Zion Williamson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pelicans Notes: Zion, Silence, Distant, Failings

February 23rd, 2022 at 9:25pm CST by Rory Maher

After J.J. Redick‘s condemnation of Zion Williamson‘s behavior toward new Pelicans teammate CJ McCollum, McCollum stated that Williamson finally reached out and the two spoke, but Williamson’s public silence is a willful choice not to quiet the speculation surrounding the franchise, Scott Kushner of NOLA.com opines.

A year ago, Williamson was a first-time All-Star and one of the league’s must-see young players. Yet on Monday, the Pelicans removed Williamson from marketing materials to season-ticket holders for next season, instead focusing on Brandon Ingram, Jonas Valanciunas and McCollum, as Kushner writes.

According to Kushner, the decision to omit Williamson isn’t an indication that New Orleans is interested in trading the young star. It’s an acknowledgement that the Pelicans don’t know when he’ll return to the court, and a way to shield themselves from criticism of false advertising.

It’s a stark contrast to the Media Day comments made by executive VP of basketball operations David Griffin, who suggested at the time that Williamson would be ready for the regular season. Williamson also expressed optimism about his return back then, but he still hasn’t played a game this season and has been in Oregon since early January while rehabbing his injured foot.

Here’s more on the Williamson situation:

Appearing on SportsCenter, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (video link) states the Pelicans and Williamson are “distant, both literally and figuratively.” Since Zion left the team to rehab elsewhere, the Pelicans haven’t released an update on his health status, and his camp has been very cautious in limiting information, per Windhorst. Windhorst thinks the Pelicans might offer Williamson a rookie scale scale extension this summer similar to the one Joel Embiid received, with some of the contract being non-guaranteed and based around injury protection.
Similar to Kushner, William Guillory of The Athletic writes that if Williamson wants the outside noise to stop, his actions need to start backing up his words. Williamson says he loves the city of New Orleans, but then disappears for periods of time, leaving a shroud of mystery. Williamson’s last conversation with the media came in late September, during Media Day. Prior to Zion’s departure to Oregon for rehab, several members of the organization — over the course of three-plus months — tried to convince him to make public statements about his recovery process, but Williamson chose to remain silent, Guillory reports. It’s gotten to the point that Pelicans fans don’t trust what Williamson has to say anymore, according to Guillory.
Tom Ziller of Substack thinks the Pelicans bear plenty of blame for how events have transpired with Williamson, noting that there has been a rotating cast of three head coaches and several veteran teammates in his two-plus seasons with the team, creating instability for the young star. Lonzo Ball was reportedly Williamson’s best friend on the team and the two had synergy on the court, but the Pelicans opted to not re-sign him. Williamson clearly isn’t doing his job, Ziller states, but others in New Orleans are culpable as well.

Southwest Notes: McCollum, Zion, Doncic, Brunson, Murray

February 22nd, 2022 at 3:06pm CST by Luke Adams

After revealing in a TNT interview on Saturday that he hadn’t been in contact at all with Zion Williamson since being traded to New Orleans, Pelicans guard CJ McCollum tells Malika Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link) that the star forward has since reached out to him and the two have spoken.

Williamson has been away from the Pelicans as he rehabs a foot injury that has sidelined him for the entire season, but it was still surprising that he and McCollum hadn’t had any communication nearly two weeks after New Orleans agreed to trade for the standout guard.

Current ESPN analyst and former Pelicans guard J.J. Redick criticized Williamson today for what he called a “complete lack of investment” in the team, describing him as a “detached teammate.” However, while the incident may fuel more speculation about Zion’s commitment to the Pels, there has been no indication that people within the organization viewed it as a serious problem.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Appearing on 1310 The Ticket in Dallas on Tuesday, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said he thinks Luka Doncic was “humbled a little bit” by criticism at the start of this season about his conditioning, as Tim MacMahon of ESPN relays. “I think he didn’t like being called out for his weight and other things, and it finally clicked that there’s a level of discipline that’s required,” Cuban said, adding that Doncic has been “unstoppable” since getting in better shape. “All athletes at his level go through it at some level, where things are just easy and you’re always used to being the best and you’re always used to getting all the accolades. Then when something doesn’t go according to expected, it makes you reconsider.”
Keith Smith of Spotrac examines what an offseason contract for Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson might look like, noting that Brunson isn’t a legitimate candidate for a maximum-salary contract, but should get more than what Dallas can currently offer in an extension ($55.6MM over four years).
Having made his first All-Star team this season, Spurs guard Dejounte Murray is already eager to prove he can do it again, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. “I’m not a one-hit wonder. I got to be back here,” Murray said on Sunday. “… There ain’t no way I can miss out on these types of events. It was a hell of a weekend. I have to keep working.”

