to be part of any Phoenix offer, with Haynes adding that Landry Shamet would likely be included too.

Stein and Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald suggest that Paul’s partially guaranteed contract could appeal to the Wizards, since they could waive him by June 28 and only owe him his $15.8MM partial guarantee instead of his full $30.8MM salary for 2023/24. However, Paul’s outgoing salary for matching purposes in a trade would be equivalent to his guarantee for ’23/24, not his full cap hit, so the Suns may need to increase that guarantee in order to adhere to the NBA’s trade rules.

Here’s more from Stein:

While it remains to be seen whether the Pelicans will seriously consider moving Zion Williamson this offseason, Stein hears that they “quietly” held some exploratory talks a year ago before signing him to a five-year, maximum-salary contract extension. Stein also reiterates a point he made previously, writing that the “rising level of exasperation” within the organization about Williamson’s availability and approach will have to be addressed if Zion remains in New Orleans.
Star guard James Harden is believed to be giving “renewed consideration” to the idea of remaining with the Sixers rather than leaving for the Rockets in free agency, Stein reports.
More than one rival team expects the Knicks to make Gersson Rosas their new general manager under president of basketball operations Leon Rose following Scott Perry‘s exit from the franchise, Stein writes. Rosas is currently a senior basketball advisor for the Knicks.
Before hiring Adrian Griffin as their new head coach, the Bucks expressed “strong” interest in University of Houston coach Kelvin Sampson, along with Monty Williams, according to Stein, who notes that star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo wanted a former NBA player to get the job.

Pelicans Rumors: Williamson, Ingram, Henderson

June 17th, 2023 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

While some reporters have expressed skepticism that the Pelicans are truly willing to make Zion Williamson available as they explore a move into the top three of the draft, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst suggested during the latest episode of The Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link) that Williamson appears far from untouchable.

“It’s surprising to me how out there it is in the league that the Pelicans are discussing Zion business,” Windhorst said (hat tip to RealGM). “I want to be very careful about the word ‘offer’ because that word is a dangerous word. I’m not sure that the Pelicans have ‘offered’ Zion to anybody, but every day that passes for the last five or six days, I hear different discussions the Pelicans have had that imply they are going to make Zion available. Him or Brandon Ingram.

“… At the very least, it is very clear that the Pelicans’ thought on Zion Williamson’s future with the team is evolving. That’s putting it mildly.”

As Windhorst notes, it can be a challenge at this time of year to assess which rumors are genuine and which ones are smoke screens. With that in mind, he’s “very wary” about how to handle the chatter about the Pelicans’ interest in trading up for Scoot Henderson.

“It is extraordinarily out there about how much the Pelicans are interested in Scoot Henderson,” Windhorst said. “To the point where I’m like, ‘How is this out there so hard unless the Pelicans want it out there?’ So I’m nervous about even giving that attention, but it is there.”

Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show on Friday (Twitter video link), Shams Charania of The Athletic was asked about the rumors involving the Pelicans, Henderson, and Williamson and said that he doesn’t believe New Orleans has offered Zion to Charlotte for the No. 2 pick.

However, Charania noted that the only realistic way for the Pels to move up that far in the draft would be to give up a star player — he just isn’t sure that Williamson is the star the Hornets would be after.

“What I have heard is I don’t know if the Hornets would want Zion Williamson,” Charania said. “I think who the Hornets want, from what I’m told, is Brandon Ingram.”

Williamson (23 in July) is younger than Ingram (26 in September) and has put up better numbers when healthy, including a career average of 25.8 points per game. However, availability is an asset that can’t be overlooked when evaluating the two forwards. And while Ingram has dealt with various injuries of his own, he has appeared in 223 games over the last four seasons compared to Williamson’s 114.

It’s also worth noting that there have been rumblings that the Pelicans haven’t been thrilled with Williamson’s “overall approach,” including his preparation off the court. On The Hoop Collective podcast, after ESPN’s Tim MacMahon alluded to the off-court “drama” surrounding Zion, Windhorst referred to a divide between the team and the former No. 1 overall pick.

“There’s no relationship between Zion and the organization, and minimal relationship between Zion and his teammates, from what I understand,” Windhorst said.

Latest Rumors On Hornets’, Blazers’ Lottery Picks

June 16th, 2023 at 7:58am CST by Luke Adams

Despite New Orleans’ interest in Scoot Henderson, the odds of the Hornets and Pelicans reaching an agreement involving the No. 2 pick appear slim.

