New Orleans Pelicans Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Monroe, Humphries, Williams

February 26th, 2014 at 12:48pm CST by Chuck Myron

Five teams, most of them in the Eastern Conference, are planning to pursue Greg Monroe when he becomes a restricted free agent this summer, a source tells Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling. The source predicts Monroe will sign early in July, which often isn’t the case with restricted free agents. There’s more from Zwerling amid our latest look around the league:

The Celtics have interest in signing-and-trading Kris Humphries this summer, Zwerling writes in the same piece. Danny Ainge is reportedly high on the 10th-year veteran who’s expressed a desire to stay in Boston, so it seems there’s no guarantee Humphries will go elsewhere this summer, even as the C’s appear to be preparing for that possibility.
Marvin Williams is comfortable in Utah and wants to remain with the Jazz, observes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, who figures that was one of the reasons the team reportedly turned down at least one offer for a late first-round pick in exchange for Williams.
Pelicans GM Dell Demps expressed confidence in his core earlier this week, but Bradford Doolittle of ESPN.com, in an Insider-only piece, urges Demps to shake up the team in the offseason.
Justin Barrasso of WEEI.com examines the transition Brad Stevens is making from college to the NBA game, noting that most college coaches who’ve entered the pros have done so with franchises far less stable than the Celtics are.

Pelicans GM On Jackson, Deadline, Free Agency

February 25th, 2014 at 3:54pm CST by Chuck Myron

Pelicans GM Dell Demps says Pierre Jackson plans to play with the club during summer league, and that the team will continue to monitor the diminutive guard as he plays in Turkey on a deal that covers the rest of the season. New Orleans is in a tough position, sitting 10 and a half games out of the playoffs but four games up on the Lakers, the team with the fifth-worst record in the league. If the Pelicans don’t end up with a top-five pick this year, their first-rounder goes to the Sixers. Demps had more to say about Jackson and covered an array of other topics Monday with Pelicans broadcaster Sean Kelley, and Pelicans.com provides the transcript. We’ll hit the highlights here:

On the trade deadline:

“I think for us at this trade deadline we were only looking to add to our core. We weren’t really looking to make any adjustments. We were looking to add. We didn’t want to give up any more assets to acquire any more players at this point. We did that last summer. We gave up a draft pick in this upcoming draft to acquire Jrue Holiday. We feel like Jrue Holiday is going to be our point guard for the future. We have him under contract for four years and we hope that he grows old here and his kids graduate from high school in New Orleans. We didn’t feel comfortable giving up any more assets for players at this time.”

On the team’s midseason signings of Luke Babbitt and Alexis Ajinca:

“Well, a guy like Babbitt, he was playing great in Europe and I really believe if he would have become a free agent this summer, a number of teams would have tried to get him. The reason why he was available, I thought we were able to get him out of his contract early and he didn’t hit the free agency market. I think the same thing for Ajinca. Ajinca was actually leading the Euro league in scoring, which is considered the best league outside the NBA, considered a higher level than college basketball. I think if he goes through the free agent market this summer a number of teams would have tried to acquire him. We thought that we were able to get in early and get those two guys into the program and really get a good understanding of if they can help us or if they cannot help us ahead of the curve. Next year is going to be a big year for us and you don’t want to go into next year with guys on the roster that we are still wondering about.”

On the team’s core:

“I still want to see this group play together. I believe in this group and we still want to add more pieces to this group. I think we are a fun group to watch. We are explosive. We can score a lot of points and I think moving forward we want to add a couple more pieces on the perimeter and interior and improve our defense. I think we will be able to score with anyone in the league.”

On whether he’s high on this summer’s crop of free agents:

“Of course. We are not into max games so we are not going to be looking for players with contracts more $10MM, but we have a number of exceptions that we can use and we have a couple of ways we can get creative as well.”

On Pierre Jackson

“The kid had some bad luck to start with. When we acquired him, we were stacked at the point guard position. Before we drafted him, we had conversations with him asking, ‘If we did draft you, we don’t know where you would fit on this year’s roster. Would you want to go overseas?’ He said yes. When we drafted him, we asked him to play summer league, but because of the trade he wasn’t cleared to play summer league until the third game. He didn’t get to come to the practices. Some guys had practiced for four or five days and they had a couple of games. We kind of just threw him into the fire. Then he catches pink eye, so he misses the next two days recovering from that and he comes back for the last game. He didn’t get a good opportunity to show what he could do.”

