New Orleans Pelicans Rumors

Southwest Notes: Flagg, Rockets, Pelicans

June 13th, 2025 at 10:56pm CST by Eli Cohen

Cooper Flagg, the presumed 2025 number one pick, is only visiting the Mavericks in the lead-up to the draft, Mark Medina of RG writes within an interview with Flagg’s trainer, Matt MacKenzie.

“He’ll be able to tour their facilities and learn about the organization as a whole,” MacKenzie said. “So it’s something he’s definitely looking forward to. It’s the only team he’s going to go visit. He’s very excited for it.”

MacKenzie confirms that Flagg’s workouts have included Kevin Durant and Chris Paul being in the same facility at times. Flagg got the chance to watch Durant work out, while Paul imparted advice primarily on how to adjust to the non-basketball side of the game.

“I think Chris Paul has been really helpful in sharing the different things that you need to be aware of when you’re coming into the league as a rookie in terms of how to manage your time off the court,” MacKenzie said. “During your downtime, you need to make sure you’re also treating your recovery with importance and understanding that 82 games is a long season… Being able to get that input has been incredibly valuable.”

Lauded for his versatile skill set, Flagg has taken part in workouts meant to prepare him for any and every role that his new team will ask him to play, according to MacKenzie.

We have more news from around the Southwest Division:

Despite a roster crunch and uncertain roles moving forward, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle is skeptical that the Rockets will put one of Tari Eason or Jabari Smith Jr. on the trade block this summer. In her mailbag, Lerner writes that it’s more likely that they have to decide between extending one or both of them and then reevaluating next year. Lerner also doubts that the Rockets will make a move for the Nets’ Cameron Johnson, both for salary cap reasons and because she views the defensive drop-off from Dillon Brooks to Johnson as something Houston would be wary of.
This is a big offseason for the Rockets, Keith Smith writes in his Spotrac offseason preview. While there has been talk about continuing to patiently build around the young core, there’s a sense that Houston’s success last season has led the team to consider fast-tracking the process. Deciding exactly how to handle the contract situation for Fred VanVleet, whose deal includes a team option, will be a crucial part of their summer, as will their ability to pull off a Kevin Durant trade. Smith writes that trying to retain Steven Adams should also be a high priority, as he was a pivotal part of their playoff run and proved to be a very effective backup.
The Pelicans have struggled at times to find the right balance of players to put around Zion Williamson, writes William Guillory for The Athletic. That includes finding an answer at the center position, which is why Guillory considers whether it would make sense for New Orleans to target Khaman Maluach with the seventh pick in the 2025 draft. This offseason is the first with Joe Dumars as the top decision-maker and will tell the league much about how he plans to proceed with shaping the roster. Guillory notes that the team found success using double-big lineups featuring Kelly Olynyk and rookie big Yves Missi last season, but it’s unlikely that Missi and Maluach could play together unless the Duke center enters the league much more advanced as a shooter than expected.

Trade Rumors: Celtics, Durant, Knicks, Pelicans, Spurs, Magic

June 12th, 2025 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics won’t be actively looking to move Jaylen Brown or Derrick White this offseason, but they also don’t necessarily view either player as untouchable, ESPN’s Shams Charania said on Wednesday during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show (YouTube link).

“The primary focus, from my understanding, with the Celtics’ offseason has been Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, (and) Sam Hauser, their trade markets,” Charania said. “Now, are teams making big offers and calling about Jaylen Brown and Derrick White? 100 percent. The Celtics prefer not to trade them, from my understanding. But if they get a big offer, they have to look at everything.”

Asked by McAfee if it’s accurate to say that everyone except Jayson Tatum, who will spent most or all of the 2025/26 season recovering from an Achilles tear, is theoretically in play, Charania replied, “Essentially.”

As has been reported repeatedly since Boston was eliminated from the playoffs last month, the club will be looking to reduce its luxury tax bill and get below the second tax apron in 2025/26, since Tatum’s injury figures to significantly reduce the odds of the Celtics seriously contending for another title next season.

