New Orleans Pelicans Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nets, Mavs, Pelicans Eyeing Mario Chalmers

August 7th, 2018 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets, Mavericks, and Pelicans are among the teams that have shown some interest in unrestricted free agent point guard Mario Chalmers, a source tells Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated (Twitter link).

Chalmers, 32, suffered a torn Achilles in 2016 and sat out the entire 2016/17 season, but appeared in 66 games for the Grizzlies in 2017/18. His numbers (7.7 PPG, 3.0 APG) were modest and his shooting rates (.379 FG%, .277 3PT%) were well below his career averages, as he gradually made his way back to full speed. However, Spears says that Chalmers is “completely healthy” now.

Addressing his free agency a couple weeks ago, Chalmers said he believed it was “just a matter of time” until he secured an NBA contract. “They [NBA teams] are getting all the young guys, all the big free agents out of the way now,” Chalmers said at the time. “I’m just waiting my turn.”

While Chalmers’ assessment of the market may be accurate, 15-man roster spots around the NBA are drying up, so the veteran isn’t necessarily a lock to receive a guaranteed contract, even at the minimum. He has shown in the past that he’s willing to roll the dice on the right opportunity though — when Chalmers signed with Memphis last July, his contract only featured a partial guarantee of $25K. He earned his full guarantee by making the team’s regular season roster in October.

Pelicans, Jahlil Okafor Discussing Possible Deal

August 7th, 2018 at 11:24am CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans are in discussions with free agent center Jahlil Okafor on a possible deal that would see him come to training camp with the club, according to Scott Kushner of The Advocate (Twitter link). New Orleans has used its mid-level and bi-annual exceptions, but could offer Okafor a minimum-salary contract.

Okafor, drafted by the Sixers with the third overall pick in 2015, averaged 17.5 PPG and 7.0 RPG during his rookie season, but has seen his playing time and production decline since then. After being traded to Brooklyn this past season, he posted 6.4 PPG and 2.9 RPG in 26 contests (12.6 MPG) with the Nets.

While Okafor hasn’t generated a ton of interest this offseason, he reportedly worked out for four teams in Las Vegas in July. At the time, the 22-year-old was said to be “hopeful” about finding an NBA deal before training camps opened in September. The former lottery pick has also allegedly received interest from teams in China.

Okafor would be an interesting addition for a Pelicans roster that is short on traditional centers. With Nikola Mirotic and Julius Randle expected to serve as New Orleans’ primary power forwards, Anthony Davis figures to see plenty of time at the five, even if it’s not necessarily his natural position.

Emeka Okafor, Alexis Ajinca, and Cheick Diallo are also options at center for the Pelicans, but Okafor’s salary is still non-guaranteed, Ajinca missed the entire 2017/18 season with a knee injury, and Diallo has played primarily at the four since arriving in New Orleans.

Davis Says Cousins Went From "Teammate To Enemy"

August 1st, 2018 at 3:01pm CST by Luke Adams

While Anthony Davis figures to remain friendly with DeMarcus Cousins off the court, Davis is looking forward to trying to beat his former Pelicans teammate on the court, as he tells Angel Diaz of Complex Sports. “I wish the best of luck to him and we’ll see him three – maybe four – times this year, and try to beat him,” Davis said of Cousins. “Now he’s the enemy. Anybody who’s not on the Pelicans is an enemy to me. He went from a teammate to an enemy.”

Rockets Pursuing Hawks’ Kent Bazemore?

July 30th, 2018 at 8:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Rockets are interested in dealing for the Hawks’ Kent Bazemore, according to Kelly Iko of RocketsWire.

While the addition of Carmelo Anthony after he clears waivers seems like a foregone conclusion, the Rockets are in the market for a defensive-minded wing. Bazemore fits that bill but Houston would have come up with a package that would interest the Hawks.

Presumably, the Rockets would deal Ryan Anderson’s contract to make the numbers match up, but they’d have to attach a draft pick and/or young player to entice Atlanta’s front office. Anderson has two years and $41.7MM left on his deal with no options; Bazemore has two years and $37.3MM left on his contract but holds a player option for the final year.

A package of Anderson, Chinanu Onuaku and a 2019 first-rounder would be feasible financially but Atlanta doesn’t view Onuaku as a ‘move-the-needle’ player, according to Iko.

Bazemore averaged 12.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 3.5 APG and 1.5 SPG in 65 starts with Atlanta last season.

The Pelicans are also looking at Bazemore, according to Iko, but Atlanta doesn’t want Solomon Hill as part of the deal.

Anthony Davis Didn't Ask Pelicans To Keep DeMarcus Cousins

July 28th, 2018 at 8:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

Pelicans star Anthony Davis chose not to appeal to GM Dell Demps to keep free agent DeMarcus Cousins, tweets Andrew Doak of WWL-TV in New Orleans. An endorsement from Davis would have carried some weight, but he liked the way the team played — and the locker room atmosphere — better without Cousins, Doak adds.

Pelicans Sign Troy Williams

July 27th, 2018 at 10:07am CST by Arthur Hill

JULY 27: The Pelicans have officially signed Williams, the team announced today in a press release.

JULY 25: Troy Williams has reached an agreement to sign with the Pelicans, tweets Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports.

Williams will get a two-year deal with a team option for the second season, according to Will Guillory of The Times-Picayune (Twitter link). He will have a small guarantee but no promise of a roster spot, adds Scott Kushner of The Advocate (Twitter link). It will be a minimum-salary contract, as New Orleans has used all its cap room and available exceptions.

