Pelicans Rumors

Celtics Notes: Close Call, Tatum, Porzingis, J. Green

January 13th, 2025 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics, who were booed by their home fans during Friday’s loss to Sacramento, narrowly avoided a more embarrassing defeat Sunday night, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. The 8-32 Pelicans stayed even with the defending champions for a full 48 minutes and only lost when CJ McCollum‘s last-second floater bounced off the rim.

It continued roughly a month of inconsistent play for Boston, which is now 9-7 over its last 16 games, but coach Joe Mazzulla realizes that stretches like this should be expected during a long season.

“Every season is different, our journey [also]‚” he said. “With that being said, if you take a look at the perspective, there are things that we’re doing well. Most important is winning the game and making the necessary plays even when things aren’t going well. Every season brings on different challenges. Every season brings on different opportunities and the situation we’re in right now, we’ve got to just fight through it.”

New Orleans was more formidable on Sunday than its record would suggest. Zion Williamson was in the lineup for the second time since returning from a hamstring strain, and Trey Murphy was back after a three-game absence with a sprained left ankle. They teamed up with Dejounte Murray for the first time this season, and the three of them ignited the Pelicans’ offense by combining for 72 points.

The night was still a positive one for the Celtics, as Washburn notes that they gained a full game in the standings on top-seeded Cleveland for the first time since November 29.

“Maybe you don’t want to play your best basketball at the beginning of January,” Jayson Tatum said. “We’ve been through this before. We’ve still got a lot of time left to get back to our identity. It’s not supposed to be easy and we’re getting everybody’s best shot. New Orleans played really well. I don’t think they played like that all the time. But it was a good test for us. That’s just how it’s going to be.”

There’s more from Boston:

Tatum had a technical foul rescinded from a January 2 game at Minnesota, Washburn adds in a separate story. After being called for a foul, Tatum reacted with a hand slap, which has gotten him T’d up several times. However, he insisted that he was frustrated with himself rather than the call, and the league agreed.
Injuries have prevented Mazzulla from using his preferred starting five as much as he would like, and he has compared it to a training camp setting as he tries to get Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White on the court at the same time, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. Porzingis, who missed the start of the season while recovering from surgery, is optimistic that he’s ready to be a regular fixture in that lineup. “The first game I came back against the Clippers (on Nov. 25), it felt pretty natural,” he said. “Boom, I was right in. But then, again, I’m out, I’m in, I’m out a little bit. Not playing my best basketball, not being as efficient. That adds up a little bit to the team. But now I look forward to having a good, long stretch of being healthy and getting in a good rhythm and us hitting our stride.”
Former Celtic Javonte Green could be a worthwhile trade target before the February 6 deadline, suggests Brian Robb of MassLive. The 31-year-old swingman has been averaging 21.3 minutes per night for the Pelicans, but his playing time might decline now that the team is healthier. He holds an expiring minimum-salary contract and likely won’t have a future in New Orleans. Robb sees him as someone who could provide wing depth for Boston at the price of a second-round pick or two.

Southwest Notes: Zion, Murphy, Tate, Jackson, Williams

January 11th, 2025 at 7:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pelicans sent a message to Zion Williamson by making his one-game suspension public, writes Rod Walker of NOLA. Walker explains that the team could have opted to simply keep Williamson on the bench for another night, just as it did for Wednesday’s game, without providing an explanation.

Instead, Williamson was suspended for Friday’s contest at Philadelphia, reportedly after showing up late for Thursday’s flight. There have also been reports of other violations, such as being late for multiple practices.

“There were several occasions that led up to this,” coach Willie Green confirmed. “That’s how we got to this decision.”

Walker adds that New Orleans needs a strong second half of the season from Williamson, who provided hope with 22 points, five rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block in 28 minutes as he returned Tuesday following a lengthy absence. Williamson seemed to be in excellent physical condition, which Walker notes has often been an issue during his six NBA seasons.