Former Pelican J.J. Redick: Zion Williamson A “Detached Teammate”

February 22nd, 2022 at 12:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Responding to the news that CJ McCollum hasn’t yet had a chance to speak to Pelicans star Zion Williamson since being acquired by New Orleans at this month’s trade deadline, ESPN analyst J.J. Redick expressed disbelief and criticized Williamson for not being more engaged with the team.

“This is a little bit insane to me. There’s a general decorum of behavior that you should apply as a teammate,” Redick said on ESPN’s First Take on Tuesday (video link). “Look, I wasn’t the best player on any team I was on, but if there was a buyout possibility, if there was a trade possibility, I would always reach out to teammates. I called Ersan Ilyasova, I called Marco [Belinelli], I called Wes Matthews trying to get him to come to Philly. This just shows a complete lack of investment in your team, in the organization, in the city.”

Williamson, who underwent foot surgery during the offseason, has yet to play this season and has been rehabbing away from the team since early January. However, Redick doesn’t view that as a reasonable excuse for the star forward’s lack of communication with McCollum.

“I get that he’s hurt and away from the team, but you just traded for one of the 50 best players in the league, a guy that’s supposed to be paired with you,” Redick said. “Reach out and say hello.”

[UPDATE: McCollum says he has spoken to Williamson since Saturday]

Typically, opinions from an ESPN analyst about a player aren’t particularly newsworthy, since that analyst is often sharing his two cents without any inside info on the player or the team. However, this situation is a little different.

Besides being teammates with Williamson from 2019-21 before he retired as a player, Redick is also a fellow Duke alum, a fellow CAA client, and has publicly criticized of Pelicans head of basketball operations David Griffin, as Scott Kushner of NOLA.com tweets. As such, Redick’s comments about Zion are especially eyebrow-raising.

“This is a pattern of behavior with Zion that we are seeing again and again. And look, I was his teammate. I can describe him as a detached teammate. That is an accurate statement,” Redick said. “This is basic level of humanity, being a teammate. Send a text to a guy when he gets traded to your team. That is just normal behavior. That’s the bare minimum that you have to do.

“… This is something I addressed with Zion in front of the team,” Redick later added. “This is going back to his rookie year. There’s a responsibility that you have as an athlete when you play a team sport to be fully invested. You’re fully invested in your body, you’re fully invested in your work, and you’re fully invested in your teammates. That is your responsibility, and we have not seen that from Zion.”

Williamson’s desire to play for the Pelicans has been questioned since the 2019 draft lottery, when New Orleans won the No. 1 pick over bigger-market teams like the Knicks and Lakers. One report during the 2021 offseason suggested that some of Williamson’s family members wanted him out of New Orleans, while a subsequent story claimed that Zion and Griffin aren’t on particularly great terms.

For his part, the former No. 1 overall pick has repeatedly stated that he loves playing in New Orleans, but Redick and his ESPN colleague Stephen A. Smith expressed skepticism about Zion’s long-term commitment to the franchise.

“He’s never publicly come out and said, ‘I don’t want to be in New Orleans.’ But as we know, Stephen A., because we follow the league, where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” Redick said. “You didn’t hear rumors about Giannis [Antetokounmpo] being unhappy in Milwaukee. With Zion, you’ve heard that now for the last three years.”

Williamson will be eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2022 offseason. Although no player has ever turned down a maximum-salary rookie scale extension, it’s unclear whether the Pelicans would even be comfortable putting that sort of offer on the table, given that injuries have limited Williamson to just 85 games since he entered the league in 2019.

When the Sixers extended Joel Embiid following his third NBA season, he had only appeared in 31 career games, so the two sides agreed to include injury-related language in his max deal in order to protect the team. The Pelicans and Williamson could theoretically explore a similar arrangement, but first they’ll have to decide whether the union is one they even want to continue for the next several seasons.

“New Orleans is going to have to make some sort of decision here,” Redick said. “We’ve seen this now for three years.”

