New Orleans Pelicans Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pelicans’ Deal For Nikola Mirotic Falls Apart For Now

January 30th, 2018 at 1:40pm CST by Luke Adams

1:40pm: In his full report on the story, Wojnarowski suggests that Mirotic’s 2018/19 option is the primary source of the stalemate. Mirotic appears unwilling to sign off on the deal if his option isn’t exercised, and the Pelicans are reluctant to commit to that option due to concerns about next season’s payroll.

12:59pm: Goodwill classifies the trade as having hit a “snag,” while Johnson says the two teams remain in “advanced discussions” (Twitter links). So while nothing is officially done yet, it sounds like the deal isn’t dead either.

12:48pm: The Pelicans and Bulls had a deal in place for Mirotic, but it has fallen apart for now, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter) that the Pelicans’ proximity to a hard cap prevented the team from trading Asik straight up for Mirotic.

If the Pelicans include another player for cap purposes, the deal could still happen, tweets K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. However, New Orleans hadn’t yet agreed to pick up Mirotic’s team option, so a trade would also require his OK, assuming the Pelicans don’t relent and agree to exercise that option.

12:40pm: The Pelicans and Bulls have reached an agreement on a trade that would send power forward Nikola Mirotic to New Orleans, according to Vincent Goodwill of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link). Goodwill reports that the Bulls will receive Omer Asik and a first-round pick in exchange for Mirotic.

There have been no further reports or official announcements confirming the move so far, but it’s possible the two teams are working out details related to Mirotic’s contract. His deal gives him the ability to veto trades unless his 2018/19 team option is exercised, though there was a belief that he’d give his approval to a deal if the Bulls found an offer they liked.

Mirotic, who has been the subject of trade rumors throughout the 2017/18 campaign, was sidelined with facial injuries to start the season after being punched by teammate Bobby Portis during an altercation in practice. Mirotic’s camp reportedly issued an ultimatum in the fall in an effort to get the Bulls to trade either Mirotic or Portis, but the power forwards were willing to bury the hatchet and coexist on the court when Mirotic got healthy.

Since returning to action, Mirotic has enjoyed the most productive year of his NBA career, averaging 16.8 PPG and 6.4 RPG to go along with a .474/.429/.823 shooting line. All of those numbers are career highs. Despite his solid play and the club’s improved record, Mirotic was still said to prefer a trade out of Chicago.

As the Bulls explored the market for Mirotic, the Jazz and Pistons were cited most frequently as potential trade partners. However, Detroit landed a bigger fish on Monday, acquiring Blake Griffin from the Clippers, and Utah was reportedly unwilling to include a first-round pick in an offer for the stretch four.

The Bulls, who were said to be seeking a first-rounder for Mirotic all along, appear poised to get that pick from the Pelicans, though they’ll have to take on an unwanted contract in the process. Asik, a former Bull, is earning about $10.6MM this season, with a guaranteed salary worth $11.29MM in 2018/19. The veteran center has one more year on his deal in 2019/20, but it’s only partially guaranteed for $3MM. By comparison, Mirotic will earn $12.5MM this season and has a $12.5MM team option for ’18/19.

While the Bulls did well to find a first-round pick for a player whose value looked to be on the decline just a few months ago, it’s worth questioning why the team is willing to take on a toxic contract like Asik’s to make it happen, just seven months after selling a high second-round pick to the Warriors for a mere $3.5MM.

As for the Pelicans, they’re set to fill the lineup hole created when DeMarcus Cousins went down on Friday with a season-ending Achilles injury. The move signals that New Orleans still fully intends to make a playoff push this season, pairing Mirotic with Anthony Davis in the frontcourt. The club will also have the financial flexibility to retain Mirotic on his team option next season, since it’ll only cost about $1.2MM than Asik’s guaranteed salary would have. The ability to retain Mirotic is solid insurance in the event that Cousins leaves in free agency — if Cousins re-signs, it’d be interesting to see if the Pelicans would want to carry all three players on next year’s roster.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bontemps: How Will Pelicans Replace Cousins?

January 29th, 2018 at 12:41pm CST by Luke Adams

In his latest look at trade rumors from around the NBA, Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post explores how the Pelicans and Thunder will try to fill the holes created in their rotations after season-ending injuries to DeMarcus Cousins and Andre Roberson, respectively.