While the Pelicans don’t necessarily view any player as “untouchable” as they explore moving up in the draft, they’ve shown little interest in parting with forward Brandon Ingram, reports Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. According to Fischer, the team has received plenty of trade inquiries about Trey Murphy this year, but Murphy isn’t viewed as the type of player who could be the centerpiece of a deal that moves New Orleans up from No. 14 to No. 2.

That would leave Zion Williamson as the most obvious trade chip the Pelicans could use if they’re serious about moving into the top three. However, the organization still believes in Williamson’s upside and “fondly remembers” starting the season atop the Western Conference this past season when Zion was healthy, Fischer writes, noting that a top-three pick would be “merely the starting point” to meet Williamson’s valuation of the star forward. Charlotte is unlikely to share that valuation.

ESPN’s Jonathan Givony expressed a similar sentiment during an appearance on Zach Lowe’s Lowe Post podcast, as RealGM relays.

“I’ve been told New Orleans is not trading Zion,” Givony said. “And no interest in trading Brandon Ingram. I would be very surprised if anything ended up happening there at two or three. They were the No. 1 team in the West last year when Zion went down with the injury. If he’s healthy, which he rarely is, but when he’s healthy, he is easily one of the best players in the NBA. So I don’t see it happening. That was pretty much shut down to me as a possibility of Zion to Charlotte.”

Asked by Lowe if the possibility of a Pelicans/Trail Blazers trade involving the No. 3 pick is more viable, Givony essentially dismissed that idea too.

“They haven’t even spoken with Portland,” Givony said. “I think New Orleans has made some calls, just to see what it would take to get to one, get to two, but I don’t think it went past that.”

While the Pelicans have been the team most frequently mentioned this week as a candidate to move into the top three, they’re not the only ones who have looked into that possibility. Fischer says the Raptors and Rockets have conveyed interest in moving up in the lottery, while Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer cites sources who say that Toronto and the Wizards have explored deals to move into the top three.

Presumably, any trade into the top three for the Raptors or Wizards would involve a star player like Pascal Siakam or Bradley Beal, though it’s unclear whether those All-Stars on their own would be enough for a team like Charlotte or Portland to seriously consider a move down. Siakam will be on an expiring deal in 2023/24, while Beal is owed nearly $208MM over the next four years, so neither player has a particularly favorable contract. As we wrote on Thursday, Fischer is skeptical that Houston has the veteran talent necessary to move into the top three.

Givony suggested on The Lowe Post that the Trail Blazers have yet to receive a compelling offer for the No. 3 pick.

“Contrary to what people think, if the draft were tonight, they’re making that pick,” Givony said, per RealGM. “Unless something crazy comes up. Some type of trade that you just can’t say ‘no’ to. At this stage, they haven’t had anywhere near that level of conversation to get fair value for that pick. You very rarely have a chance to get that type of talent, like a Brandon Miller or a Scoot Henderson, in Portland. So they’re not just going to pass up on that unless something absolutely incredible comes out of thin air, which doesn’t appear the case right now.”

Pelicans Part Ways With Teresa Weatherspoon

June 15th, 2023 at 4:18pm CST by Rory Maher

The Pelicans have parted ways with assistant coach Teresa Weatherspoon, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Multiple reporters have confirmed the news, including Andrew Lopez of ESPN (via Twitter) and Christian Clark of NOLA.com. Charania says Weatherspoon has turned down other job opportunities in the past with the goal of working her way up in New Orleans.

A 2019 inductee into the Basketball Hall of Fame for her illustrious playing career in college, the WNBA, and in international competitions with Team USA, Weatherspoon was hired by the Pelicans ahead of the 2019/20 season as a player development coach before receiving a promotion to assistant coach in ’20/21. She previously served as head coach of the Louisiana Tech women’s team from 2009-14.

An assistant coach being dismissed doesn’t ordinarily warrant much attention, but in addition to her noteworthy accomplishments, Weatherspoon was highly respected and worked very closely with star forward Zion Williamson, tweets William Guillory of The Athletic. Williamson, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2019 draft, previously referred to his former player development coach as being “like a big sister” who helped him through his injury problems, including missing the entire ’21/22 season with a fractured foot.

The Pelicans are reportedly hiring former Hornets coach James Borrego to be their associate head coach under Willie Green. Evidently they decided to create an opening on staff by parting ways with Weatherspoon.

Pelicans Rumors: Henderson, Draft, Williamson, Ingram

June 14th, 2023 at 11:55am CST by Luke Adams

Since Shams Charania reported on Monday that the Pelicans have explored the possibility of trying to acquire a top-three pick in the draft in order to snag G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson, multiple NBA journalists – including Brian Windhorst of ESPN (YouTube link) and Substack writer Marc Stein – have confirmed New Orleans’ interest in Henderson.