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

Brian Windhorst said during a Thursday appearance on ESPN’s Get Up (YouTube link) that he thinks Kevin Durant “definitely” has interest in the Knicks as a potential landing spot. However, after Stefan Bondy of The New York Post reported on Wednesday that the Knicks aren’t expected to pursue Durant, Steve Popper of Newsday has echoed that report, citing a league source who says New York isn’t interested in making a deal for the star forward.
Within his latest mock draft, Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports says league sources continue to mention the Pelicans as a team with interest in moving up in the draft. According to O’Connor, multiple front office executives believe New Orleans, which controls the No. 7 overall pick, has interest in Rutgers’ Ace Bailey, who could be picked as early as No. 3, so Yahoo’s latest mock include a hypothetical trade between the Pelicans and Sixers.
The latest mock draft from Sam Vecenie of The Athletic also includes some sourced information related to potential trade scenarios. According to Vecenie, league sources believe the Spurs could move their No. 14 overall pick if a preferred target isn’t on the board and think the Magic will explore using at least one of their two first-rounders in a trade for offensive help.

Bryson Graham, Peter Dinwiddie Joining Hawks’ Front Office

June 9th, 2025 at 11:02am CST by Arthur Hill

The Hawks are making two significant additions to their front office, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN. Atlanta is finalizing deals with Pelicans general manager Bryson Graham to become senior vice president of basketball operations and Sixers executive Peter Dinwiddie as senior vice president of strategy and analytics.

Graham, who began his career as an intern with New Orleans in 2010, was promoted to general manager last summer when Trajan Langdon left for Detroit. He was kept in place when new executive VP of basketball operations Joe Dumars revamped the Pelicans’ management team after taking over in April.

Charania notes that Graham is credited with identifying underrated talents in the draft such as Trey Murphy, Herbert Jones, Yves Missi, Jose Alvarado, Naji Marshall and Jordan Hawkins. He also was on the staff that drafted Dyson Daniels, who captured Most Improved Player honors after being traded from New Orleans to Atlanta last summer.

Dinwiddie came to Philadelphia in 2020 after spending 14 seasons with the Pacers, where he served as senior VP of basketball operations.

The hirings continue an offseason makeover after the Hawks were eliminated in the play-in tournament. General manager Landry Fields was fired in April, with assistant general manager Onsi Saleh being promoted to take his place. According to Charania, Graham and Dinwiddie will both report to Saleh.

The organization is in the midst of a search for a new president of basketball operations, and sources tell Charania that whoever is hired will complement Saleh and the rest of the staff. There have also been rumors that the Hawks may abandon the idea of finding a new president and bring in a senior advisor to work with Saleh.

Southwest Notes: Mavs, DSJ, Brown, Spurs, Pelicans

June 6th, 2025 at 5:01pm CST by Eli Cohen

Acquiring a point guard is one of the top priorities for the Mavericks in the 2025 offseason, writes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. With star Kyrie Irving recovering from ACL surgery and not expected to get back on the court until at least January, the team will need help at the position this fall.

In a mailbag for the Morning News, Curtis discusses how Chris Paul will likely be a name to watch for Dallas, citing NBA Insider Marc Stein who listed him as a potential option along with Lonzo Ball and Jrue Holiday. The latter two players are still under contract but their respective teams may entertain offers for them, given roster construction and salary cap considerations.

After a rocky season as a part-time starter for the Suns, Curtis doesn’t consider upcoming unrestricted free agent Tyus Jones a serious target, writing, “Jones has proven he can run an offense, but there are better options on the market this offseason.”