Western Notes: Clippers, Bazemore, Jackson

February 22nd, 2014 at 9:59pm CST by Cray Allred

Kent Bazemore is hoping he becomes more known for his play than for his sideline celebrations as a new member of the Lakers. While many fans are excited for “Bazemoring” to combine with Lakers center Robert Sacre‘s antics on the bench, coach Mike D’Antoni tells Bill Oram of The Orange County Register he wants to see what Bazemore can add on the floor. “I’ll ask him if he wants to play,” D’Antoni joked, “or sit on the bench and be that guy. We’ll ask him. See what his response will be.” Here’s more from the Western Conference:

Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders details how the Clippers spent money to save money in the deadline deals in which they sent Antawn Jamison and Byron Mullens to the Hawks and Sixers, respectively. These kind of maneuvers are often a sign of a team eyeing the bottom line, but the Clippers are also shaving salary in preparation for adding more talent through the buyout market.
A GM tells Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio that he understands Pierre Jackson‘s decision to play overseas, but thinks Jackson is close to making it in the NBA and wishes the rookie would have stayed in the D-League. The same GM says that his team would have given Jackson a shot, but that their hands were tied (Twitter links). Jackson opted to sign in Turkey after he and the Pelicans couldn’t reach a deal this late into the season.
The Rockets‘ newly acquired Jordan Hamilton tells Jason Friedman of Rockets.com that he’s excited to join Houston and try for a championship. “I’ve been watching the Rockets a lot this year,” Hamilton said after his first workout with his new team. “They’re a great team. Yes, we do have a chance to go far in the playoffs and possibly get a championship so I’m just happy to be a part of it.” The 23-year-old small forward came to the Rockets from the Nuggets in exchange for point guard Aaron Brooks in a trade earlier this week.

Odds & Ends: Durant, Brooks, Nuggets

February 20th, 2014 at 8:11pm CST by Zachary Links

With tax season approaching, Thunder star Kevin Durant is looking to get his house in order. Durant is suing his former accountant for $600K over what he says were mistakes on his previous taxes, according to the Associated Press. More from around the Association..

Aaron Brooks could have blocked the trade sending him from the Rockets to the Nuggets but he had a change of heart late in the game, tweets Mark Berman of FOX 26. “I changed my mind after talking to [Denver exec] Jared Jeffries, the (Nuggets) GM and the coach,” said the guard. Brooks also says that the need for him to play in the final year of his deal motivated him to say yes, tweets Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
Nuggets GM Tim Connelly offered a very rational take of today’s deal to acquire Jan Vesely from the Wizards. “It’s not often you get a chance to get a 30-game look at the sixth pick in the draft from a couple years ago,” said the GM, according to Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post (on Twitter).
Center Hamed Haddadi inked a deal in Iran after finishing his season in China, tweets Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
Former Nets guard Tyshawn Taylor has signed in Puerto Rico, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. Taylor was traded to the Pelicans earlier this year but was promptly cut loose.
The Pelicans‘ inability to get back into the first-round of the 2014 draft at the deadline was disappointing, writes Jimmy Smith of the Times-Picayune.

Nets, Pelicans Slow Pursuit Of Jordan Hill

February 20th, 2014 at 1:51pm CST by Chuck Myron

1:51pm: Discussions surrounding Hill are either “dying or dead,” tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.

1:01pm: Brooklyn has cooled on Hill because the Lakers were seeking a “decent” second-round pick for him, and because bonuses in his contract could have added another $1MM to the Nets’ already astronomical tax bill, according to Howard Beck of Bleacher Report (Twitter link).

12:47pm: The Nets appear ready to pass on Hill, tweets David Aldridge of TNT.

11:15am: The Lakers want a pick for Hill but, meanwhile, the Nets want a pick from the Lakers for saving them $7MM+, according to Stein (via Twitter).

9:37am: New Orleans is backing off its pursuit of Hill, Wojnarowski hears (Twitter link). That would appear to make the Nets the leading contender for him.

7:40am: The Lakers are looking for a second-rounder in return for Hill, Stein tweets. Atlanta’s interest is not as strong as that of the Nets and Pelicans, Stein adds in a second tweet.

THURSDAY, 7:14am: The Nets and Pelicans appear to be in the lead for Hill, according to Shelburne (Twitter link).

WEDNESDAY, 10:12pm: There is a strong chance that Hill is moved, per Shelburne, who adds that the Lakers may want more than just cap relief now that they have (at least) the Nets, Bobcats and Pelicans involved. In light of the Steve Blake deal, moving Hill and Kaman would allow the Lakers to hang onto Gasol and his Bird Rights (Twitter links here). Ken Berger tweets that both New Orleans and the Nets hope to use their disabled player exceptions on Hill.