The Pelicans like the idea of adding a more “traditional play-maker” to their roster after having CJ McCollum serve as the de facto point guard last season, according to Stein, who adds that New Orleans is “undeniably drawn” to Henderson.

Appearing on ESPN’s Get Up on Wednesday, Windhorst said the Pelicans’ interest in moving up from No. 14 in the draft has rival teams speculating about whether former No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson will hit the trade block.

“The Pelicans have had some cursory discussions (about moving up), from what I’ve been told. There haven’t been any offers made necessarily yet,” Windhorst said. “But it makes you really not take too far of a leap to wonder – and the league is certainly wondering – if the Pelicans are going to make, for the first time truly, Zion Williamson available ahead of next week’s draft. To get up to that level in the top five, you’d have to consider a player of this caliber.

“… I don’t know if anything’s going to truly develop there, but I think it’s fair to say based on my conversations, there’s an eye being kept toward whether the Pelicans would make Zion Williamson available.”

Stein has heard similar speculation and spoke to one “well-placed” source who believes that the Pelicans would be prepared to move Williamson if it meant they could land Henderson.

According to Stein, that source cited a “rising level of exasperation” in New Orleans about Zion’s injury history and his overall approach. The former Duke star has appeared in just 114 games in his first four NBA seasons due to a variety of health issues.

Of course, even if the Pelicans are willing to trade Williamson, it’s not clear whether the Hornets would be willing to give up the No. 2 overall pick in a deal for him, given not just his injury issues but his maximum-salary contract, which will go into effect this year.

A second source who spoke to Stein predicted that Charlotte would turn down an offer centered around the No. 2 pick and Williamson, though Stein notes that Hornets governor Michael Jordan may like the idea of acquiring a Jordan Brand star.

It’s possible the Trail Blazers would have interest in Williamson, Stein writes, but if the Blazers decide to trade the No. 3 pick, they’d likely prefer to acquire a star with a better track record of availability. It’s also not a lock that Henderson would be available for New Orleans if the team traded up to No. 3, since Charlotte could take him instead of Alabama’s Brandon Miller.

As we relayed earlier today, Jonathan Givony of ESPN.com wrote within his latest mock draft that the top of the draft could get a shake-up if the Pelicans include Brandon Ingram in an offer for the No. 2 pick, but Givony cautioned that it’s too early to say whether New Orleans would be willing to do so. For what it’s worth, Stein says his read right now is that the Pels would be less inclined to move Ingram than Williamson.

Southwest Notes: Morant, Mavs, Rockets, Thompson Twins, Zion

June 10th, 2023 at 9:11am CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on The Dan Patrick Show on Thursday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver once again addressed the Ja Morant situation in Memphis, indicating that the league doesn’t simply want to hit the Grizzlies guard with a long suspension and hope that he gets the message about his off-court behavior.

“I think it’s important to point out that this is not just about disciplining him and crossing your fingers hoping it’s not a third time,” Silver said, per Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. “I recognize that he needs some assistance from the league office, his union, his team. … My hope is that wherever we come out in terms of discipline, there is a an acceptance that we need to find ways to engage with each other going forward so that he can change the trajectory that he’s now on, which is not a positive one.

“I want to find a way where, frankly, he’s not being kicked to the curb, but basketball will take a back seat and first and foremost, we’re going to focus on him as a young man developing as a better person as someone who is more responsible.”

There have been rumors that the weapon Morant appeared to brandish in his recent Instagram Live viral video was actually a toy gun and not a real one. The commissioner didn’t confirm or deny the validity of that speculation, suggesting that the perception created by the video would be problematic either way.

“The very issue for Ja certainly in the first incident was treating a gun as a toy,” Silver said. “That’s what we’re talking about, and I think that’s what the danger is to society; Taking a gun, live-streaming it. … I think everyone agrees that gun safety is important. Guns aren’t toys.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

The question of whether or not Kyrie Irving will re-sign is the big one looming over the Mavericks‘ offseason, but there are several other issues the team will need to figure out in the coming weeks, writes Tim Cato of The Athletic. Those other questions include how the Mavs will use the No. 10 overall pick and whether or not the team will have the flexibility – and the desire – to use its full mid-level exception on a free agent.
Within a discussion with John Hollinger about the Rockets‘ upcoming offseason, Kelly Iko of The Athletic says draft prospects Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson are scheduled to visit the team next week. Both Thompson twins figure to receive serious consideration at No. 4, whether Houston keeps or trades the pick.
It’s time for Zion Williamson to start making headlines on the court instead of off it, writes columnist Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com. Williamson’s personal life has become very public in recent days, and while he acknowledges that how Zion spends his free time is his own business, Duncan is concerned that the Pelicans forward is having his professional life negatively affected by his off-court decisions. As Duncan observes, Pelicans guard CJ McCollum spoke after the season about prioritizing what he and his teammates “need to do off the court in terms of preparation.”