We have more from the Southwest Division:

Dennis Smith Jr. is set to work out with the Mavericks next week as part of a veteran mini-camp, notes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. The athletic, defensive-minded guard is just one of a number of free agents who will take part in the mini-camp, but he could fill a need for the Dallas team that drafted him in 2017 and help complement the team’s budding defensive identity. Smith recently participated in a similar camp for the Sixers.
One name to watch as the Spurs continue to search for stars to put around Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox is Jaylen Brown, Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix said during an NBC Sports Boston appearance (YouTube link). While Giannis Antetokounmpo has been linked to the Spurs, Mannix believes they may not be comfortable with the price they’d have to pay to acquire the Bucks star, which could lead them to look elsewhere. “I think if you’re Boston, you’re not going to… get a Stephon Castle in a potential Jaylen Brown (trade),” Mannix said. “You would get a No. 2 pick back in return, you would get some of the pieces… the Devin Vassells, the Keldon Johnsons, future first-round capital. That’s something I’d watch.” There’s no indication at this point that the Celtics will make Brown available.
The Pelicans conducted pre-draft workouts for UNC’s RJ Davis, Arkansas’ Johnell Davis, Wisconsin’s Steven Crowl, and Kansas’ Hunter Dickinson, reports The Athletic’s Will Guillory (via Twitter). Of the four players, UNC’s Davis ranks the highest on ESPN’s top-100 board, coming in at 93rd.
New Pelicans president of basketball operations Joe Dumars views the two teams in the NBA Finals as reasons to believe New Orleans can follow a similar small-market path, writes Rod Walker of NOLA.com. The first step in that process is building the proper culture and making the team feel like a first-class organization. “Taking care of the players. Taking care of their families. The way you do business. The way you travel. Everything. People have to feel good about coming into the building,” Dumars said.

Pelicans’ Joe Dumars Talks Injuries, Goals, Roster

June 6th, 2025 at 1:52pm CST by Luke Adams

When Joe Dumars was introduced as the Pelicans‘ new executive vice president of basketball operations in April, he spoke about wanting to “find out what’s happening” with the team’s injury situation, given the series of health issues that have plagued the team in recent years.

In an interview this week with Rod Walker of The New Orleans Times-Picayune, Dumars was asked what he has learned on that subject since joining the franchise. According to the new head of New Orleans’ front office, some of those injuries were “flukes,” but he’s hopeful that in some instances there are things the team can improve in order to reduce a player’s injury risk.

“We’ve went back over every one of the injuries that happened to every player here and tried to decipher and find out which ones were flukes and which one of these could have been internal that we could have done better,” Dumars said. “We’ve assessed every single injury to every single player. What could we have done better? Is there something we could have done better?

“We are continuing to have those conversations because these guys are in rehab now. So we’re meeting every week on the rehab that’s going on. Are we on top of this? When are we sending somebody to see this guy? It’s real comprehensive what we’re doing as far as medicals because what’s been shown is if this team is healthy, it’s a team that can compete. So that becomes critical to make sure we are doing everything we can to put the healthiest team out there on the floor.”

Dumars’ remarks about players being “in rehab” are presumably a reference to guys like Dejounte Murray, Herbert Jones, and Trey Murphy. Murray is coming off a torn Achilles, while Jones and Murphy are recovering from shoulder surgeries. Dumars said there was “nothing to report” on the trio, per Walker, adding that all three are on schedule in their recovery timelines.

Kelly Olynyk and Brandon Boston are among the other Pelicans players who have undergone surgical procedures in recent months.

As we relayed earlier this week, Dumars expressed to Walker that Zion Williamson remains in the Pelicans’ plans going forward and also spoke about head coach Willie Green. Here are a few more highlights from the veteran executive’s conversation with the Times-Picayune:

On Dumars’ goals for the Pelicans:

“We want to win. We want to be a team that’s viewed around the NBA not only as a winning team, but we want to also be viewed as a first-class organization. … That’s about how you come in every day and do things and how you go about your work every day. How you treat people. How we do things here in this building. All of that is important.

“… I’m really here to bring a certain style of play. We’re not really looking at it as trying to compare it to what has gone on here prior to us. We’re coming in expecting to win. We are here to raise the bar. We’re not here to be happy with mediocrity.”

On how he views the current roster:

“We have some good talent on the roster. When this team has been healthy, it’s been a formidable team. Unfortunately, last year it was just decimated with injuries and I acknowledge that. But that doesn’t stop you from setting the bar higher and pushing harder to be better. I don’t think we can be satisfied with what happened two years ago when the team had success. I don’t think you can look at that and say, ‘OK, we can see what we can be.’ You have to push past that. You can’t just aspire to be that. You have to set the goal higher than that and that’s what we intend to do. We intend to push for this team to try to max out because there is some good talent on this roster.”