DeMarcus Cousins Intent On Staying Close While Rehabbing

January 28th, 2018 at 6:03pm CST by Austin Kent

Evans has thrived for the Grizzlies this season after inking a one-year, prove it deal following an injury plagued tenure with the Pelicans. The 28-year-old has averaged 19.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 45 games for Memphis, making him one of the most appealing assets readily available to contenders ahead of the deadline.

Injured center DeMarcus Cousins has expressed a desire to remain around the Pelicans as he works his way back from a torn Achilles, William Guillory of The New Orleans Times-Picayune writes. “I told him, ‘The first month, you’re going to want to pull your hair out,‘” teammate Anthony Davis said. “It’s tough, especially when you’re team is playing and you’re not able to do anything. That’s the toughest part. With me, I just tried to be around the team as much as possible to stay involved and feel like I’m still involved.“

Pelicans Plan To Be Aggressive In Trade Market After Losing Cousins

January 28th, 2018 at 9:11am CST by Arthur Hill

The season-ending injury to DeMarcus Cousins hasn’t changed the Pelicans‘ plans to add talent by the February 8 trade deadline, according to Scott Kushner of The Advocate. The loss of Cousins, who was averaging 25.5 points and 12.9 rebounds per game, leaves a big hole in the lineup and New Orleans will be aggressive on the trade market to try to compensate for his absence.

The Pelicans, who hold a three-game lead over the ninth-place Clippers, don’t plan to change their approach on the court without Cousins. They will continue to push the pace and emphasize ball movement, with Anthony Davis sliding from power forward to center except in rare occasions when he is on the floor with Omer Asik.

The injury to Cousins may alter the Pelicans‘ future in several ways, Kushner writes in a separate story. The immediate and most obvious decision is whether to trade for another big man, with Enes Kanter, Brook Lopez and DeAndre Jordan among the possible names who might be available. The next choice is how to handle Cousins’ free agency this summer. Sources tell Kushner that New Orleans was planning to offer a max deal worth about $175MM over five years, but that’s far from certain now with Cousins projected to be sidelined for six to 10 months, then facing an uncertain future once he recovers. The injury may also affect the status of GM Dell Demps and coach Alvin Gentry, who were both on shaky ground coming into the season. They appeared to be safe with the Cousins-Davis tandem meshing well and the Pelicans on their way to a playoff appearance, but a late-season collapse could signal the end for both in New Orleans.

Latest On DeMarcus Cousins’ Season-Ending Injury

January 27th, 2018 at 9:20am CST by marksuleymanov

Pelicans center DeMarcus Cousins suffered a season-ending rupture of his left Achilles tendon in Friday’s win over the Rockets. The injury occurred with seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, a game where Cousins notched his second triple-double in three games with 15 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists.

Cousins will undergo surgery to repair the tendon as soon as possible and his estimated recovery period is 6 to 10 months, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

The loss of Cousins is especially difficult for a Pelicans team that has won its last four games and currently occupies the sixth seed in the Western Conference with a 27-21 record.

“I feel horrible for him,” Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry said after Friday’s victory. “Everything that he’s done, and what he’s tried to do for us this year and what he’s made himself and the improvements in all areas that he’s made on and off the court, has just been great. I don’t want that to happen to a guy that’s trying to better himself.”

In 48 games, Cousins, who was selected to be on Team LeBron for the 2018 NBA All-Star game, averaged 25.4 PPG, 12.9 RPG and 5.2 APG.

There has been speculation that Cousins’ injury may lead New Orleans to sell at the deadline despite the team’s playoff positioning. However, Wojnarowski tweets that the team will look to acquire talent as the February 8 trade deadline nears.

As for Cousins, the 27-year-old is set to hit unrestricted free agency at the end of the season. The injury ends Cousins’ hopes of landing a max contract in free agency and casts doubt on his ability to play at the same level once he recovers. ESPN’s Kevin Pelton examined four major storylines — including the big man’s offseason value — to monitor following Cousins’ career-altering injury.

A season that had the promise of being Cousins’ first taste of postseason basketball is over and the Pelicans will need to regroup as a club to keep the playoff hope alive.

DeMarcus Cousins Diagnosed With Torn Achilles

January 26th, 2018 at 9:59pm CST by Austin Kent

10:20pm: The initial diagnosis is that Cousins has torn his Achilles, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports tweets.

9:59pm: There’s significant fear within the Pelicans organization that big man DeMarcus Cousins has seriously injured his Achilles, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

Per TNT’s David Aldridge, the forward will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury.