Pelicans Notes: Valanciunas, Draft Picks, Injuries, Nelson

June 2nd, 2023 at 8:14am CST by Luke Adams

Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas is entering the final year of his current contract with the club and will be eligible to sign an extension this summer. It remains to be seen whether New Orleans views the veteran big man as part of the team’s future, but Valanciunas tells Kestas Rimkus of 24sek.lt (hat tip to BasketNews.com) that he’d be interested in working out a new deal to stay with the Pelicans.

“We had some talks with (the Pelicans). I think this summer won’t be easy for them because they will have to make a few key decisions. Our season didn’t go as planned, so there will definitely be changes,” Valanciunas said. “… I would like to stay and extend my contract. Obviously, during the season, you try to help the team as much as possible, but when the summer comes, you try to take care of your own things – how to extend the contract and stuff.”

Valanciunas, who will earn approximately $15.4MM in 2023/24, started all 79 games he played for New Orleans in ’22/23. However, head coach Willie Green frequently opted to use Larry Nance Jr. at center during crunch-time minutes in the second half of the season, raising questions about Valanciunas’ role going forward.

Here’s more on the Pelicans:

Christian Clark of NOLA.com takes a closer look at the first-round picks the Pelicans control in the coming years, observing that the team will be keeping a close eye on the Lakers and Bucks, since those teams still owe New Orleans draft assets from the Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday trades. The Pelicans control the Lakers’ 2024 first-rounder but have the option of acquiring the team’s 2025 pick instead — if LeBron James opts out of his deal with L.A. in 2024, deferring that first-rounder could be an intriguing option, Clark notes.
After another season affected by injuries, the Pelicans will restructure their player care and performance team, sources tell Clark. Star forwards Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram missed more games (90) than they played (74) in 2022/23.
Hiring Aaron Nelson away from Phoenix to run the club’s player care and performance department was one of David Griffin‘s first moves when he joined the Pelicans in 2019, according to Clark, who notes that Nelson “did not come cheaply” and that the team approved several of his requested changes to the practice facility. However, Nelson may not be back with the Pels at all next season — if he is, it won’t be in the same role, Clark writes. As Clark details, there have been complaints during Nelson’s tenure about his inflexibility, and he clashed with Williamson and former head coach Stan Van Gundy.

Southwest Notes: Rockets, Zion, McCollum, Irving, Grizzlies

May 29th, 2023 at 5:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Assuming Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson will be the first three picks in the draft, who will the Rockets target at No. 4? Kelly Iko of The Athletic explores that question in his first installment of the team’s big board.

With the assistance of a high-ranking scout, Iko puts Amen Thompson at the top of the list. Thompson would make a great fit for Houston defensively, given its current talent level, though there are questions about the Overtime Elite guard offensively. Villanova forward Cam Whitmore follows him on Iko’s list, thanks to his explosiveness and athleticism in the open floor.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

Pelicans guard CJ McCollum dispensed career advice to oft-injured Zion Williamson, RealGM relays. Speaking on the Ryen Russillo Show, McCollum said he and Larry Nance Jr. have engaged in multiple conversations with Williamson, whose toughness was questioned when he didn’t play after Jan. 2 due to a hamstring injury. “Your ceiling is unlike anything the NBA has ever seen,” McCollum said of his advice to Williamson. “But it’s up to you to take full advantage of whatever that is. I can’t want it for you. Mom can’t want it for you. Dad can’t want it for you. Staff can’t want it for you. So, it’s up to you to decide what that looks like. You’ve got to figure out what you want to do with this game, because this game will go where you take it.”
Following a report of a “handshake deal” with the Mavericks, along with attending Lakers games during the postseason, Kyrie Irving indicated on Instagram he’ll control the narrative of his free agency (hat tip to RealGM). “If you hear something about my career, it’s going to happen direct like this,” Irving said. “I am an independent agency. It’s just me.”
In a subscriber-only story, Chris Herrington of the Daily Memphian details the lessons that the Grizzlies learned during their abbreviated playoff run. He opines they need to be patient with the team’s core and coach Taylor Jenkins but aggressively pursue ways to improve their postseason chances.