On his belief that the “best teams reflect their city”:

“I think the Bulls reflected Chicago. The Showtime Lakers reflected L.A. The Bad Boys reflected Detroit. The Indiana Pacers reflect Indianapolis and OKC reflect Oklahoma City. With your best teams, there is a connection between the city and the style of play. The fans look at it and say, ‘Yeah, that represents us.’

“That is what I hope people see when we play. I want them to see that we represent New Orleans. I’m from Louisiana, so I have a feel for the resilience and I know people aren’t quitting here. That’s just not the personality of the city. So I think it’s important that your team reflects that. Fans should be able to look at the team and say, ‘They absolutely are playing and representing what we stand for.'”

Dumars: Zion To Remain Pelicans’ Franchise Cornerstone

June 4th, 2025 at 1:36pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Zion Williamson will remain the Pelicans‘ franchise cornerstone, new executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars told Rod Walker of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Dumars cleared up any speculation regarding the possibility of Williamson being traded this offseason.

“I’ve had really good conversations with Zion,” Dumars said. “We’ve had lunch. Dinner. Watched playoff games together. We’ve done it all. I’ve had some real honest conversations with him. Some real direct and honest conversations. We’re going to go forward with Zion. He’s going to continue to be a focal point here as we go forward.”

Naturally, Williamson has to hold up his end of the bargain. His career has been marred by numerous injuries. He missed the entire 2021/22 season due to foot ailments and appeared in no more than 30 games in three of his other five seasons, including this past year.

When he’s been on the court, Williamson has been a stat-stuffer, averaging 24.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.0 steal per game over the course of his career. The conversations between Dumars and Williamson have included expectations that the former No. 1 overall pick will get in top shape and do everything possible to stay on the court. He has three years remaining on his maximum-salary contract, which isn’t fully guaranteed.

“We’ve had some real direct conversations with him about that,” Dumars said. “Expectations. Accountability. That’s our plan going forward with Zion.”

Williamson has been in the news recently, as a woman who says she dated him for several years has filed a lawsuit against the Pelicans forward, alleging rape and abuse. Williamson’s legal reps have called the allegations “categorically false and reckless.”

While Dumars declined to comment on Williamson’s legal issues, Pelicans owner Gayle Benson did briefly address them earlier this week, saying “You know, lawsuits are lawsuits. You really can’t … You don’t know. I mean people can sue you for anything. There’s no reason. You can be innocent or not. It’s just something that people do, unfortunately.”

Dumars did confirm that Williamson represented the team at the draft lottery last month to make a statement about the 24-year-old’s status within the organization.

“I sent him to the lottery for a reason,” Dumars said. “I want him to start focusing on the responsibilities of being the best player here and the focal point. There are some responsibilities that come with that. Go represent your organization.”

Dumars also discussed with Walker his thoughts on retaining Willie Green as head coach.

“It’s hard for me to come in here and say, ‘Here’s how I assessed Willie last year,” Dumars said. “I wasn’t here. All I can do is move forward and guide and create and lead and put expectations on what we need to do here to be successful. And only then can I judge Willie or anyone else. I was pleased with what I heard. I’m looking forward to going forward and working with Willie and to push us to success. You’ve got to set the bar. And that’s what we’re going to do.”

And-Ones: European Prospects, Extension Candidates, Dynasties

June 3rd, 2025 at 1:06pm CST by Luke Adams

As we outlined last month when we passed along the list of prospects invited to the NBA’s draft combine, a player who is invited to the combine and declines to attend without an excused absence becomes ineligible to be drafted.

Many of the prospects who were granted excused absences from the combine in Chicago were international players whose teams were still playing. According to Erik Slater of ClutchPoints (Twitter link), the NBA is holding pre-draft activities (measurements, drills, etc.) this week in Treviso, Italy for those players whose commitments overseas prevented them from traveling to Chicago.