New Orleans will be the fourth franchise for the third-year forward, who divided last season between the Rockets and Knicks. He showed promise in 17 games for New York, averaging 7.5 PPG and 3.5 RPG in 17 minutes per night, but the Knicks opted not to re-sign him.

Williams went undrafted out of Indiana in 2016 before signing with the Grizzlies. He was a part-time starter in Memphis, but was waived after 24 games. He spent brief parts of two seasons with the Rockets before landing in New York.

The addition of Williams, along with this week’s signings of Kenrich Williams and Garlon Green, brings New Orleans’ roster to 18 players, with 12 guaranteed NBA contracts.

Southwest Rumors: Davis, Jordan, Conley, Hartenstein

July 26th, 2018 at 8:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Anthony Davis learned that DeMarcus Cousins was joining the Warriors while watching TV and didn’t see it coming, Scott Kushner of the Baton Rouge Advocate relays. Davis’ comments were made during a CBS-TV interview.

The Pelicans‘ superstar big man understood why Cousins decided to take a one-year deal with Golden State after entering free agency with hopes of a max contract offer.

“I was a little shocked. But I know DeMarcus, and I know he made the best decision for him and his career at that time and for his family,” Davis said. “Of course, I definitely would’ve loved for that to keep going. But at that point, I wasn’t sure what was going on with his situation or what was going through his head. It’s a lot, coming from being traded and then feeling like you deserve a max contract, and then you tear your Achilles. It was a tough situation; it’s tough on him.”

We have more from the Southwest Division:

Mavericks center DeAndre Jordan isn’t expected to show up at the USA Basketball minicamp this week, Dwain Price of Mavs.com tweets. Jordan wasn’t at the camp on Thursday and is likely to remain absent on Friday, Price adds.
Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley is participating at the minicamp but will not compete in full scrimmages or contact drills, Michael Wallace of the Grizzlies’ website reports. Conley said his foot and heel are pain-free for the first time in two years after undergoing season-ending surgery in January.
Isaiah Hartenstein‘s three-year contract with the Rockets is fully guaranteed next season, has a partial guarantee the second year, and a non-guaranteed third year, Michael Scotto of The Athletic tweets. The 7-footer, a 2017 second-round selection, signed the contract on Wednesday after playing in the G League last season. He posted averages of 10.3 PPG, 8.0 RPG, and 2.3 BPG in four summer league games with Houston earlier this month.
Dirk Nowitzki‘s one-year contract with the Mavericks does not contain a no-trade clause because he has automatic veto rights over any trade as a One-Year Bird, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets. Nowitzki signed the $5MM deal this week.

Pelicans Sign Kenrich Williams

July 24th, 2018 at 2:47pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans have signed undrafted free agent Kenrich Williams to a contract, a source confirms to Hoops Rumors. The deal, which features a partial guarantee for 2018/19, is listed in the NBA’s official transactions log as having been completed on Monday.

Williams, who played college ball at TCU after transferring from New Mexico Junior College in 2014, averaged 13.2 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 3.9 APG, and 1.8 SPG for the Horned Frogs in 2017/18. The 6’7″ guard/forward posted a shooting line of .477/.395/.688 during his senior year.

The No. 64 prospect on Jonathan Givony’s big board at ESPN.com heading into last month’s draft, Williams wasn’t selected on draft night, but caught on with Denver for Summer League action. He averaged 5.4 PPG and 5.6 RPG in five games in Las Vegas for the Nuggets.

As we noted when we discussed Garlon Green‘s agreement with the Pelicans on Monday, New Orleans doesn’t yet have a G League team. That means the Pelicans are unlikely to hand out Exhibit 10 contracts, which generally award a player a bonus if he spends 60 days with the club’s NBAGL affiliate after being waived. Neither Green’s nor Williams’ deal features that Exhibit 10 clause.

Rondo's Leadership Will Be Hard To Replace

July 23rd, 2018 at 6:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Rajon Rondo‘s leadership will likely be missed more by the Pelicans than his on-court contributions, according to Scott Kushner of the New Orleans Advocate. The Pelicans believe they can replace Rondo, who signed with the Lakers, at the point with a combination of Elfrid Payton, Jrue Holiday, Ian Clark and Frank Jackson. But Rondo’s innate ability to understand nuances of the game and translate them to teammates, his professionalism in film study and his role in team bonding experiences will be hard to replace, Kushner adds.

Pelicans Sign Garlon Green

July 23rd, 2018 at 3:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans have signed forward Garlon Green to a multiyear contract, tweets Keith Smith of RealGM.com. According to Smith (via Twitter), Green’s deal will include a partial guarantee for 2018/19, with trigger dates in future seasons.

Green, who went undrafted out of TCU in 2013, has played with teams in Australia, Germany, Belgium, and Japan since beginning his professional career. Earlier this month, he participated in the Las Vegas Summer League with the Pelicans. In five games with New Orleans’ squad, he averaged 9.2 PPG on 63.0% shooting.

While it remains to be seen whether Green will be able to play his way onto the Pelicans’ regular-season roster, his showing in Summer League action appears to have impressed team management. New Orleans isn’t expected to have a G League team in 2018/19, so the Pelicans won’t be able to designate him as an affiliate player in the fall if he’s waived.

Green is the younger brother of Rockets swingman Gerald Green.