Pelicans Notes: McCollum, Zion, Green, Lineup Change

February 20th, 2022 at 9:03am CST by Arthur Hill

CJ McCollum has been with the Pelicans for nearly two weeks, but he still hasn’t talked to injured star Zion Williamson, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com. McCollum, who was acquired from the Trail Blazers in a February 8 trade, shared the surprising news Saturday in an interview with TNT.

“He’s a big part of our future, obviously,” McCollum said of Williamson. “We’re looking forward to getting him back. I haven’t had conversations with him directly. I’ve spoken to people close to him. I look forward to sitting down with him sooner than later. I know about as much as you do right now. But I’m going to get to the bottom of it.”

There has been an air of mystery surrounding Williamson ever since the start of training camp. The Pelicans announced on Media Day that he suffered a fracture in his right foot over the summer, but suggested he was expected to be ready for the start of the season. He has encountered repeated setbacks since then and has been working with a personal trainer in Oregon since January.

McCollum, who consulted with Portland’s front office on the trade, said he’s looking forward to playing alongside Williamson, no matter when it happens.

“The way he scores around the basket is exceptional — 60, 65%, essentially,” McCollum said. “He demands double-teams. He gets to the free-throw line. He gets you into the bonus early. And he gets out in transition as well. So it’s a guy who can do a lot of different things with the basketball and changes the game for everyone around him.”

There’s more from New Orleans:

The Pelicans made the move for McCollum with the understanding that Williamson may not return this season, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said this week in an appearance on “Get Up!” (hat tip to James Herbert of CBS Sports). Although the team hopes to reach the play-in tournament, the addition of McCollum is targeted toward improving next season.
One of the first things Willie Green had to do when he became the Pelicans’ head coach last summer was rebuild the morale of the team, Clark adds in a separate story. Josh Hart, who was sent to Portland in the McCollum trade, said he “hated playing basketball” under former coach Stan Van Gundy last season, but Green quickly turned that around. “Willie (had) all the trust in me to go out there and play my game and play with confidence,” Hart said. “I think that’s the biggest thing that we talked about. It wasn’t just standing in the corner and hoping and praying for the ball.”
The Pelicans’ chances of reaching the play-in tournament may depend on the success of a lineup change that Green made in the final game before the All-Star break, per William Guillory of The Athletic. Green inserted Jaxson Hayes into the starting unit in place of Devonte’ Graham, hoping Graham will find his shooting touch as a member of the second unit.

Pelicans Rumors: Williamson, Morant, Lineups, Arena

February 16th, 2022 at 10:38am CST by Luke Adams

It’s possible Pelicans forward Zion Williamson will require a second surgical procedure on the injured right foot that has kept him sidelined for the entire 2021/22 season, but nothing has been decided yet, sources tell Christian Clark of NOLA.com.

Another surgery would be a discouraging setback for Williamson and the Pelicans, effectively eliminating Zion’s chances of returning this season. But it sounds for now like New Orleans still hopes to avoid that scenario.

The former No. 1 overall pick, who received an injection in his foot in December to promote healing, is expected to get more medical imaging done before the end of the month to assess where he’s at.

Here’s more on the Pelicans:

Within the same NOLA.com story, Clark cites sources who say the Pelicans made multiple trade offers to the Grizzlies in advance of the 2019 draft in an effort to move up from No. 4 to No. 2. If those efforts had been successful, New Orleans would’ve controlled the draft’s top two picks and Williamson with Ja Morant. However, Memphis resisted and the Pelicans eventually traded down from the No. 4 spot.
Head coach Willie Green is still working on figuring out the best lineup combinations to use with New Orleans’ new star duo of CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram, Clark writes in a separate article for NOLA.com. McCollum has been the Pelicans’ leading scorer in all three of his games so far, but the club is just 1-2 in those contests.
The Pelicans’ lease agreement with the Smoothie King Center expires in 2024, but they can exercise an option to extend that deal through 2029, and team president Dennis Lauscha says the franchise has no plans to go anywhere. “It’s not like we’re leaving,” Lauscha said, per Clark at NOLA.com. “I have every anticipation that for any reason if we’re getting close to that, we’ll pull the trigger on an extension so we can figure out a long-term plan. I don’t want anyone to think we’re using that as any type of leverage over the state of Louisiana.”