“The focus I had during this rehab was a bit more extreme,” Williamson said. “That’s why my legs are already under me. I feel like I didn’t miss a beat, but gained a beat. Now I don’t have to worry about trying to find a rhythm. … Just learning more and more about my body and how my body reacts to certain things.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

After missing the past three games with a sprained left ankle, Trey Murphy is expected to play Sunday at Boston (Twitter link from the Pelicans). Assuming they’re all active, it will be the first game for Murphy, Williamson and Dejounte Murray together as teammates, tweets Will Guillory of The Athletic. Murray is listed as questionable due to right elbow tendonitis and a right shin contusion.
Injuries to Jabari Smith and Tari Eason have opened up rotation minutes over the past two weeks for veteran forward Jae’Sean Tate, per Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle. Tate, who has been with the Rockets since the start of their rebuild, enables the team to keep a strong defensive lineup on the court at all times. “It’s definitely always fun to play, but at the end of the day, we want to win as many games as we can,” he said. “We are dealing with a couple injuries right now, and we just have to have that next man up (mentality) until we get our guys back. So until that happens, I’m ready, and we’ll see what happens.”
Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said at today’s pregame session with reporters that he’s hoping to have both GG Jackson and Vince Williams back before the end of the month (Twitter video link from Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com). Jackson hasn’t played this season as he recovers from foot surgery, while Williams has been out with a sprained right ankle since mid-November.

Pelicans Suspend Zion Williamson For One Game

January 10th, 2025 at 4:21pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans have suspended forward Zion Williamson one game for a violation of team policies, the club announced today in a press release.

“This one game suspension is a result of failing to meet our team standards,” executive VP of basketball operations David Griffin in a statement. “His dedication to this organization is of paramount significance to us and to him. He has taken accountability for his actions and reaffirmed that commitment to the team today. I’m confident he will continue to evolve positively on and off the floor.”

Williamson will be unavailable for Friday’s game in Philadelphia, then will rejoin the team on Saturday, according to the Pelicans.

Although the team didn’t provide any additional details on the exact nature of the violation, Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link) reports that Williamson was late for the Pelicans’ team flight to Philadelphia on Thursday, while NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link) says the 24-year-old has also been late for multiple practices this season.

Williamson confirmed in a statement of his own that the suspension was related to his tardiness.

“I take full responsibility for this suspension,” he said. “I’ve worked extremely hard in rehab to get healthy to deliver for this team. There is no excuse for being late to team activities. I have apologized to (Pelicans owner) Mrs. (Gayle) Benson and my teammates and coaches and I also owe an apology to the fans. I can and will be better as a teammate and member of this organization.”

Williamson just returned to action on Tuesday after missing more than two months due to a hamstring strain. The former No. 1 overall pick looked good in his first game back, racking up 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting in 28 minutes of action. He also contributed six rebounds, four assists, and three steals and was a +8 in a game New Orleans lost by seven points.

However, Williamson sat out on Wednesday in the second game of a back-to-back and will now miss Friday’s contest too, so his second outing of 2025 won’t happen until Sunday, when the Pelicans visit Boston.

By rule, the suspension will cost Williamson 1/145th of his $36,725,670 salary for the 2024/25 season. That works out to $253,280.

Pelicans’ Herb Jones Out Indefinitely With Shoulder Injury

January 10th, 2025 at 3:17pm CST by Rory Maher

Pelicans forward Herbert Jones has been diagnosed with a torn posterior labrum in his right shoulder, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link).

Jones, who sustained the injury in Wednesday’s loss to Portland, is out indefinitely. The 26-year-old underwent an MRI on Thursday which confirmed the injury, per the team.

As Will Guillory of The Athletic notes (via Twitter), the torn labrum is to the same shoulder that caused Jones to miss a little more than a month early in the season. That injury, which he sustained in late October, was described as a right shoulder strain and small low-grade partial thickness tear in his rotator cuff.

Frankly, it’s hard to even put into words how rotten the Pels’ injury luck has been this season. Jones’ latest injury came one day after Zion Williamson finally returned to action after missing two months with a hamstring strain. Jose Alvarado (hamstring), Brandon Ingram (ankle), Trey Murphy (hamstring, ankle), Dejounte Murray (broken hand), CJ McCollum (adductor strain), and Jordan Hawkins (back) have all had extended absences due to injuries as well.

There hasn’t been a single game in which all of the team’s rotation regulars have been active in 2024/25. The closest was probably opening night, when Murphy was still dealing with his hamstring issue — Murray fractured his hand that day, with McCollum, Jones and Williamson getting hurt shortly thereafter.

Injuries have unfortunately been a common theme for the Pelicans over the past few seasons, particularly for Ingram and Williamson. Now Jones’ season is seemingly in jeopardy after the labral tear, the same injury which cost Julius Randle most of last season.