That group, Slater says, includes Noa Essengue (who is playing in Germany), Joan Beringer (Slovenia), Nolan Traore (France), Ben Saraf (Germany), Hugo Gonzalez (Spain), Bogoljub Markovic (Serbia), and Noah Penda (France).

It’s unclear whether all of those players will be able to attend the event in Treviso, since some of their seasons still aren’t over. Essengue and Safar, for example, both play for Ratiopharm Ulm, which is currently competing in the semifinals of the Basketball Bundesliga playoffs in Germany. Game 2 of that series will be played on Wednesday.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

While the free agent class of 2025 isn’t particularly star-studded, there will be no shortage of veteran extension candidates to monitor this offseason, as Bobby Marks details for ESPN. Marks takes an in-depth look at which players seem likely to sign new deals in the coming months, including Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox, and Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr., and which players are longer shots for new contracts. That latter group includes players who would benefit financially from waiting, like Lakers guard Austin Reaves, and some who are unlikely to get an offer from their current team, such as Pelicans forward Zion Williamson.
Is it bad for business that the NBA’s age of dynasties appears to be over? Tania Ganguli of The New York Times considers that topic in an in-depth story open to non-subscribers.
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report proposes a complex three-team deal involving the Celtics, Mavericks, and Nets that would save Boston a projected $230MM+, fortify Dallas’ backcourt, and send a pair of draft assets to Brooklyn along with mostly expiring contracts.

‘No Untouchables’ On Pelicans’ Roster?

May 31st, 2025 at 9:35am CST by Rory Maher

Kevin O’Connor’s latest 2025 mock draft for Yahoo Sports features a few interesting tidbits. Citing league sources, O’Connor writes that there are “no untouchables” on the Pelicans, who are gauging the trade value of every player on their roster.

O’Connor cautions that major roster changes in New Orleans may not be in the works, but at the very least the team seems open to listening to offers for core players and could decide to shake things up if an attractive opportunity presents itself.

Assuming it’s accurate, the news doesn’t come as a major surprise. The Pelicans are coming off disappointing, injury-plagued season in which they won just 21 games, leading to an overhaul in the front office. Former Pistons executive Joe Dumars now runs the basketball operations department, with Troy Weaver also in a prominent position.

Star forward Zion Williamson has been floated as a possible trade candidate, though an offseason deal is reportedly considered “very unlikely.” Trey Murphy, Herbert Jones and Yves Missi are among the other Pelicans who would likely receive significant interest on the market.

O’Connor also updated his 2025 big board, with several noteworthy differences compared to ESPN’s.

For instance, O’Connor is very high on Washington State wing Cedric Coward (No. 5), Stanford center Maxime Raynaud (No. 14), and North Carolina wing Drake Powell (No. 16), who are ranked 29th, 24th, and 31st, respectively, on ESPN’s list, respectively. O’Connor is also relatively lower on some prospects, including BYU’s Egor Demin (No. 22 vs. No. 11 on ESPN), Michigan’s Danny Wolf (No. 32 vs. No. 19) and French big man Joan Beringer (No. 34 vs. No. 15).

Zion Williamson Denies Allegations Of Rape, Abuse

May 30th, 2025 at 1:34pm CST by Luke Adams

1:34 pm: Williamson’s legal representatives have issued a statement “unequivocally” denying the allegations made in the lawsuit, according to Front Office Sports (Twitter link).

“We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and we unequivocally deny them,” the statement reads. “The allegations contained in the complaint are categorically false and reckless. This is the plaintiff’s third set of attorneys. This appears to be an attempt to exploit a professional athlete driven by a financial motive rather than any legitimate grievance.

“Mr. Williamson and the plaintiff never dated, but did maintain a consensual, casual relationship that began more than six years ago, when he was 18 years old. That relationship ended years ago. At no point during or immediately after that relationship did the plaintiff raise any concerns. Only after the friendship ended did she begin demanding millions of dollars.

“Mr. Williamson reported the plaintiff’s extortion attempts to law enforcement. We understand that an arrest warrant was issued in connection with that report, and we are prepared to provide the court with documentation that supports these facts. Mr. Williamson also intends to file counterclaims and seek significant damages for this defamatory lawsuit.

