Wesley Johnson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pelicans Notes: Murray, McCollum, Ingram, Johnson

October 3rd, 2024 at 8:24pm CST by Tristan Tucker

New Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray is hoping to get back to the defensive level he showcased as a member of the Spurs before joining the Hawks. As William Guillory of The Athletic writes, Murray has displayed during training camp practices that he’s still capable of being that kind of player, making a series of impressive steals and deflections.

The Pelicans ranked sixth in defensive efficiency over the past two seasons due in part to their ability to create turnovers. According to Guillory, the Pelicans actively sought Murray due to the fact that he played into their identity and would be a seamless fit on that end.

While losing Naji Marshall to free agency and Dyson Daniels as part of the move to bring Murray in could be a blow, the Pelicans are hoping a motivated Murray alongside Herbert Jones can create one of the best defensive duos in the league. With Trey Murphy likely sidelined to open the season due to injury, that would leave Jones, CJ McCollum and Daniel Theis battling for two starting spots next to Murray, Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.

“The Pelicans have been a top defensive team for years, (we’re going) to continue to grow,” Murray said. “The sky is the limit. If you get stops with this group, and the length we have and guys who can space out and can attack the basket, that’s what we want. That’s the best offense: getting out and running.”

We have more from the Pelicans:

McCollum will shift to more of an off-ball role while playing alongside Murray, Christian Clark of NOLA.com writes. McCollum has played both guard spots for New Orleans since being acquired from Portland, but he’ll continue the trend of taking catch-and-shoot threes that he displayed last season. “I think the beauty of it is both of those guys over the course of their careers have played off other point guards or scoring guards,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “Dejounte did it early in San Antonio. He also did it in Atlanta. CJ, for almost his whole career, was with Damian Lillard. Those guys are interchangeable. They can adjust on the fly. I think it makes us a problem for other teams.“
While Ingram was an oft-rumored trade candidate this offseason as he enters the final year of his contract, he ultimately stayed put. According to Clark (Twitter link), the star forward has been motivated in training camp so far. “He’s not just fitting in. He’s dominating,” Green said. “It’s really refreshing to see him come into camp (and) play at a high level, high speed. He’s focused on getting to the rim more. Making threes. He’ll still have his mid-range game because he’s elite in those positions. But overall, his leadership and spirit has been really good.” Ingram will make $36MM this season and is on track to hit unrestricted free agency next July after not yet receiving the maximum extension he was seeking.
Former Pelicans wing Wesley Johnson is joining New Orleans’ official broadcasting crew as a studio analyst alongside Erin Summers, the team announced (Twitter link). Johnson played with the Pelicans for 26 games (13 starts) in 2018/19 while averaging 3.7 points. Johnson spent the last three seasons as a member of Tyronn Lue‘s coaching staff in Los Angeles.

Clippers Notes: Leonard, Ibaka, Preston, Offseason Grade, New Coaches

September 24th, 2021 at 9:09pm CST by Rory Maher

The Clippers made it to the conference finals for the first time in franchise history last season, but they’ll have to wait quite a while for Kawhi Leonard to return from the partially torn ACL he suffered in the playoffs — possibly until the 2022/23 season.

President of basketball operations Lawrence Frank says the team doesn’t even broach the subject of Leonard’s recovery timeline, stating that “no one knows” when he’ll return, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.

In the same piece, Youngmisuk relays that Serge Ibaka, who’s recovering from back surgery, will be limited to non-contact drills at the start of training camp, according to Frank.

Youngmisuk also notes that rookie Jason Preston, the 33rd pick in the draft, suffered a foot injury in a group workout recently and will not be available for the start of training camp, which begins next Tuesday, September 28th. Frank said team physicians will determine the severity of the injury in the next couple of days.

Frank declined to say whether all of the players and staff members on the team are fully vaccinated, per Youngmisuk, although he did say that he’s a “huge advocate of the vaccinations.”