A former second-round pick (No. 35 overall in 2022), Jones has been a valuable role player for New Orleans over the course of his four NBA seasons, particularly on defense — he earned a spot on the All-Defensive First Team in ’23/24. The Alabama native has averaged 10.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.9 steals in 20 appearances in ’24/25 (32.4 minutes), with a shooting line of .436/.306/.825.

At this point, the Pelicans will likely just be looking to get lucky in the 2025 draft lottery, as they hold the second-worst record in the NBA at 7-31. They’re 11.5 games out of the final play-in spot in the Western Conference.

Southwest Notes: Morant, Grizzlies, Jackson, Wemby, Pelicans

January 9th, 2025 at 10:53pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant made his return from injury on Thursday, as first announced by the team (Twitter link). Morant missed five games with an AC joint injury.

The Grizzlies went 2-3 without Morant, who is averaging 21.2 points, 7.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game this season. He finished with 27 points in a narrow loss to the Rockets in his return.

Morant wasn’t the only Grizzlies player back in action on Thursday, as Santi Aldama and Desmond Bane also made their returns. Aldama missed six games with an ankle injury, while Bane was only absent for Monday’s game against Dallas.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

The Grizzlies got more good news on the injury front, as GG Jackson was assigned to the Memphis Hustle for practice on Thursday (Twitter link via team). That means Jackson has practiced for three straight days, twice with the Hustle and once with the Grizzlies. Jackson hasn’t played at all this season after suffering an offseason foot injury, but was a bright spot last year when the Grizzlies were decimated by injuries, as he averaged 14.6 points while shooting 35.7% from deep as a rookie. He was elevated from a two-way contract to a standard deal after being the No. 45 pick in the 2023 draft.
Victor Wembanyama is establishing himself as the league’s best defender, with plenty of room to grow at 21 years old, Fred Katz of The Athletic writes. He’s leading the NBA in blocks by a wide margin. “It just strikes fear in opponents’ hearts,” Julian Champagnie said. “That’s the best part about it. It’s like, yeah, he’s tall. He almost blocks every shot that comes his way. So anybody who’s going to the basket, you got that little double-take to see where he’s at.” In another article by Jeff McDonald of San Antonio Express-News, players talked about what it takes to approach a defender like Wembanyama.
After suffering a shoulder sprain, Pelicans forward Herbert Jones will miss Friday’s game against the Sixers, Will Guillory of The Athletic relays (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Trey Murphy will miss his third straight game with an ankle sprain.

Pelicans Waive Trey Jemison, Sign Keion Brooks

January 9th, 2025 at 6:40pm CST by Tristan Tucker

6:40 pm: The Pelicans have used their open two-way slot to sign Keion Brooks Jr., the team announced (Twitter link via William Guillory of The Athletic).

Brooks, who went undrafted in 2024 out of Washington, is averaging 17.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.4 blocks in 20 games with New Orleans’ G League affiliate in Birmingham. After signing the 6’7″ forward, the Pelicans will have all three two-way slots filled with 14 players on standard contracts.

5:01 pm: The Pelicans are waiving two-way center Trey Jemison, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto (Twitter link). The Pelicans originally claimed Jemison on waivers from the Grizzlies last July.

Jemison, 25, has experience with the Wizards, Grizzlies and Pels. He made 16 appearances with New Orleans this season, averaging 2.4 points and 2.8 rebounds per night. He didn’t play much with the Pelicans’ G League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron, this season, but did average 10.9 PPG, 11.8 RPG and 1.6 BPG with the Squadron last season.

The 6’11” center originally went undrafted in 2023 after playing collegiately with Clemson and then UAB. The Pelicans signed him to an Exhibit 10 deal last September, but he was cut and played with Birmingham in the G League as an affiliate player.

The Wizards signed him to a 10-day deal last January before he caught on with the Grizzlies on a 10-day contract after his Washington contract expired. Jemison impressed for a Grizzlies team needing bodies last year, earning a two-year, two-way deal and averaging 7.4 points and 5.8 rebounds in 23 games (14 starts).

Because he’s being waived two days after the league-wide salary guarantee deadline, Jemison will be assured of earning his full-season two-way salary.