“While these allegations are false, we recognize the seriousness of the claims and welcome the opportunity to prove the truth in court. We are confident that the legal process will expose the truth and fully vindicate Mr. Williamson.”

12:41 pm: A woman who says she dated Zion Williamson between 2018 and 2023 has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles accusing the Pelicans forward of rape and “physical, emotional, and financial” abuse, according to reports from TMZ and Margaret Fleming of Front Office Sports, who obtained copies of the suit.

As TMZ details, the lawsuit alleges that Williamson raped and assaulted the woman – identified only as Jane Doe from Seattle – in September 23, 2020 in Southern California and again on October 10, 2020.

“These two incidents were not isolated,” according to the lawsuit, which states that Williamson “continued to abuse, rape, assault, and batter Plaintiff in California and other states, including Louisiana and Texas, until the relationship ended in 2023.”

Williamson’s accuser alleges that he strangled her multiple times and pointed a loaded gun at her, causing her to “reasonably fear for her life,” per TMZ. She also claims that Williamson threatened to have his security guard shoot her in the head and kill her parents, and that he entered her apartment unannounced to steal her belongings and abuse her.

The lawsuit, which includes several other allegations, states that Williamson was “either drunk or on cocaine” when many of the incidents occurred.

There are nine causes of action laid out in the suit, according to Fleming: assault, battery, sexual battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, domestic violence, stalking, burglary, false imprisonment, and conversion. Williamson’s accuser is seeking unspecified damages.

“We don’t want to litigate this case in the media,” Doe’s attorney Sam E. Taylor told TMZ. “But I will say this is a very serious case as reflected in the pleadings that have been filed and our client looks forward to her day in court to seek justice in this matter.”

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft, Williamson has battled injuries during his six seasons in the NBA, but has consistently performed at an All-Star level when healthy, averaging 24.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in 31.4 minutes per contest across 214 career regular season games.

Williamson is owed approximately $126.5MM across the next three seasons, though that money isn’t currently fully guaranteed. A recent report indicated that an offseason trade involving the 24-year-old was considered “very unlikely.”

Offseason Zion Williamson Trade Considered ‘Very Unlikely’

May 28th, 2025 at 2:45pm CST by Luke Adams

It’s “very unlikely” that the Pelicans will trade forward Zion Williamson before the 2025/26 season tips off, reports William Guillory of The Athletic.

It was another injury-shortened season in 2024/25 for Williamson, who was limited to 30 or fewer games for the fourth time in his six years in the NBA. His injury woes, along with a disappointing season for the Pelicans as a whole and a front office overhaul that saw Joe Dumars hired as the team’s new head of basketball operations, have led to speculation that the former No. 1 overall pick could be on the trade block this summer.

However, Guillory says there has been communication between Dumars and Williamson’s camp on “several occasions” since the former Pistons executive replaced David Griffin in New Orleans last month. According to Guillory, both sides are feeling good about where the relationship stands ahead of next season.

Echoing prior reporting from Marc Stein, Guillory also confirms that the Pelicans’ decision to make Williamson their on-stage representative at this month’s draft lottery was “very intentional,” as was Zion’s decision to be there. Stein previously noted that Williamson’s presence at the lottery on behalf of the organization was a strong signal that he’ll remain a franchise centerpiece in New Orleans.

Although Williamson has been limited to 214 total regular season games across six NBA seasons and has never suited up in the playoffs, he has been terrific when he has been available, with career averages of 24.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in 31.4 minutes per contest.

As Guillory notes, after missing a chunk of the season due to hamstring issues, the former Duke star looked to be in the best shape of his career and was playing some of his best basketball during the second half of the season. That stretch served as a reminder that the Pelicans can get more from a healthy Williamson on the court than they could realistically hope to get in exchange for him on the trade market.

Still, while he views a Williamson trade as a long shot to happen this summer, Guillory cautions that the new front office is unlikely to be as patient as the previous regime was with the 24-year-old if he continues to have issues related to his health, conditioning, and/or work ethic.

Williamson is owed approximately $126.5MM across the next three seasons.