There’s more on the Clippers:

Zach Harper of The Athletic gave the Clippers a B-minus for their offseason moves. He liked their draft picks and thought Justise Winslow and Harry Giles were decent “buy-low” pickups, but states that ultimately their offseason will depend on how Leonard and Ibaka recover from their surgeries.
The Clippers announced in a press release that Brian Shaw and Jay Larranaga will be assistant coaches under Tyronn Lue. The team also promoted Shaun Fein to assistant coach. Shaw’s and Larranaga’s additions were reported in July. Shaw played 14 seasons in the NBA and was the former head coach of the Lakers and Nuggets. He spent last season as the head coach of G League Ignite. Larranaga was an assistant with the Celtics the past nine seasons.
In the same release, the Clippers said former NBA player Wesley Johnson will be joining the team in a coaching and development role, along with Cookie Belcher.
Frank loves Patrick Beverley and said it wasn’t easy parting with him, but he’s excited for what new addition Eric Bledsoe will bring to the team, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (via Twitter).

Coronavirus Update: Griffin, Smart, Greece, Olympics

March 21st, 2020 at 8:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

Although the coronavirus continues to spread through the league, the NBA hasn’t given any thought to canceling its season, according to Pelicans executive vice president David Griffin (Twitter link from Will Guillory of The Athletic). Griffin made the comment tonight on the team’s Twitter feed during a rebroadcast of a game from earlier this season.

The number of NBA players testing positive for the virus grew from two to 10 over the past week. Three members of the Sixers organization and a member of the Nuggets organization have also tested positive.

Griffin’s comment meshes with a statement by NBA commissioner Adam Silver earlier this week that he remains optimistic that the season will be concluded in some form.

There’s more basketball-related coronavirus news:

Celtics guard Marcus Smart, one of the players who tested positive, appeared on CNN yesterday to urge people to take the virus seriously, writes Ryan Young of Yahoo Sports. Smart said he and his teammates were tested after returning from their last road trip and they have all remained quarantined. “Be alert to what’s going on and take the precautions to not only protect yourself,” he said. “By protecting yourself, you protect others.”
Panathinaikos is allowing American players to return home because of the virus outbreak in Greece, according to Ennio Terrasi Borghesan of Sportando. Jimmer Fredette, the most recognizable name on the roster, came back to the United States several days ago. Former NBA forward Wesley Johnson is also part of the team.
USA Track and Field is calling for the Summer Olympics to be postponed because of the pandemic, reports CNN. “Unfortunately, while our world class athletes are willing to push themselves to their athletic limits in pursuit of Olympic success, the likelihood that they will be able to properly train in a safe and adequate environment, and replicate the excellence we have all come to expect, does not appear likely in the midst of this global crisis,” USATF chief executive Max Siegel wrote. “As we have learned our athletes are under tremendous pressure, stress and anxiety, and their mental health and wellness is among our highest priorities.”

Wesley Johnson Signs With Panathinaikos

July 22nd, 2019 at 9:44am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran NBA swingman Wesley Johnson will head overseas for the 2019/20 season. Greek club Panathinaikos issued a press release today announcing that it has signed Johnson to a one-year contract.

The fourth overall pick in the 2010 draft, Johnson didn’t develop into the sort of impact player that his draft position may have portended, but he has been a reliable rotation piece over the course of his nine-year NBA career.

In 609 career games for the Timberwolves, Suns, Lakers, Clippers, Pelicans, and Wizards, Johnson has averaged 7.0 PPG and 3.2 RPG with a .404/.337/.741 shooting line.

The 32-year-old was traded twice during the 2018/19 league year, playing limited minutes in 26 games for New Orleans and 12 for Washington before the Wizards released him during the final week of the regular season.

In Greece, Johnson will team up with another former lottery pick — the 10th overall selection in the 2011 draft, Jimmer Fredette also signed with Panathinaikos last week.

Wizards Waive Wesley Johnson

April 5th, 2019 at 9:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Wizards are waiving forward Wesley Johnson, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. The team has issued a press release confirming the move is official.