By waiving Jemison, the Pelicans will open up a two-way roster spot, with Brandon Boston Jr. and Jamal Cain occupying the two others. New Orleans also has an open standard roster slot. Boston is likely to earn a promotion to a standard deal at some point this year after becoming a rotation mainstay.

Latest On Zion Williamson

January 8th, 2025 at 3:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans have ruled out Zion Williamson for Wednesday’s game vs. Portland after he returned from a hamstring strain on Tuesday against Minnesota, playing for the first time in over two months.

The fact that Williamson won’t play in the second end of a back-to-back set on Wednesday shouldn’t be a cause for concern among Pelicans fans, according to Brett Martel of The Associated Press, who says the forward told reporters he felt fine after Tuesday’s game but wasn’t sure if the club would give him the green light to play two nights in a row.

“I definitely feel like my legs are already under me,” the former No. 1 overall pick said.

As Rod Walker of NOLA.com observes, Williamson didn’t look like a player who had been out since early November. The 24-year-old had a number of explosive dunks in his return, including a highlight-reel 360 windmill slam, and was moving around well on the court. Head coach Willie Green stating after the game that he looked “as good as I’ve seen him after being out for as long as he’s been,” per Martel.

While the Pelicans lost the game and saw their conference-worst record fall to 7-30, Williamson’s return provided some “energy and hope” that had been missing in recent weeks as it became a lost season in New Orleans, Walker writes.

“I’m glad he played with that confidence and that joy,” teammate Dejounte Murray said. “Especially after that dunk. You could see the joy.”

We have more on Williamson:

As positive as Zion’s return was, the next step is even more crucial, according to William Guillory of The Athletic: making sure the two-time All-Star stays healthy. “It’s extremely important,” Green said. “Our medical team and performance, they’re working diligently, along with Zion and the whole staff, to do everything we can on our part to make sure he has all the resources to be healthy.”
Williamson has missed 30 games so far this season and will miss a 31st on Wednesday. Given that he’s extremely unlikely to be fully available for the rest of the season, he’ll almost certainly fall short of the 51-game threshold required to guarantee an additional 20% of his salary for 2025/26. At this point, a best-case scenario for Williamson would see him play in at least 41 games and meet his various weigh-in requirements — if he does that, he’ll ensure that 60% of his maximum salary for next season would be guaranteed entering the summer. The terms of his unusual contract can be found here.
Asked during Wednesday’s episode of Get Up (YouTube link) if Williamson could end up on the trade block this season, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said there’s “no sense” New Orleans plans to go that route. “I think the Pelicans would listen to a great offer, but there’s no reason to make a great offer. The guy can’t stay on the court,” Windhorst said. “Frankly, that’s what the Pelicans want: they want him on the court. … It’s all about keeping Zion healthy and building momentum for next year.”
Although there has been speculation that the Warriors, who are in the market for another star, could be an intriguing fit for Williamson if the Pelicans were willing to make him available via trade, Marc J. Spears of Andscape said during an appearance on KNBR 680’s Murph & Markus (YouTube link) that it’s not something Golden State is considering. “I also did hear that Zion’s not on the (Warriors’) radar,” Spears said, per Taylor Wirth of NBC Sports Bay Area. “Which, I know others might feel differently, but probably a good thing. Because with Zion, you just don’t know what you’re going to get and when he’s going to be healthy, and his (cap) number’s rather high as well. I just think the Warriors in the end will get someone in a very creative way. They actually have to.”

And-Ones: Randle, Ingram, EuroLeague, Non-Guaranteed Deals

January 7th, 2025 at 8:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Timberwolves forward Julius Randle and Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram each have All-Star berths under their belts, and Ingram is coming off a five-year, maximum-salary contract. Under the NBA’s old new Collective Bargaining Agreement, Randle and Ingram might have already secured lucrative new extensions. In the current CBA landscape, their uncertain futures reflect teams’ wariness to commit big money to second- or third-tier stars, according to William Guillory and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.

Guillory and Krawczynski take a closer look at potential next steps for the two standout forwards, pointing out that both players continue to perform well but also laying out reasons why their days with their current teams may be numbered. Ingram will be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, while Randle holds a player option for 2025/26.

Guillory believes Ingram is more likely than not to be somewhere besides New Orleans next season. Krawczynski suggests Minnesota may look to trade Randle or let him walk as a free agent in the summer unless everything comes together for the Wolves during the second half of this season in a way that it hasn’t in the first half.