Cousins went down holding the area in the final minute of the team’s Friday night contest and needed to be supported into the locker room.

In the aforementioned tweet, Wojnarowski adds that a source told him it “does not look good”.

Video of the injury, courtesy of NBA TV on Twitter.

Pels Unlikely To Deal Cousins But Will Be Hard-Pressed To Improve Roster

January 26th, 2018 at 5:04pm CST by Austin Kent

The Pelicans will be hard-pressed to improve their roster ahead of the trade deadline, especially since a case can be made that the team will keep DeMarcus Cousins close by with the intention of committing to him long-term, Bobby Marks of ESPN writes.

The club will face mounting pressure to appease Anthony Davis, their superstar center whose own free agency decision (in 2020) already looms. Unfortunately for general manager Dell Demps and the rest of the Pelicans’ front office, with so much money tied up between Davis, Cousins and Jrue Holiday they have little options for adding depth to the rest of the roster.

Marks suggests that the Pelicans could consider packaging a young player like Cheick Diallo with a second-round pick to net a rotation player like much-improved Nets guard Joe Harris but cautions the team against dealing first-rounders considering their long-term financial forecast.

Pelicans Need To Expand Beyond Big Three

January 21st, 2018 at 5:57pm CST by Austin Kent

With a slate of home games and matchups versus sub-.500 opponents forthcoming, the Pelicans have an opportunity to expand their offense outside of their big three. Ron Higgins of The Times-Picayune writes that doing so could be the key to sneaking into the playoffs.

The trio of Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins and Jrue Holiday combine for 63.6% of the Pelicans’ 110.7 points per game.

Four of the Pelicans’ next five games come at home, while nine of the 13 contests remaining before the All-Star break are against teams with worse records than them.

The Pelicans don’t have a set crunch time lineup and that’s by design, Scott Kushner of The New Orleans Advocate writes. While the team’s big three tend to be on the floor more often than not, head coach Alvin Gentry says that the other two slots are decided by feel.

DeAndre Liggins Gets Second 10-Day Deal With Pelicans

January 20th, 2018 at 6:36pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pelicans have signed guard DeAndre Liggins to a second 10-day contract, the team announced on its website.

Liggins appeared in just one game for New Orleans during the first 10-day deal, scoring four points in 11 minutes. The team needs roster depth with Alexis Ajinca, Frank Jackson, Tony Allen and Solomon Hill all sidelined by injuries. The Pelicans were granted a $2.75MM disabled player exception on Wednesday.

Liggins played 31 games for the Bucks, averaging 1.8 points per night, before being waived earlier this month. He has been with seven teams since entering the league in the 2011/12 season.

Once Liggins’ second 10-day contract expires, the Pelicans will either have to release him or sign him for the rest of the season.

And-Ones: Predictions, Discipline, Prospects

January 19th, 2018 at 8:02pm CST by Austin Kent

In a debut installment of a new feature, Marc Stein of the New York Times made a number of predictions for the upcoming year in basketball. The scribe ventures a guess that this is the year the Trail Blazers blow up their backcourt of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum.

Stein writes that dealing one of the star guards would be the easiest way for the Blazers to balance their roster, something that could come in handy if the organization seeks to go in a new direction. Bear in mind, however, that Stein’s prediction applies to this year and not necessarily to this season.

Stein also makes a series of arguments that a pair of big names stay with their current teams, despite ongoing speculation to the contrary. The Times journalist says that LeBron James to the Lakers is no guarantee and that Cleveland stands a legitimate chance of retaining the King.

On a similar note, Stein reasons that DeMarcus Cousins isn’t likely to find the market teeming with attractive salary offers this season and that he’ll end up staying put with the Pelicans.

There’s more from around the league:

One possible solution to curb the growing tension between NBA players and referees is to ramp up the discipline assigned to players who act hostile to officials. “The hammer has to drop from above,” one Western Conference team official told Ken Berger of Bleacher Report. “When you had David Stern and Rod Thorn there, none of this stuff was going on because they weren’t going to put up with it. I think we’ve gotten away from that. There’s something every night.“
Four active front offices have made a dozen or more trade deadline deals over the course of their tenures, Bobby Marks of ESPN weighed in on them and the rest of the league’s executives in his latest for ESPN Insiders.
There has been plenty of movement among the DraftExpress team’s list of the top 100 NBA prospects. Jonathan Givony of ESPN recently broke down a number of NCAA players who’ve recently seen their values rise dramatically.