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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.

Pelicans Notes: Murphy, McCollum, Trade Rumors

January 5th, 2025 at 4:04pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The reeling Pelicans continue to have trouble involving guard Trey Murphy III in the second halves of games, writes Rod Walker of NOLA.com. In one recent game against the Clippers, Murphy made just one bucket in the second half.

“Teams are making adjustments and they’re all over Trey,” head coach Willie Green said. “He’s doing a good job of continuing to play. When they guard him like they do, it allows other guys to be able to drive, to be able to get to the basket. The game opened up a bit more for CJ (McCollum) because of the gravity and attention they’re putting on Trey.”

There’s more out of New Orleans:

McCollum helped New Orleans end an 11-game losing streak by tying his career high of 50 points in a 132-120 win against the Wizards on Friday, writes Walker in another piece. “CJ was fantastic,” Green said. “His professionalism off the court gives him an opportunity to step on the floor day in and day out and perform at a high level. … He had it going and we just wanted to continue getting the ball to him.” McCollum’s inspirational on-court achievement came in the wake of a devastating New Year’s Day terror attack in the city, as William Guillory of The Athletic writes.“Hopefully, it’s given people some hope, some joy,” Green said. “Maybe getting away from the difficulties we’ve all been facing the past day or so.”
For now, McCollum claims to be unfazed by potential trade rumors during what’s looking like a lost season for the Pelicans, per Pelicans Film Room (Twitter video link). “After my third year, [The Ringer’s] Bill Simmons had me getting traded every week,” McCollum said (hat tip to Reice Shipley of Awful Announcing for the find). “This team values me and I’m sure other teams value me. I like the city. My wife likes the city. My kids are happy here… My value is going to be exactly where it needs to be.”
In case you missed it, reserve Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado made his return to action Friday after a 23-game absence.

Trade Rumors: Butler, C. Johnson, Nets, Grizzlies, Pelicans

January 3rd, 2025 at 1:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The rest of the NBA is watching the standoff between the Heat and Jimmy Butler with “their popcorn out,” according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (Insider link), who notes that team president Pat Riley doesn’t make a habit of deferring to his star players, operating with a “bluntness and strength” that’s somewhat atypical of team executives in this era.

“You cannot intimidate Pat Riley,” one prominent player agent said to ESPN.

As Windhorst details, Riley let longtime franchise star Dwyane Wade walk over a contract dispute in free agency in 2016 and reportedly shut down LeBron James when the star forward hinted he wanted head coach Erik Spoelstra replaced back in 2010. If the longtime Heat president approaches the Butler situation with a similar mindset, he’s not likely to grant the 35-year-old’s trade request if he doesn’t like what Miami is getting in return.

“The Heat make mistakes and sometimes have issues with players just like everyone else,” one general manager told Windhorst. “But they do not get pushed around.”

As Tim Bontemps of ESPN points out within the same story, under the NBA’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement, it’s not necessarily the worst outcome to have a maximum-salary free agent walk away for nothing. The Clippers took that route with Paul George this past offseason, opting for additional cap flexibility rather than taking back contracts that they didn’t want and would’ve had trouble moving. If the trade offers for Butler are underwhelming, the Heat may decide that’s the best path for them too.

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

While Cameron Johnson is among the most coveted trade targets in the NBA, talks involving the Nets forward are expected to be more complex than the ones for Dennis Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith, according to Windhorst, so they’ll take more time. There will be more suitors in play for Johnson, and Brooklyn has made it clear the price will be higher than it was for its other veterans. As Windhorst writes, the Nets have expressed a belief that Johnson could be a long-term keeper, since he’d fit well alongside just about any impact player they’re able to land in the coming years. Still, at least one rival executive believes that stance may just be a negotiating tactic. “That’s all good to say, but they’ll trade him if they get what they want,” the exec said. “They like him as a player and a person and all that, but they built his contract specifically to be able to trade him by next summer.”
The bidding war between Memphis and the Lakers for Finney-Smith resulted in “hard feelings emanating” from the Grizzlies and the Nets for the way their talks played out, according to Windhorst. That doesn’t mean the two sides can’t come together for another deal – Memphis is reportedly among Johnson’s possible suitors – but it’s something worth keeping in mind ahead of February 6.
Bontemps asked several people around the NBA how many players earning more than Johnson’s $22.5MM will be traded at this season’s deadline. “Not many,” one said. Another replied, “Maybe two?” The thinking is that CBA-related restrictions will complicate moves involving players with significant cap hits.
William Guillory of The Athletic takes a closer look at the Pelicans‘ trade options, identifying Herbert Jones, Trey Murphy, and Yves Missi as the only players on the roster who are essentially untouchable this season. Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, Jordan Hawkins, and Jose Alvarado aren’t technically in that group, but are also unlikely trade candidates, in Guillory’s view.