8:44pm: ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne adds the Hawks to the mix of teams in on Hill as well as center Chris Kaman, with the deals being discussed in parallel (Twitter links).

5:29pm: Sean Deveney of Sporting News contests the report that the Suns are no longer a player for Hill (via Twitter). Meanwhile, Eric Pincus from the L.A. Times reminds us that the Lakers wouldn’t move Hill if they had any hope or desire to re-sign him. Hill doesn’t have the stamina for a big minute role, per Pincus, and would therefore be better suited for an energy role off the bench (Twitter links here).

3:59pm: The Suns are no longer in talks for Hill, Wojnarowski tweets.

3:42pm: Stein casts it as a two-team race between the Cavs and Nets for Hill (Twitter link).

1:44pm: The Suns, as well as the Mavs, have engaged the Lakers in talks about Hill, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter).

1:12pm: It’s unlikely the Nets will acquire Hill, tweets Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck

1:00pm: The Suns may get involved as a suitor for Hill, Wojnarowski hears (Twitter link).

WEDNESDAY, 12:43pm: The Nets have decided they’d like to go ahead and take Hill if the Lakers are willing to send him their way, but L.A. is talking to multiple teams about the power forward, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter links).

TUESDAY, 10:30pm: Brooklyn values Hill as being worth a “second round pick and a trade exception,” according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).

3:40pm: The Nets’ discussions with the Kings wouldn’t preclude the team from trading for Hill, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. That suggests the deal is a greater possibility than Medina’s source indicated.

TUESDAY, 12:50pm: The deal will probably not happen, a source tells Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News, who hears the Nets have cold feet about the hefty tax penalties that acquiring Hill without giving up a player would entail.

MONDAY, 10:31pm: It’s doubtful that the big man will want to re-sign with the Lakers if Mike D’Antoni is still the coach, sources tell Wojnarowski.

3:59pm: The Lakers and Nets have spoken about a deal that would send Jordan Hill to the Nets, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Brooklyn would absorb Hill’s $3.5MM salary into its $5.15MM disabled player exception granted in compensation for Brook Lopez‘s injury, Wojnarowski notes. It’s unclear precisely what the Lakers would get in return. Meanwhile, Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter) hears that the talks are very preliminary.

Hill has been indentified as one of the Lakers’ prime trade candidates in the lead-up to the February 20th deadline, along with Steve Blake, Chris Kaman, and, of course, Pau Gasol. The former lottery pick obviously doesn’t offer the same kind of frontcourt boost that Gasol would, but he’ll cost a lot less in terms of both the trade and salary. Any team acquiring Hill would be on the hook for what remains on his $3.5MM salary for 2013/14. He’ll be eligible for free agency in the summer.

Unfortunately for the Nets, their tax situation means that acquiring Hill would cost them a small fortune – $17MM by the estimation of Wojnarowski (link). Even though the deadline is in a few days, the Nets have until March 10th to use their DPE.

Hill, 26, is averaging a career-highs in points (8.5 PPG) and rebounds (7.0 RPG) in 19.5 minutes per contest.

Deadline Rumors: Hill, Nelson, Bulls, Kaman

February 20th, 2014 at 1:24pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest from around the league as we inch closer to the deadline..

All is quiet for the Bulls, Grizzlies, Warriors, Mavericks, and Pelicans at the moment, according to Sam Amick of USA Today.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks have interest in Lakers big man Jordan Hill but the proposal is problematic because of L.A.’s desire to move both Hill and fellow big man Chris Kaman in order to get under the luxury tax, Amick writes.
The Kings are still shopping anyone not named DeMarcus Cousins from the Maloofs regime, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).
The Magic and Wizards were discussing a deal involving Jameer Nelson before the Andre Miller deal was agreed upon, tweets Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders.
The Bulls, who are $678K under tax, are comfortable standing pat, a source tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. They believe they can stay under the threshold even with bonuses and 10-day deals.
The Cavs were never in on Lakers big man Chris Kaman, despite reports to the contrary, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
More from Amico, who tweets that Cavs acting GM David Griffin was unwilling to give up a first-round pick and a player for Rockets big man Omer Asik. The Cavs went out and got Spencer Hawes instead.

Pierre Jackson To Play In Turkey

February 20th, 2014 at 10:07am CST by Chuck Myron

10:07am: Jackson’s deal runs through June if he doesn’t sign with an NBA team by Friday, Sporando tweets.