Southwest Notes: Tate, Brooks, Buyout Market, McCollum, Williamson

February 10th, 2022 at 9:06pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jae’Sean Tate remained with the Rockets, but that doesn’t mean there was a lack of interest in the young forward, Kelly Iko of The Athletic tweets. A number of teams brought up Tate prior to the trade deadline but the Rockets obviously didn’t receive a strong enough offer. He’s averaging 12.3 PPG, 5.6 RPG and 3.1 APG this season.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

Grizzlies swingman Dillon Brooks is expected to return early next month, Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian tweets. Brooks has been sidelined since January 8 due to a left ankle injury.
The Pelicans emerged from the trade deadline with an open roster spot. They’ll likely target a defensive-minded wing on the buyout market, Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times Picayune tweets.
CJ McCollum said he was involved in the process of the Trail Blazers’ negotiations to trade him, Will Guillory of The Athletic tweets. McCollum was intrigued with the idea of joining the Pelicans due to their young talent and the opportunity to play with Brandon Ingram.
Pelicans forward Zion Williamson will have more scans done on his injured right foot at the end of next week or the following week, Andrew Lopez of ESPN tweets. GM Trajan Langdon visited with Williamson in Oregon last week and said Williamson “feels good.”

Southwest Notes: Augustin, Silas, Mavericks, McCollum

February 8th, 2022 at 11:49pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Veteran Rockets point guard D.J. Augustin, 34, hopes to remain in Houston through the NBA trade deadline, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Should the Rockets opt not to pick up his partially-guaranteed deal this summer, the rebuilding club’s oldest player could become a free agent. The 5’11” guard is averaging 5.4 PPG and 2.2 APG in just 15.0 MPG this season.

“At this point in my career, man, whatever the team needs from me, whatever the coach needs from me, the organization needs, I’m going to do my job and do what I need to do,” Augustin said.

At times this season, head coach Stephen Silas has opted not to play Augustin at all, in favor of giving the team’s younger prospects more run. Augustin does concede that he would like a consistent role in the Rockets’ rotation, but accepts that that may not be what Houston requires.

“I would like minutes, period,” he said. “That’s not my role right now with this team.”

There’s more out of the Southwest Division:

With NBA trade deadline chatter swirling, Rockets head coach Stephen Silas is trying to help his current Houston players focus on the task at hand as much as possible, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Feigen notes that the Rockets have been active at the trade deadline for the past 16 straight years. “It is our job as a coaching staff, as a management team to make sure everybody is pointed in the direction of things that you can control,” Silas said. “I know that there’s other stuff out there and rumors. There’s always rumors and false narratives going on. But really focusing on what you can control makes everybody’s job easier. Whatever happens, you adapt to that.”
The 32-23 Mavericks could opt to develop their current chemistry at the trade deadline or make changes. In a roundtable, Callie Caplan, Brad Townsend and Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News debate how Dallas should move forward at the deadline. Sherrington cautions that it may prove difficult for the Mavericks to re-sign both Jalen Brunson and Dorian Finney-Smith. Caplan suggests that the Mavericks maintain their core players, noting that the team seems capable of fending off most Western Conference contenders. Caplan adds that Raptors point guard Goran Dragic could make a nice addition with the Mavericks, should he get a buyout.
After acquiring sharp-shooting guard CJ McCollum, forward Larry Nance Jr. and deep-bench reserve Tony Snell from the Trail Blazers today, the Pelicans are clearly hoping to make a play-in tournament push, writes Will Guillory of The Athletic. The club has gone 19-16 in its last 35 contests. Guillory notes that McCollum, an excellent scorer and ball-handler, could prove to be a stellar partner for star forwards Brandon Ingram and, when healthy, Zion Williamson. New Orleans is currently the tenth seed in the West, with a 22-32 record.

Southwest Notes: Morant, Mills, Jones, Williamson

January 23rd, 2022 at 9:04pm CST by JD Shaw

Grizzlies star Ja Morant is seeing his brand elevate to new heights, something that could be important for the Grizzlies and the city of Memphis, Mark Giannotto of the Memphis Commercial Appeal writes.

Morant has led his team to a 32-16 record on the season, averaging a career-high 25.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game. His shooting numbers have also increased from last season (48.7% from the floor and 35% on threes, up from 44.9% and 30.3%, respectively). As Giannotto notes, Morant already has agreements with companies such as Nike and BodyArmor.

“It could be one of those things similar to when LeBron (James) was in Cleveland, and the opportunities that came with the Cavaliers because of that,” said Alex Hanono, a senior manager of the Celebrity and Influencer department at international marketing agency The Marketing Arm.