Washington acquired him at the trade deadline from the Pelicans for Markieff Morris. Johnson was acquired by New Orleans in October from the Clippers.

Washington beat the Sunday deadline to waive a player with an expiring contract, Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (Twitter link). Johnson’s cap hold for this offseason would have been $9.2MM.

Johnson, 31, appeared in just 12 games with the Wizards, averaging 2.8 PPG and 1.5 RPG in 13.1 MPG. He made 13 starts with the Pelicans.

Wizards Trade Markieff Morris To Pelicans

February 7th, 2019 at 12:36am CST by Arthur Hill

FEBRUARY 7, 12:36am: The trade is now official, the Wizards announced in a press release.

FEBRUARY 6, 10:19pm: Washington has agreed to trade veteran forward Markieff Morris to the Pelicans, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The Wizards will get Wesley Johnson in return, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington (Twitter link).

Between this deal and one earlier tonight that shipped Otto Porter to Chicago for Bobby Portis and Jabari Parker, the Wizards have dropped below the luxury tax and won’t be subject to the repeater tax, Hughes adds (Twitter link).

Morris makes $8.6MM, while Johnson is at $6.1MM, so Washington saves $2.5MM in salary just from that trade in addition to sneaking below the tax line. Both players have expiring contracts.

The Wizards also sent their 2023 second-round pick to New Orleans, tweets David Aldridge of The Athletic. Washington received a 2023 second-rounder from Chicago in the first deal, so the team didn’t mind parting with its own.

Clippers Trade Wesley Johnson To Pelicans, Cut Two Players

October 15th, 2018 at 4:11pm CST by Luke Adams

4:11pm: The Clippers have officially announced their trade with the Pelicans and confirmed that they’ve waived both Ajinca and Evans. L.A. is now in compliance with the regular season roster limit.

2:19pm: The Clippers and Pelicans have reached a trade agreement that will send Alexis Ajinca to Los Angeles and Wesley Johnson to New Orleans, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Marc Stein of The New York Times first reported (via Twitter) that the two teams were in advanced discussions on a swap involving Ajinca and Johnson.

From the Clippers’ perspective, the trade will simply be about saving a little money before they make their final roster cuts. Ajinca ($5.29MM) earns a more modest 2018/19 salary than Johnson ($6.13MM) and both players are on expiring deals.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter), the Clippers will waive Ajinca after acquiring him. 2017 second-round pick Jawun Evans will be Los Angeles’ other cut, Wojnarowski adds. That means that non-guaranteed players Patrick Beverley and Tyrone Wallace will both open the regular season on the Clips’ roster.

There are some teams that like Evans, according to Keith Smith of RealGM.com (Twitter link), but those clubs opted not to trade for the second-year guard, who could draw interest on waivers or as a free agent if he goes unclaimed.

As for the Pelicans, they weren’t expecting to get much out of Ajinca, who missed the entire 2017/18 season with knee issues and still hadn’t been cleared for contact at the start of training camp. By swapping him for Johnson, New Orleans will add some veteran depth at a position of need, without sacrificing future cap flexibility.

Johnson, 31, was the fourth overall pick in the 2010 draft, but has never been more than a role player at the NBA level. Last season, the 6’7″ wing averaged 5.4 PPG and 2.9 RPG with a .408/.339/.741 shooting line and solid defense in 74 games (40 starts) for the Clippers.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Clippers Exploring Trades To Clear Roster Logjam

October 10th, 2018 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

With the roster deadline for the 2018/19 season just a few days away, the Clippers are exploring the trade market in the hopes of finding a deal or two that will help them clear their roster logjam, reports Keith Smith of RealGM.com (Twitter link). According to Smith, the club had been hoping to address the issue in a potential Jimmy Butler trade, but that seems like a long shot at this point.

The Clippers have 15 players on guaranteed contracts, but likely won’t end up keeping those specific 15 players on their regular season squad. Patrick Beverley has a non-guaranteed deal and Tyrone Wallace has a partial guarantee worth $300K, and both guards are strong candidates to make the roster.

