Pelicans Sign Josh Smith
October 28, 4:51pm: The move is official, the Pelicans announced on their website. Smith will be available for tonight’s game against the Cavaliers.
October 28, 1:44pm: Smith will sign with the Pelicans Saturday after receiving a letter of clearance, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets. The letter was required because Smith last played overseas, Bobby Marks of ESPN notes.
October 26, 9:34pm: Smith is in town for the Kings-Pelicans game but didn’t end up signing a contract before the game as he had hoped, Marc Spears of The Undefeated tweets. It sounds as if the deal will be finalized on Friday.
October 26, 7:17pm: Smith has flown to Sacramento, hoping to sign a contract with the Pelicans before their matchup with the Kings at 9:30 CST, Marc Spears of The Undefeated tweets.
October 25, 5:51pm: Free agent forward Josh Smith plans to sign with the Pelicans, reports Shams Charania of the Vertical (via Twitter). According to Charania, a corresponding roster move won’t be necessary for New Orleans, since the team will be granted an extra roster spot via an injury hardship exception.
Smith, who will turn 32 in December, didn’t play in the NBA at all last season, last appearing in the league during the 2015/16 campaign. He played in 55 total games that year for the Clippers and Rockets, averaging 6.0 PPG and 3.5 RPG in 16.0 minutes per contest, with a career-worst .364 FG%.
In search of an NBA opportunity this year, Smith worked out for the Pelicans in late August. Although that audition didn’t lead to anything at the time, New Orleans is now circling back to the former first-round pick in an effort to add some depth to a roster hit hard by injuries.
Currently, the Pelicans are without Solomon Hill, Rajon Rondo, Omer Asik, Frank Jackson, and Alexis Ajinca. Anthony Davis is also banged up for New Orleans — an MRI on his injured knee reportedly showed no structural damage, but that doesn’t mean that he’ll be able to get back on the court right away.
The Pelicans are eligible for a hardship exception because they have four or more players who have missed at least three consecutive games apiece due to injury or illness. As Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (via Twitter), Smith qualifies for that 16th spot on the roster because he’s signing a non-guaranteed deal. With Smith set to join a group that already includes Rondo, DeMarcus Cousins, and Tony Allen, the Pelicans’ roster will feature some of the NBA’s most interesting personalities.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Cousins Wishes He Had Left The Kings Sooner
Pelicans star DeMarcus Cousins regrets not leaving the Kings sooner, he tells Marc J. Spears in an E:60 interview posted on ESPN. Cousins clams he had an opportunity to go to another team when George Karl was hired as Sacramento’s head coach in February of 2015.
- The Pelicans became the latest team to announce a corporate partnership, teaming up with Zatarain’s, a New Orleans-based food company. The team will begin wearing the Zatarain’s logo on its jerseys.
No Structural Damage For Anthony Davis
An MRI conducted late Tuesday night on Pelicans star Anthony Davis showed no structural damage in his left knee, relays Shams Charania of The Vertical.
Davis, who was feeling pain during warmups, was removed from the game in the first quarter after bumping knees with Portland’s Damian Lillard. He will be listed as day-to-day and may not play Thursday in Sacramento.
Davis was able to walk without a limp after the game, according to ESPN.
“I don’t know a whole lot,” New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry said after the game. “Our trainers just said the MRI came back negative. I’m sure we’ll know more tomorrow.”
Problems with the knee have plagued Davis before, as it forced him to cut short his 2012/13 and 2015/16 seasons.
Davis is putting up huge early-season numbers, averaging 31.7 points, 17.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.8 blocks before his abbreviated stint Tuesday. However, the Pelicans are off to a 1-3 start and will need him in the lineup to avoid falling into a hole in the Western Conference playoff race.
Jameer Nelson Helps Pelicans Avoid Loss In Debut
Chandler Parsons‘ stint with the Grizzlies has not gone according to plan. The former Rockets and Mavericks standout has been hampered by knee injuries, including three knee surgeries the last three years. Now, after playing just 15 minutes in Memphis’ first few regular season games this year, Parsons is frustrated with his limited playing time, Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal writes.
“It sucks right now playing 15 minutes a night to be honest with you,” Parsons said. “But they have a plan in place that, hopefully, I’ll be playing big minutes when it matters.”
Parsons appeared in just 34 games last season, averaging 6.2 PPG and 2.5 RPG in a career-low 19.9 minutes per game. After signing a four-year, $94MM deal with the Grizzlies in July 2016, Parsons has not come close to his past performance. If he continues to show he’s over his prior knee injuries, the Grizzlies will look salvage the remainder of their pact with the 28-year-old.
Check out more news coming out of the Southwest Division:
- Wesley Matthews‘ early season struggles may seem to be the perfect chance to bench him but if the Mavericks ever intend on trading him, they must do it while his value is high, Eddie Sefko of Dallas Sports Day writes.
- Veteran Jameer Nelson endured a 10-hour journey from Philadelphia to Los Angeles to join his Pelicans teammates for a Sunday evening contest against the Lakers. As William Guillory of NOLA.com writes, Nelson, 35, posted five points and five assists in 24 minutes — including a clutch three-pointer — to help New Orleans avoid a loss in a game they once led by 22 points.