Injury Notes: Pelicans, Lakers, Celtics, Ivey, M. Robinson

January 2nd, 2025 at 5:03pm CST by Rory Maher

After missing the past 23 games with a left hamstring strain, Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado says he plans to return to action on Friday vs. Washington, as Will Guillory of The Athletic relays (via Twitter).

“I’ll be playing tomorrow for sure,” Alvarado said. “No doubt. … I finally get to be Jose again. It’s going to be a lot of crazy man out there.”

Both of the Pelicans’ injured star forwards — Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson — were spotted getting some on-court work in after Thursday’s practice, according to Guillory (Twitter video links).

Williamson has been out since Nov. 6 with a left hamstring strain and was considered week-to-week nine days ago. Ingram, who has been out since Dec. 7 due to a “significant” left ankle sprain, is set to be reevaluated next week.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

Anthony Davis (left ankle sprain) and Gabe Vincent (left oblique strain) are unlikely to suit up on Thursday when the Lakers host Portland, according to Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group (Twitter link). Both players have been downgraded to doubtful after initially being listed as questionable.
The Celtics have downgraded Jaylen Brown (right shoulder strain) and Kristaps Porzingis (left ankle sprain) from questionable to out for Thursday’s game in Minnesota, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac. Porzingis, who will miss his fourth consecutive game with the injury, said he was “definitely getting close” to returning following shootaround in the afternoon, per Jay King of The Athletic (Twitter link). Thursday will mark Brown’s first absence with the shoulder issue and sixth missed game overall.
Jaden Ivey underwent surgery on Thursday morning to repair the broken fibula in his left leg after sustaining the injury on Wednesday. Although Ivey will reportedly miss most — if not all — of the rest of the season, Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press hears there’s optimism the Pistons guard did not sustain ligament or tendon damage, which is encouraging news (Twitter link).
Knicks center Mitchell Robinson has yet to make his season debut as he recovers from offseason ankle surgery. Although he hasn’t been able to run at full speed to this point, head coach Tom Thibodeau said the team is expecting Robinson to be cleared for practices “sometime this month,” according to SNY.tv.

Yves Missi, Alex Sarr Named Rookies Of The Month

January 2nd, 2025 at 2:21pm CST by Rory Maher

A pair of big men have been named the NBA’s Rookies of the Month for games played in December, the league announced on Thursday (via Twitter). Pelicans center Yves Missi won the award for the Western Conference, while Wizards forward/center Alex Sarr has claimed the award in the East.

The No. 21 overall pick of last June’s draft, Missi has been one of the few consistent bright spots amid an injury-plagued season in New Orleans. The 20-year-old averaged 11.2 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 30.8 minutes per game across his 13 appearances last month, shooting 57.1% from the field and 66.7% from the free throw line.

Sarr, the No. 2 overall pick in 2024, struggled with his shot over his first month-plus of NBA action, but he kept firing away and his results have improved pretty dramatically of late. He averaged 13.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.1 APG and 1.7 BPG on .461/.455/.556 shooting in nine December games (28.4 MPG).

Unlike some other weekly and monthly awards, team record doesn’t matter much for rookies, who often receive the most opportunities on bad teams. The Pelicans currently have the worst record in the league at 5-29, with Washington at No. 2 in the reverse standings (6-25).

Missi beat out Stephon Castle, Donovan Clingan, Zach Edey and Jaylen Wells to win the award in the West. Carlton Carrington, Tristan Da Silva and Zaccharie Risacher were the other nominees in the East (Twitter link). Wells and Jared McCain won the awards for games played in October and November (McCain subsequently suffered a torn left meniscus and is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery).