Of the players with guaranteed salaries, Wesley Johnson ($6.13MM) and Jawun Evans ($1.38MM) are among those who may not be locks for the 15-man squad. Neither player projects to have a major role in the Clippers’ 2018/19 rotation.

The Clippers already found a trade that allowed them to clear one guaranteed salary when they sent Sam Dekker to Cleveland in August. If the team can’t find similar deals in the coming days, two players will need to be waived in order to get the roster down to 15 (plus a pair of two-way players) for opening night.

Clippers’ Wesley Johnson Exercises Player Option

May 10th, 2018 at 8:22am CST by Luke Adams

MAY 10, 8:22am: Johnson has officially opted in for next season, according to the Real GM Transactions Page.

MAY 2, 1:24pm: Clippers forward Wesley Johnson intends to play out the final year of his current contract, according to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports, who reports (via Twitter) that Johnson will pick up his 2018/19 option.

An unrestricted free agent back in 2016, Johnson signed a three-year contract with the Clippers worth just shy of $18MM. The deal included a third-year player option for 2018/19, and by exercising that option Johnson will earn a guaranteed $6,134,520 salary next season.

Johnson’s option decision doesn’t come as a real surprise. Although he was a regular rotation piece for the Clippers, averaging 20.1 minutes per contest in 74 games (40 starts), his production was modest. For the season, the 30-year-old averaged 5.4 PPG and 2.9 RPG with a shooting line of .408/.339/.741.

Johnson is one of a handful of Clippers who have player option decisions to make this summer. While Johnson’s salary won’t have a major impact on the team’s cap situation, the Clips’ offseason outlook could vary significantly depending on whether DeAndre Jordan ($24,119,025), Austin Rivers ($12,650,000), and Milos Teodosic ($6,300,000) also exercise their respective options.

As our tracker shows, Johnson is already the fourth veteran who has exercised – or will exercise – a player option for 2018/19, suggesting we’ll see an uptick in opt-ins this year. Last summer, only five player options were picked up; in 2016, only three were exercised.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

And-Ones: G League Mini Camp, Combine, Balls

May 4th, 2018 at 2:36pm CST by Austin Kent

A number of NBA players with recent big league experience have been named to the G League’s Elite Mini Camp roster. In mid-May, about 40 players from the developmental league will get the chance to strut their stuff in front of NBA personnel.

A total of 13 players from the initial roster have had at least some NBA experience, including the always intriguing likes of K.J. McDaniels and Archie Goodwin.

Other players, like Marcus Thornton and Naz Mitrou-Long who signed 10-day contracts in 2017/18 will look to prove that they deserve another crack at a rotation spot.

While it will be tough for a significant number of these players to make final rosters next season, there are plenty of opportunities between training camp and the regular season, especially now with the introduction of two-way contracts last season.

Jonathon Simmons, the G League is quick to mention, once participated in this event, prior to latching on with the Spurs and spinning that into a role with the Magic last summer.

There’s more from around the league this afternoon:

While it’s become commonplace for highly regarded draft prospects to skip out on the combine, a number of reputable players from last year’s class were in attendance, including Donovan Mitchell and Bam Adebayo. Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype broke down some of the best players from this year’s rookie crop that are actually expected to participate in the pre-draft event later this month.
The dust has settled after LaVar Ball‘s decision to move his non-Lonzo sons to Lithuania. According to Donatas Urbonas of 15min.It, LiAngelo Ball may have been slightly underrated prior to arriving in Europe while LaMelo Ball isn’t prepared to perform at the pro level yet. Urbonas connected with USA Today’s Andrew Joseph to discuss the Ball family’s Lithuanian adventure.
The NBA offseason is a lot closer than you might think. In fact, players like Cory Joseph and Wesley Johnson have already made key decisions on contract options for the 2018/19 campaign. For a rundown of what we expect from each team’s pending free agents, check out your respective team’s recap in our Free Agent Stock Watch series. Similarly, Hoops Rumors writers have ranked who we think the top available 2018 NBA free agents are.