- New Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta said that James Harden is “truly the best player in the NBA” as Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle writes.
- Olivier Hanlan, a former second-round pick by the Jazz from 2015, has joined the Spurs’ G League affiliate, the Austin Spurs, according to Chris Reichert of 2Ways10Days (Twitter link). San Antonio currently holds Hanlan’s NBA rights, having acquired him in last year’s Boris Diaw swap.
Pelicans Sign Jameer Nelson To One-Year Deal
Oct. 22: The Pels have officially signed Nelson, the team announced in a press release.
Oct. 21: The Pelicans have reached an agreement on a one-year deal with free agent point guard Jameer Nelson, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical. Nelson was on the open market for less than 24 hours, having cleared waivers on Friday evening after being cut this week by the Nuggets.
Nelson, 35, has 13 years of NBA experience under his belt, with stints in Orlando, Dallas, Boston, and Denver. Most recently, he appeared in 148 games over the last two and a half seasons for the Nuggets, providing some stability at the point guard position as the club looked to incorporate youngsters Emmanuel Mudiay and Jamal Murray.
After struggling in 2015/16, Nelson bounced back last season, averaging 9.2 PPG and 5.1 APG in 75 games (39 starts) for the Nuggets. However, with Denver intent on adding Richard Jefferson this week, Nelson was the odd man out when the club needed to open up a roster spot.
Upon clearing waivers, Nelson reportedly drew interest from the Rockets, Nets, and Hornets in addition to the Pelicans. All four of those clubs are dealing with injuries at the point guard spot. In New Orleans’ case, it’s Rajon Rondo on the shelf, recovering from sports hernia surgery.
Rondo is expected to return to the court next month, but Nelson may remain in the Pelicans’ rotation at that point. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported earlier today that the veteran point guard was seeking an opportunity where he’d have a chance to play a significant role, so presumably New Orleans doesn’t just view him as an interim solution.
The Pelicans don’t currently have an open spot on their roster, so they’ll need to trade or waive a player if they intend to finalize Nelson’s deal right away. If New Orleans waits until after its third game, the team would become eligible for a hardship exception and would be granted a 16th roster spot to sign Nelson without cutting anyone.
Hardship exceptions are awarded to clubs carrying at least four players who have missed three or more consecutive games due to injury or illness. Rondo, Alexis Ajinca, Frank Jackson, Omer Asik, and Solomon Hill will all fit that bill for the Pelicans.
Meanwhile, it’s also worth keeping an eye on the tax line and the hard cap for the Pelicans. Adding Nelson on a fully guaranteed deal without waiving anyone would take New Orleans into the tax and move the team dangerously close to its hard cap.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Pelicans Waive Jordan Crawford
Oct. 22: The Pelicans officially waived Crawford today, the team announced in a press release.
Oct. 21, 4:27pm: The Pelicans asked the NBA to guarantee that their request for an injury exception would be granted before signing Nelson, tweets Adrian Wojanarowski of ESPN. When that appeal was denied, New Orleans had to waive a player before Nelson could be added to the roster.
3:24pm: The Pelicans are waiving guard Jordan Crawford, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Crawford’s contract is only partially guaranteed for $250K, so most of his salary will come off New Orleans’ cap.
Today’s agreement with Jameer Nelson would have pushed the Pelicans into the luxury tax, but letting Crawford go will allow them to sneak back under the tax threshold and will provide some breathing room below the hard cap. New Orleans will actually create a small amount of savings through the two transactions due to Crawford’s $1.7MM cap hit, as Bobby Marks of ESPN details.
New Orleans could have waited until after tomorrow’s game to apply for a hardship exception in order to sign Nelson. Due to mounting injuries, the Pelicans will still be eligible for the exception, which would allow them to add a 16th player, but it’s not clear whether or not take advantage of it.
Crawford, who will turn 29 on Monday, appeared in 21 total games during his stint with New Orleans at the end of last season and the start of this year. In those games, he averaged 13.6 PPG and 3.0 APG in just 22.6 minutes per contest. He’ll reach free agency early next week, assuming he clears waivers.
Pelicans Notes: Crawford, Cousins, Allen, Rondo
The Pelicans would have preferred not to lose Jordan Crawford, who was waived today to make room for Jameer Nelson, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical. Crawford, who originally signed with New Orleans in March, was fitting in well in a reserve role. He was effective in the preseason and was averaging 9.0 points and 3.5 assists in the Pelicans’ first two regular season games.
Crawford had the misfortune of owning the only contract on the roster that wasn’t fully guaranteed. New Orleans will only owe him $250K, and that will be wiped out if he is claimed off waivers. The team saves a little bit on the two transactions, as Nelson’s veterans minimum salary is less than Crawford’s $1.7MM cap hit. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets that the Pelicans, who have been hit hard by injuries in the early going, tried to get assurance from the league that they will be granted an injury exception after their third game Sunday night, allowing them to add an extra player. When that request was denied, they had no choice but to waive Crawford.
