New Orleans Pelicans Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Pelicans, Cavs, Bennett, Wade

January 26th, 2014 at 10:04pm CST by Zachary Links

Pelicans owner Tom Benson bought in to the NBA at the right time, writes Jimmy Smith of the Times-Picayune. The Pelicans, purchased for $338MM by Benson in April 2012, are now worth $420MM. It wasn’t an attendance boost that helped fill out Benson’s wallet even further but rather the new Collective Bargaining Agreement which is more owner-friendly than the previous one. More from around the league..

The Cavs announced that they have recalled Carrick Felix and Sergey Karasev from the D-League. Both players were recalled and re-assigned to the Canton Charge last week but are back in the fold with the varsity squad today. Felix has played in nine games for the Charge this season, averaging 11.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.4 steals in 28.7 minutes per game. Karasev has appeared in six games for the Charge and is averaging 13.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 28.8 minutes per game.
Meanwhile, NBA executives are stumped as to why the Cavs won’t demote Anthony Bennett, tweets Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 draft picked up yet another DNP-CD tonight.
In today’s mailbag, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel wonders if Dwyane Wade might take a financial sacrifice for the Heat by opting out and re-working his deal. Instead of taking $40MM over the next two seasons, Winderman suggests a five-year, $60MM deal for the veteran.

Odds & Ends: Young, Draft, Spurs, Celtics

January 24th, 2014 at 4:13pm CST by Chuck Myron

Thaddeus Young‘s name figures to be in plenty of rumors between now and the February 20th trade deadline. “There is not a GM in the league who wouldn’t want Thaddeus Young on their team,” an NBA executive tells Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Still, Young’s contract, with average salaries of more than $9MM through 2015/16, remains a turn-off for would-be trade partners, Pompey writes. The Inquirer scribe takes a stab at sketching the Sixers roster for 2014/15, concluding that a turnaround is still a ways off. Here’s more on a couple of prospects who could be in Philly next year, as well as more from around the NBA:

Several NBA scouts are leaning toward regarding Indiana’s Noah Vonleh as a better power forward prospect than Kentucky’s Julius Randle, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com, who debates the matter with colleague Kevin Pelton in an Insider-only piece.
The Spurs wanted someone who could guard small forwards after learning Kawhi Leonard would miss the next three or four weeks, and Gregg Popovich says that led them to sign Othyus Jeffers, observes Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News.
A splintered Clippers front office kept the team from trading for Kevin Garnett at the deadline last year, and that prompted the Celtics to draw back from discussions with the Nets about Paul Pierce, sources tell Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. The C’s would have been better off had those deals gone down than they are with the package they obtained from the Nets this summer, Deveney surmises.
Doc Rivers stuck up for Tom Thibodeau, his former assistant coach, saying that he didn’t think “any right-minded organization” would allow him to leave, as Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times notes. Rumors have suggested the Bulls might let their coach out of his contract so he can take over the Knicks.
Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside wonders what more Pierre Jackson must do to convince New Orleans to sign him. The Pelicans hold the NBA rights to the D-League’s leading scorer, but they’ve given Jackson permission to seek a trade.

Pelicans Waive Tyshawn Taylor

January 23rd, 2014 at 1:22pm CST by Chuck Myron

1:22pm: The Pelicans reached a buyout agreement with Taylor, according to John Reid of The Times Picayune, though it’s unclear how much money the one-year veteran gave up.

THURSDAY, 11:12am: The team has officially announced the move.

WEDNESDAY, 4:55pm: The Pelicans have waived Tyshawn Taylor, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). John Reid of The Times Picayune noted earlier that the team was unsure about Taylor’s future in New Orleans after acquiring him via trade from the Nets on Tuesday. The move opens up a roster spot for the Pelicans, who had been carrying the maximum 15 players.

Reid’s story suggested that Taylor might buy out the remainder of his guaranteed minimum-salary deal, but it’s not clear whether that happened. If there was no buyout, the point guard’s $788,872 will remain on the Pelicans’ books unless another team claims him off waivers. There’s a chance that a team could put in a claim, given the diminutive size of the 23-year-old’s contract and the fact that he’s unlikely to sign for more money elsewhere. Regardless, the Nets sent enough cash to New Orleans to cover their obligation to Taylor, so the Pelicans aren’t taking a financial hit.

Shedding Taylor gives the Pelicans more flexibility to add an interior player, as I explained earlier today. New Orleans is reportedly seeking a big man.

Pelicans Not Sure They’ll Keep Tyshawn Taylor

January 22nd, 2014 at 2:35pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Pelicans traded for Tyshawn Taylor on Wednesday, receiving cash that will be enough to cover his one-year veteran’s minimum salary in exchange for only a European prospect who isn’t likely to play in the NBA. It’s a sweetheart deal that would have been difficult for New Orleans to turn down, and it seems the club isn’t really that sold on Taylor. John Reid of The Times Picayune suggests the Pelicans could buy him out, pointing to comments from coach Monty Williams that indicate Taylor might not have a role on the team.