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

The EuroLeague and IMG, the league’s primary business partner, have reached an agreement to extend their relationship through the 2035/36 season. What does that mean for the NBA’s efforts to introduce a new professional league in Europe? Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic digs into the subject, writing that the EuroLeague’s 13 permanent members – including clubs like Real Madrid, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, Anadolu Efes – now seem less likely to leave for an NBA-run European league, though the new contract does include opt-out clauses for teams.
Noting that it was a relatively quiet January 7 in terms of roster cuts, Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron explores whether teams have become more inclined in recent years to hang onto players on non-guaranteed contracts through the annual league-wide salary guarantee deadline.
In an ESPN roundtable, Tim Bontemps, Bobby Marks, Kevin Pelton, Michael Wright, and Jamal Collier discuss several topics related to the upcoming trade deadline, including which team most needs to make a splash, which team in each conference will improve the most at the deadline, and whether the Lakers will make another in-season deal.

Pelicans’ Zion Williamson To Return On Tuesday

January 7th, 2025 at 12:19pm CST by Luke Adams

Pelicans star Zion Williamson has been upgraded to available for Tuesday’s game in New Orleans vs. the Timberwolves, the team announced today (via Twitter).

Williamson, who was previously listed as questionable, has been sidelined since November 6 and has missed the Pelicans’ past 27 games while recovering from a left hamstring strain.

New Orleans, which also dealt with several other injuries to starters and rotation players during that time, lost 23 of those first 25 contests during Williamson’s absence before defeating the Wizards on Friday and Sunday for their first two-game winning streak since the first week of the regular season.

With a 7-29 record, the Pelicans are 11 games back of the 10th-seeded Spurs in the Western Conference standings and are no longer a realistic contender for a postseason spot.

Still, they’re on the verge of getting nearly all of their most important players back in the lineup, with only Brandon Ingram (ankle) still affected by an injury more longer-term than day-to-day. The team announced two weeks ago that Ingram would be reevaluated around this time.

Williamson has been limited to just six appearances this season. He averaged 22.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists in 31.0 minutes per game across those six outings.

The former No. 1 overall pick figures to be on a minutes restriction on Tuesday, and I wouldn’t necessarily count on him being available on Wednesday vs. Portland in the second end of the Pelicans’ back-to-back set.

Southwest Notes: Sheppard, Adams, Williamson, Murray, Grimes

January 6th, 2025 at 5:39pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Reed Sheppard was touted as a strong Rookie of the Year candidate after the Rockets selected him with the No. 3 overall pick in last June’s draft. However, Sheppard has found it difficult to get into an offensive groove, averaging just 3.3 points and 1.2 assists in 11.6 minutes off the bench during his first 30 games. Now, Houston has assigned Sheppard to its NBA G League club, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the G League team tweets.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

After missing all of last season due to right knee surgery, Rockets center Steven Adams says his knee is “back to normal,” Ben Dubose of Rockets Wire relays. Adams has been playing limited minutes but racked up eight points and nine rebounds in 17 minutes against the Lakers on Sunday. “It’s back to normal,” he said. “It’s been progressing more and more. We’ve been keeping an eye on it, and my comfort with the team has just been progressing, as we planned.”
Zion Williamson is getting close to returning to action. Williamson participated in the Pelicans’ 5-on-5 practice on Monday and coach Willie Green stated “there’s a chance” he could suit up sometime this week, Will Guillory of The Athletic tweets. Williamson, who hasn’t played since Nov. 6 due to a left hamstring strain, is listed as questionable to play against Minnesota on Tuesday, according to the team’s injury report.
The Pelicans have posted back-to-back victories for the first time since the first two games of the season. They snapped a 15-game road losing streak on Sunday, beating the Wizards in Washington after beating them at home on Friday. Dejounte Murray notched his first triple-double since New Orleans acquired him in the offseason. “He’s keeping the game simple and making solid decisions and he’ll continue to build from there,” Green told Rod Walker of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
In the short run, Mavericks guard Quentin Grimes has been thrust into the role of primary play-maker with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving sidelined by injuries. It’s an opportunity to prove Dallas can rely on him to provide offense as the team’s third play-maker, Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News writes. “Big opportunity for me, for sure, knowing we’re not gonna have Luka for a while, and then Kyrie was out,” said Grimes, who delivered a season-high 26 points and six assists against Cleveland on Friday.

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