9:48am: Jackson’s deal has an NBA escape clause that will allow him to sign a deal stateside until Friday, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

9:41am: Pierre Jackson has signed to play with Fenerbahce Ulker in Turkey, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando confirms (Twitter link). Turkish site Hurriyet.com.tr was the first to report the news. The Pelicans own the NBA rights of the diminutive guard who’s been tearing up the D-League this season, but the two sides have been unable to come to a deal.

The Pelicans gave Jackson and his representatives permission to seek a trade, and New Orleans was reportedly attempting to package his rights with Austin Rivers. The Wizards, Cavaliers and Nuggets were among the teams in play. A report on Tuesday indicated the Pelicans were still open to reaching a deal with the undrafted former Baylor standout.

Pelicans Shop Morrow, Bobcats Interested

February 19th, 2014 at 4:44pm CST by Chuck Myron

4:44pm: Morrow is the most likely trade candidate among the Pelicans guards rumored to be on the block, Deveney tweets.

WEDNESDAY, 2:07pm: The Bobcats are eyeing Morrow, according to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News, who seconds an earlier report that Charlotte is also in on Arron Afflalo. Deveney adds that Morrow is expected to opt out of his deal this summer.

TUESDAY, 8:56am: The Pelicans are looking to unload Anthony Morrow for a draft pick, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). New Orleans has been busy in trade chatter of the last week or two, as reports have indicated the team is looking for upgrades and wants to find a big man, while Eric Gordon, Austin Rivers and Pierre Jackson appear to be the block.

Morrow is on the fringe of the Pelicans’ rotation, averaging 15.6 minutes per game, but the career 42.9% three-point shooter is exceeding even that impressive mark this season, knocking down 48% of his long-range attempts. He signed a two-year minimum-salary deal this past summer that includes a player option for next season.

Pelicans coach Monty Williams insists the team isn’t looking to trade either Gordon or Tyreke Evans, as he told reporters yesterday. John Reid of The Times Picayune shares Williams’ remarks.

”I don’t know where all that stuff comes from man,’’ Williams said. ”It’s silly to me to put guys names out there like that. I don’t know how to answer that. I’m focused on tomorrow’s practice. As far as I know, those guys are going to be here. All the trade stuff, I guess there is nothing else to talk about. It’s not something we put a lot of stock into as coaches.’’

Pelicans Receive Disabled Player Exception

February 19th, 2014 at 3:40pm CST by Chuck Myron

WEDNESDAY, 3:40pm: The Pelicans have officially received the exception, according to Stein and Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, who notes that it will expire March 10th (Twitter links).

TUESDAY, 12:54pm: The league is about to grant the Pelicans a disabled player exception for Ryan Anderson, who’s likely out for the season, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). It would be worth $4,154,250, or half of Anderson’s $8,308,500 salary. New Orleans could use it to sign no more than one player to a contract for the rest of the season, or trade for a single player on an expiring contract who makes up to the full amount of the exception, plus $100K.

It’s not clear whether the Pelicans will receive the exception in time for Thursday’s trade deadline, when it would be of greatest use. The Nets, Hawks and Bucks are other teams armed with DPEs. Brooklyn and Atlanta have exceptions worth $5.15MM for Brook Lopez and Al Horford, respectively, while Milwaukee’s is $1.63MM in compensation for the loss of Carlos Delfino.

The Pelicans appear to be one of the most active teams as the deadline approaches, with Eric Gordon, Anthony Morrow, Austin Rivers and Pierre Jackson all on the block. GM Dell Demps and company are reportedly seeking a big man who could offset the loss of Anderson and Jason Smith.

Bucks Rumors: Rivers, Henson, Mayo, Butler

February 19th, 2014 at 3:16pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Bucks are the worst team in the NBA, but that also means they top our reverse standings, with a 25% shot at the No. 1 overall pick if they finish the season in that position. Here’s more on a team with plenty of reason to sell:

The Pelicans are open to moving Austin Rivers, and the Bucks have interest, tweets Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times. New Orleans has shopped Rivers to multiple teams, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insider (Twitter link).
The Bucks are dangling John Henson and could package him with a veteran, perhaps O.J. Mayo, Woelfel writes. The Warriors have interest in Henson, as we passed along earlier today. We covered more from Woelfel’s piece last night.
There’s been talk that Milwaukee would be reluctant to let go of Caron Butler, given the Wisconsin native’s sentimental value, but that doesn’t appear to be the case, according to Woelfel. The Journal Times scribe tweets that the team will either trade him or agree to a buyout if he doesn’t fit the team’s plans.