Taylor has already received about half of his $788,872 salary. As long as he doesn’t agree to a buyout worth nearly the entire amount remaining on his contract, which expires at season’s end, such a severance could be a financial plus for the Jeff Schwartz client if he quickly finds other NBA work. Taylor, the 41st overall pick in 2012, saw 11.7 minutes per game in 23 appearances for the Nets this season, and though he put up a discouraging 5.6 PER in that time, there’s at least a decent chance another team would take a flier on him.

The Pelicans are without starting point guard Jrue Holiday, so Taylor could provide them depth. Still, the injury-riddled team is also missing Ryan Anderson and Jason Smith, and New Orleans is reportedly trying to trade for a big man, and waiving Taylor would open up room on the roster that would make it easier to add an interior player. The Pelicans are currently at the 15-man limit. They could also use an open roster spot to sign Pierre Jackson, the D-League’s leading scorer. New Orleans acquired Jackson’s NBA rights on draft night.

Southwest Notes: Rockets, Belinelli, Taylor

January 21st, 2014 at 6:53pm CST by Zachary Links

Tonight’s look at the Southwest Division as the Pelicans get set to take on the Kings..

In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Tom Haberstroh looks at what the teams outside of the “big four” of the Heat, Pacers, Thunder, and Spurs can do to put themselves in contention. The Rockets, according to Haberstroh, have to find a way to upgrade their turnstile perimeter defense. Wesley Matthews of the Blazers would give them a boost in that department and even though he doesn’t offer the same kind of D, C.J. Miles of the Cavs would also be an upgrade.
Marco Belinelli says he had more lucrative offers than the two-year, $5.6MM deal he signed with the Spurs over the offseason, but the opportunity to play for one of the best teams in the NBA, alongside long-time idol Manu Ginobili, was too good to pass up, writes Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News. “I know money is important,” he said. “But I’m a young guy and I want to improve my game. Money will come. I just want to win.”
Pelicans coach Monty Williams is unsure about the role that newly-acquired guard Tyshawn Taylor will fill for his club, writes John Reid of the Times-PIcayune.

Nets Swap Backup PGs With Pelicans, Bulls

January 21st, 2014 at 11:09am CST by Charlie Adams

The Nets have officially announced a pair of trades, acquiring Marquis Teague from the Bulls in a one-for-one swap for Tornike Shengelia, and sending Tyshawn Taylor and cash to the Pelicans in exchange for the draft rights to Edin Bavcic, a 29-year-old big man playing in Greece.

The moves won’t greatly impact any of the teams’ rotations, as none of the active players involved in the trade have averaged as much as 13 minutes per game this season, and each of them has seen multiple D-League assignments. Teague was a first-round pick in 2012, but he struggled to find minutes for Chicago. Shengelia doesn’t figure to be a critical piece for the Bulls, but he is a big body who can potentially provide frontcourt depth off the bench. Shams Charania of RealGM.com tweets the Bulls intend to give him a shot at some minutes. Bavcic was originally a second-round draft choice of the Raptors in 2006, but he’s never played in the NBA, so it appears he’s merely a throw-in.

Sending off Taylor will provide a bit of much-needed financial relief for Brooklyn, which is currently set to face about $80MM in luxury tax penalties in July. Shengelia and Taylor will both earn $788,872 this season, while Teague will make $1,074,720. The move will save the Nets from paying some extra tax dollars this season, but Teague’s contract runs through 2014/15, one year longer than the pacts Shengelia and Taylor are signed to.

Since the Pelicans had an open roster spot and Taylor is on a minimum-salary contract, they can absorb him without giving up a player. Brooklyn creates a vacancy on its roster with the moves, as the Nets had been carrying the maximum 15 players all season.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports was the first to report the trades, which were agreed upon Saturday (Twitter links). Originally, it appeared the Pelicans would send the Nets a heavily protected second-rounder, but it looks like the teams agreed on including Bavcic in the deal instead.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Eastern Notes: Bogans, Bucks, Nets, Rice

January 20th, 2014 at 1:29pm CST by Chuck Myron

A source tells Steve Bulpett of the Boston Globe that Keith Bogans intends to “stick it out” with the Celtics this season, seemingly indicating the guard isn’t thinking buyout (Twitter link). The C’s and Bogans agreed to have the 33-year-old stay away from the team as Boston pursues takers for him via trade. It wouldn’t really be a surprise if Bogans doesn’t want to do a buyout, since that would mean giving up some of his more than $5MM in guaranteed salary for the season, the largest take of his career. Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Bucks owner Herb Kohl is signaling to the team’s management that he’s ready to give up the pursuit of a playoff berth this season, as Chad Ford of ESPN.com writes in his latest Insider-only “Tank Rank” column. That contradicts what we heard earlier from Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, who says the team would be “more than willing” to trade for veteran help.
Mark Deeks of ShamSports breaks down the trade agreement between the Bulls, Nets and Pelicans in a piece for SB Nation, noting that the cash Brooklyn is sending to New Orleans will be enough to cover the rest of Tyshawn Taylor‘s contract, which expires at season’s end. He also says the Nets briefly looked into a deal for Jazz point guard John Lucas III, echoing a report from July.
The Wizards assigned Glen Rice Jr. to the D-League today, the team announced (Twitter link). It’s a rehab stint for the rookie as he makes his way back from a fractured right wrist, coach Randy Wittman says, according to Michael Lee of The Washington Post. Wittman also says it’s possible the team will send No. 3 overall pick Otto Porter to the D-League at some point, too.
The Sixers will decide within the next two or three days whether to bring back Dewayne Dedmon on a second 10-day deal, coach Brett Brown told reporters, including Tom Moore of Calkins Media (Twitter link). The center’s deal expires after Thursday night.