“Obviously that’s a long ways ahead, and a lot of winning and success, but if you want to take that long view at it, that’s probably something in Morant’s sights and in the team’s sights.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Nets guard Patty Mills discussed a variety of topics with Michael Wright of NBA.com, including how difficult it was to leave the Spurs last offseason. Prior to signing with Brooklyn, Mills spent 10 straight seasons with San Antonio. “I think why it was hard was because I was leaving a place, and more importantly, people, that have helped me grow up in a way,” Mills explained as part of a larger quote.
Pelicans forward Herbert Jones is gaining confidence in his three-point shot, Christian Clark of NOLA.com writes. Jones has been working closely with assistant coach Fred Vinson on his mechanics. In 42 games this season, he’s shot 50.2% from the floor and 40% from three, scoring 9.1 points per game.
In a separate story for NOLA.com, Clark examines the strength coach that Zion Williamson is working with. The strength coach, Jasper Bibbs, does not work for the Pelicans, who haven’t seen Williamson play since last May. Williamson suffered a setback in his rehab from foot surgery roughly six weeks ago, but no timetable was issued for a return.

Injury Notes: Nance, Zion, P. Williams, Z. Collins

January 7th, 2022 at 9:35am CST by Luke Adams

An MRI on the injured right knee of Trail Blazers forward Larry Nance Jr. showed no significant damage, the team announced in a press release. While that’s good news for the Blazers and for Nance, who sustained the injury on Wednesday, the 29-year-old remains unavailable for the short term. According to the club, Nance will be reevaluated in one week.

Here are a few more injury updates from across the NBA:

Zion Williamson will continue his rehab from offseason foot surgery away from the Pelicans, the team announced in a press release. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Williamson has moved his rehab to Portland, Oregon. The former No. 1 overall pick, who called the recovery process a “difficult” one, continues to only participate in partial weight-bearing activities, according to the club.
The Bulls still aren’t ruling out the possibility of Patrick Williams returning from his left wrist injury by the end of the season, as Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago writes. Reports at the time of Williams’ injury indicated he would likely miss the rest of the regular season — the Bulls provided a four-to-six month timeline. “Patrick is coming back slowly, the schedule is to be determined,” president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said during an appearance on the Mully & Haugh Show on 670 The Score. “We’re not going to put any pressure for him to come back. We’re just going to go from week to week, we’ll see how he improves. We’ll see in terms of a date. I don’t want to put any timeline on it, but it would be great to have Patrick back by end of season.”
Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said this week that big man Zach Collins is nearing a return from offseason ankle surgery, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. “He was (doing basketball activities) until the new (COVID) restrictions came in,” Popovich said. “But he’s cleared to play once he gets a rhythm, and if he gets a chance to play some 3-on-3 or 5-on-5 or 4-on-4. … It’s kind of difficult now, but he’s almost ready to go.”

Southwest Notes: Jones, Zion, Tillie, Sengun

January 1st, 2022 at 8:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

Pelicans forward Herb Jones has been one of the surprises of this year’s rookie class, and veteran guard Garrett Temple got an early tip about his new teammate, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com. Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports serves as the agent for both players, and Temple said Bartelstein was raving about Jones shortly after he was selected with the 35th pick.

Jones has exceeded expectations for a second-rounder, starting 23 of the 32 games he has played and averaging 8.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks per night. He was named Defensive Player of the Year in the SEC last season, but there were questions about whether he could provide enough offense to succeed in the NBA. He has been working to develop his jump shot and is connecting at 36.6% from three-point range on 1.3 attempts per game.

“I’ve gotten to know Herb as a person,” Temple said. “He’s the epitome of a great teammate, a great person. He’s someone you want on your team. He’s going to be in the league for a very, very long time.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

There’s an assumption that the Pelicans will offer Zion Williamson a maximum extension this summer, but John Hollinger of The Athletic questions whether that’s wise considering Williamson’s injury history. The third-year forward has only played 85 total games and continues to recover from offseason foot surgery. Hollinger suggests an offer similar to Joel Embiid‘s contract, which protects the team if he can’t play a minimum number of games.
The Grizzlies used their room exception to sign Killian Tillie to a two-year contract, tweets Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian. The former two-way player will become a restricted free agent after the 2022/23 season.
Rockets rookie center Alperen Sengun may face an extended absence after spraining his right ankle in Friday’s game, according to Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston (Twitter link). “It’s not day-to-day,” coach Stephen Silas said. “It’s probably about a week and then we’ll see.”