Several Two-Way Players Nearing NBA Game Limit

January 1st, 2025 at 4:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

NBA players on two-way contracts operate under different regulations than the rest of the league. One of the most important differences is they are limited in the number of games that they’re permitted to be on the active roster.

For two-way players who’ve been with their current teams since the start of the season, that number is 50. Each time they’re listed as active counts toward that total, whether they play or not. Players who sign two-way deals during the season have their limit of games pro-rated.

Those numbers are becoming important since we’ve passed the halfway point of the season, and Keith Smith of Spotrac sent out a tweet earlier today identifying a few players who are getting close to reaching their limits.

Once a player hits his allotted number of games, he’s not eligible to appear in the NBA as a two-way player for the rest of the season. He can remain on the team and play in the G League, but he must be signed to a standard contract to see any more NBA action.

Here are the names Smith noted and the number of games they have remaining:

Jacob Toppin, Knicks (2) – New York has used up nearly all of Toppin’s active time, even though he has only gotten into 15 games and averages 3.1 minutes per night. The small forward seems likely to finish the season in the G League.
Tyrese Martin, Nets (5) – Martin has become part of the rotation in Brooklyn, averaging 21.3 minutes in the 31 games that he played. The shooting guard is a little old for a prospect at 25, but he seems like a strong candidate to land a regular roster spot so the Nets can evaluate him for the rest of the season.
Jordan Miller, Clippers (5) – The small forward isn’t part of the rotation in L.A. and may not be in the team’s playoff plans. He has logged just one minute in three of his last four appearances, and the Clippers don’t appear concerned about preserving the number of games he has remaining.
Jared Butler, Wizards (8) – Washington has nothing left to play for, so it makes sense to take a long look at the 24-year-old combo guard. This is Butler’s fourth NBA season and his second with the Wizards, so this is a good time to determine whether he’ll be part of their future.
Brandon Boston Jr., Pelicans (9) – Boston was among the two-way players most likely to earn a promotion even before the season-ending injury to Dejounte Murray. Boston has played in all 41 games in which he’s been listed as active, making 10 starts and averaging 10.7 PPG in 23.9 minutes per night.

Here are a few more players getting close to their game limits:

Kai Jones, Clippers (11) – Jones has made 27 appearances as a backup center, but he’s only averaging 2.2 points in 7.6 minutes per night. The addition of Drew Eubanks in today’s trade with Utah gives L.A. another veteran big man and lessens the need to keep Jones on the roster.
Moussa Diabate, Hornets (11) – Part of the reasoning for the Nick Richards trade was Diabate’s emergence as a dependable center off the bench. He’s been playing big minutes over the past week and seems like he’ll definitely be on a standard contract soon.
Ryan Rollins, Bucks (12) – Rollins is a marginal member of Milwaukee’s rotation, making five starts in his 30 appearances and playing 11.9 minutes per night. His fate could depend on what the Bucks are able to do before Thursday’s trade deadline.

Mavs Notes: Trade Targets, Irving, Lively, Thompson, Washington

January 1st, 2025 at 3:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Mavericks are mulling whether to add an impact perimeter defender before the Feb. 6 trade deadline, Christian Clark of The Athletic reports.

A natural target would be the Pelicans’ Herbert Jones, who made the All-Defensive First Team last season. However, there is little belief in NBA circles that the Pelicans will actually make Jones available despite their struggles this season, Clark notes.

We have more on the Mavs:

Kyrie Irving didn’t play on Monday against Sacramento due to what the team described as a right shoulder soreness. According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon (Twitter link), it had more to do with load management. Irving played 79 minutes in a back-to-back last week. The Mavs will keep monitoring Irving’s minutes while Luka Doncic recovers from his calf strain.
Irving will be back in the lineup tonight. He’s not listed on the injury report but Dereck Lively is questionable to play against Houston due to a hip ailment, Mike Curtis of the Dallas Morning News tweets. Klay Thompson, who missed Monday’s game due to an illness, is also available.
Forward P.J. Washington was surprised he was suspended for a game by the league due to his role in Thursday’s scuffle against Phoenix. “I didn’t feel like I tried to do anything maliciously,” Washington told Curtis. “I just tried to protect my teammate and that was it.” He delivered a 28-point performance in his return on Monday, though Dallas still lost to the Kings.