Pelicans Looking To Trade For Big Man

January 20th, 2014 at 10:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Power forward Ryan Anderson is likely done for the season and center Jason Smith is out indefinitely, and that’s prompted New Orleans to look for a trade that would net the team a big man, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports amid his weekly power rankings. The Pelicans have been starting Anthony Davis and Greg Stiemsma on the front line, and their only other healthy big men are rookie Jeff Withey and the recently signed Alexis Ajinca.

New Orleans is set to acquire point guard Tyshawn Taylor for draft considerations from the Nets, so assuming the Pelicans don’t throw a player into that deal before it becomes official, they would have to include a player in a trade for a big man to stay at the 15-man roster limit. Everyone but Davis and Jrue Holiday is reportedly a candidate to be traded, according to a weekend report from Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News, so perhaps GM Dell Demps is willing to engineer a shakeup. The Pelicans are 15-24 in a season that began with playoff aspirations.

Spears also mentions in his report that 6’11” Drew Gooden is working out in hopes of finding a spot on an NBA roster, so the 11-year veteran could be an option for New Orleans if the team goes the free agent route. Still, it doesn’t sound like the Pelicans have any interest in the 32-year-old.

Odds & Ends: Pelicans, Burke, Clippers, Pistons

January 19th, 2014 at 10:35am CST by Jonathan Nehring

The Pelicans may be looking to switch things up before the trade deadline according to Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News. With things not going as planned for New Orleans this season it appears everyone but Jrue Holiday and Anthony Davis are movable assets for the Pelicans. Sam Amico of FOX Sports points out (via Twitter) that list of movable assets would include Eric Gordon and Tyreke Evans.

Other notes on the Pelicans and teams around the league.

When the Pelicans waived Lou Amundson it was believed the reason was to bring up Pierre Jackson from their D-League affiliate. It appears the recent acquisition of point guard Tyshawn Taylor squelches those rumors and the rumors of Jackson being allowed to seek a trade are more likely. Jackson told Gino Pilato of D-League Digest “it’s a business, and things happen like that. I’m just going to continue to do whatever I can here in the D-League to help this team win games.”
Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune asks fans to not look at Trey Burke as another “one that got away” because the Timberwolves would have never drafted him if they weren’t planning to trade him away. Minnesota had three point guards at the time (Ricky Rubio, J.J. Barea, and Luke Ridnour) and were drafting him purely to acquire Shabazz Muhammad from Utah. It is the belief that Ricky Rubio is the team’s future at point guard and drafting Trey Burke would have conflicted with that belief.
It appears the Clippers roster will remain intact for some time. Head coach and senior vice president of basketball operations Doc Rivers told Arash Markazi of ESPN the Clippers aren’t “looking to make changes” right now. This is a team that Rivers likes and he would be fine ending the season with them plus Chris Paul added back from injury.
While the Clippers roster may be set, the Pistons are expected to be “really active” as the trade deadline approaches. Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News discussed (via Twitter) that he anticipates Detroit will make at least one trade prior to next month’s deadline.

Odds & Ends: Rondo, Bosh, McCollum

January 18th, 2014 at 6:57pm CST by Jonathan Nehring

Fallout from the two Nets trades earlier today continues into the evening. Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders provides his analysis to the trades. According to Brigham, the deal “makes sense for everyone involved”.

A few other notes around the league.

The famous trade that sent Kevin Garnett to the Celtics may have never happened if it wasn’t for Timberwolves‘ owner, Glen Taylor removing his demand for Rajon Rondo. Peter May of The New York Times writes that Celtics’ owner Wyc Grousbeck stayed firm on his offer and wasn’t willing to part with Rondo in any trade with the Timberwolves.
Regarding current trade possibilities, Chris Bosh has taken a note from Pau Gasol‘s book by trying to find interests outside of basketball when trade rumor volume increases each year. Bosh noted to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel that he likes how Gasol can be “comfortable in who he is” and not let the constant rumors bother him.
C.J. McCollum revealed to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders his friendship with fellow Trail Blazer Damian Lillard extends long before becoming teammates this summer. Lillard was someone McCollum wanted to play like and began learning from the guard prior to his last season at Lehigh University.