There’s more today out of New Orleans:
- DeMarcus Cousins was fined $25K for an altercation with a fan Wednesday in Memphis, the league announced on its website. The fine was for “directing inappropriate language towards a fan” in an incident near the end of the game. A technical foul assessed against Cousins was rescinded.
- Former Grizzlies guard Tony Allen admitted to being nervous as he returned to Memphis for the Pelicans’ season opener, relays Mark Giannotto of The Commercial-Appeal. Allen still has fondness for the city where he helped to create the “grit and grind” culture over the past seven seasons. “I had so many jitters in my body. Butterflies,” Allen said. “Whatever you want to call it, I was a little nervous. But I’m glad they got that over with. It’s a lot of love for the city, a lot of love for the fans. I appreciate that.”
- Rajon Rondo may not be guaranteed a starting spot when he recovers from sports hernia surgery, writes Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com in a look at 10 questions surrounding the team. Jrue Holiday will resume point guard duties while Rondo is sidelined, and Duncan speculates that the Pelicans may not want to tinker with success if things go well without Rondo. Duncan adds that coach Alvin Gentry and GM Dell Demps will be reluctant to take any chances because they need the team to be successful to keep their jobs.
Jameer Nelson Clears Waivers, Drawing Interest
OCTOBER 21, 1:56pm: In addition to Houston, the Nets, Hornets, and Pelicans are all interested in Nelson, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Nelson is looking for an opportunity that will allow him to play a significant role this season, Woj adds (via Twitter).
All four teams linked to Nelson are dealing with injuries at the point guard position, with Jeremy Lin, Michael Carter-Williams, and Rajon Rondo currently sidelined for Brooklyn, Charlotte, and New Orleans, respectively.
OCTOBER 20, 5:19pm: Veteran point guard Jameer Nelson has cleared waivers after being released by the Nuggets and the 35-year-old has already been contacted by a number of NBA teams, Chris Haynes of ESPN tweets.
One possible landing spot for the 13-year vet is Houston. Given that the Rockets may be particularly cautious with Chris Paul‘s knee injury and potentially seek a temporary replacement, Nelson could possibly slot in until Paul fully recovers.
Haynes mentioned Houston specifically as one of the teams with whom Nelson’s representation has been in touch. The Rockets currently roster just 14 players, so they’d be able to add Nelson without any other moves.
What’s more, as Bobby Marks of ESPN writes, Houston is $2.8MM below the luxury tax, giving them just enough space to sign Nelson to a $2.3MM veteran’s minimum deal without consequence. That sort of deal would only count for a prorated portion of $1.471MM against the Rockets’ cap.
Pelicans’ Alexis Ajinca Expected To Miss 4-6 Weeks
Pelicans center Alexis Ajinca is expected to be sidelined for the next four to six weeks after undergoing successful bilateral knee injections on Thursday, the team announced today in a press release. The Pelicans classify Ajinca’s knee ailment as patellar tendonitis.
Ajinca, 29, battled injuries last season as well and also fell out of the rotation for stretches — he appeared in just 39 games (15 starts). Ajinca was a solid contributor when he played, averaging 5.3 PPG and 4.5 RPG for the Pelicans in 15.0 minutes per contest, but expressed some frustrations with his role.
With Ajinca and fellow big man Omer Asik sidelined, we got a glimpse in the Pelicans’ opener on Wednesday what the frontcourt rotation might look like for the club. Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins will, of course, see significant minutes up front, with Dante Cunningham and Cheick Diallo also worked into the mix.
The Pelicans may apply for a hardship exception, which would grant the club an extra roster spot, following their third game of the season. Teams that have at least four players who have missed three or more games due to injury or illness are eligible to apply for the exception. Currently, Ajinca, Asik, Rajon Rondo, Solomon Hill, and Frank Jackson are all on the shelf for New Orleans.
With team salary inching close to the tax line and the hard cap, the Pelicans will have to decide if it’s worth it to add some extra depth this early in the season.
Rockets, Knicks, Pelicans Eyeing Wade Baldwin
The Rockets, Knicks, and Pelicans are among the teams with some level of interest in point guard Wade Baldwin, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). The Timberwolves, Wolfson’s local team, haven’t shown interest in Baldwin at this point.
Baldwin, a Vanderbilt alum, was the 17th overall pick in the 2016 draft and spent his rookie season with the Grizzlies. After 33 up-and-down games with the club, Baldwin was a somewhat surprising victim of the roster crunch in Memphis on Monday, with the team waiving him and fellow 2016 draftee Rade Zagorac to get down to the 15-man limit.
Although Baldwin struggled to adjust to the NBA in his rookie season, he’s still just 21 years old, so there will likely be clubs that view him as a project with some upside.
Currently, Baldwin remains on waivers. If a team wanted to claim him, that club would need to be willing to take on his $1.874MM guaranteed salary for 2017/18, and would need to have enough cap space – or a big enough trade exception – to accommodate that money. It’s more likely that Baldwin will clear waivers and perhaps sign a minimum salary deal with a new team.
If Baldwin doesn’t receive an NBA offer, he could end up playing overseas or in the G League, either on a two-way contract or a straight G League deal. Nine NBA teams have at least one open two-way slot at the moment.