New Orleans Pelicans Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: 76ers, Odom, Waiters, Evans

August 31st, 2013 at 4:58pm CST by Zachary Links

The 76ers took their time in naming a new head coach and they're still working on filling out the staff. New head man Brett Brown made yet another hire today by hiring former Nuggets assistant Chad Iske, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Iske served under George Karl in Denver and has built a great reputation for player development. Here's more from around the Association..

We've now reached the point with Lamar Odom where it's pointless to talk about his free agency or immediate future in basketball, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Stein says that Odom might have been the one NBA player who never wanted the 2011 lockout to end as he was still working to rebound mentally from two personal tragedies.
Cavs guard Dion Waiters isn't the biggest star in the Cleveland backcourt, but he's confident that he's the league's next great two-guard, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.
Tyreke Evans is already bonding with his new Pelicans teammates, writes John Reid of the Times Picayune.
Mark Porcaro of Secret Rival runs down the current list of players who have accepted training camp invites with an NBA team this summer.

Kyler’s Latest: Pelicans, Knicks, Heat

August 29th, 2013 at 1:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld continues to examine potential trade situations for various NBA teams, today focusing on the Pelicans, Knicks, and Heat. Let's check out Kyler's NBA AM piece and round up a few of the highlights….

The Pelicans' lack of a "bruising inside player" could be cause for concern, according to Kyler, who says that the team may look into acquiring a true center if Anthony Davis struggles in his minutes at the five.
J.R. Smith's health will be one of the big questions for the Knicks this season, as the reigning Sixth Man of the Year recovers from knee surgery. If he's unable to return to 100% health, or has any setbacks, New York could target a replacement via trade, though the club likely wouldn't get aggressive until close to the deadline.
Those close to the situation in Miami say the Heat should be more wary of the summer of 2015 than 2014, according to Kyler. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh each essentially have player options in each of the next two offseasons, so any or all of the Big Three could opt out in either '14 or '15.
Kyler views Bosh and Wade as good bets to play out their current contracts, since neither player is likely to receive a raise in free agency. LeBron could obviously land a bigger long-term deal if he opts out, but he's unlikely to leave Miami while Wade and Bosh are still healthy and productive, says Kyler.
The Heat have several expiring contracts that could be used to faciliate deals at the 2014 trade deadline, if necessary, and Kyler notes that the team essentially has zero guaranteed money committed for 2014/15, meaning Miami could be in position to add even more talent. I'm not sure how realistic that is though — if we assume Bosh, Wade, Udonis Haslem, and Joel Anthony all opt in, and the Heat pick up Norris Cole's option, that takes team salary for '14/15 up over $51MM, and that's not even counting LeBron.

Pacers, Pelicans, Sixers Eyeing Earl Barron

August 28th, 2013 at 12:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Free agent big man Earl Barron is drawing interest from a handful of potential suitors, and looks like a good bet to land at least a training-camp invite from an NBA team, as Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com reports. According to Zwerling (via Twitter), the Pacers, Pelicans, and Sixers are among the teams interested in Barron.

Zwerling reported last night (via Twitter) that the Knicks remain Barron's preferred destination, and that his reps are hoping to work something out with the team after Labor Day. We had heard earlier this week that the Knicks are still considering Barron, along with a few other bigs.

Indiana, New Orleans, and Philadelphia all make sense as potential landing spots for the 32-year-old, who finished last season with the Knicks. The Pacers have a solid frontcourt, but Roy Hibbert and Ian Mahinmi are the only real centers on the roster, so another addition may be necessary. The Pelicans have been seeking depth in the middle as well, having worked out Hamed Haddadi recently, and the Sixers still need to add more players and salary to reach the league's required minimums.

Barron, who has appeared in parts of seven NBA seasons, spent time with the Wizards last year before joining the Knicks, averaging 3.3 PPG and 5.1 RPG in 12 overall contests.

Hamed Haddadi Worked Out For Pelicans

August 28th, 2013 at 8:52am CST by Luke Adams

Since being released by the Suns two months ago, reports have linked Hamed Haddadi almost exclusively to the Knicks, but it seems as if New York isn't the only club with some interest. According to Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter), Haddadi recently had a workout with the Pelicans.

As our list of 2013/14 roster counts shows, the Pelicans have 15 players under contract, but only 13 of those deals are fully guaranteed. As such, there'd still be room for Haddadi to earn a spot on the team if he were to sign with New Orleans. The Pelicans traded their 2012/13 starting center, Robin Lopez, earlier in the offseason, but still have a few players capable of playing the position, including Jason Smith, Greg Stiemsma, and Jeff Withey.

Haddadi finished last season strong after coming over from the Raptors at the trade deadline, averaging 4.1 PPG and 5.1 RPG in 17 contests (13.8 MPG) for the Suns. The 28-year-old big man had a partially-guaranteed deal with the Suns for 2013/14, but the team opted to cut him loose for $200K this summer rather than pay his full $1.4MM salary.

Western Notes: Adelman, Pelicans, Calathes, Grizzlies

August 24th, 2013 at 12:45pm CST by Zachary Links

Heading into the 2013/14 season, Moke Hamilton of HoopsWorld gives us a seat check on the coaches of the Western Conference. The column starts with a look at Wolves coach Rick Adelman, who was the hire of previous decision maker David Kahn. While Adelman has tons of respect in the basketball world, it's possible that Flip Saunders will look to bring in his own coach, especially if Adelman cannot end the club's nine-year playoff drought. In Hamilton's view, the Rockets' Kevin McHale and Thunder coach Scott Brooks are also on the hot seat because of the lofty expectations their respective teams have. Here's more out of the West..

It's more than just a new name. Fran Blinebury of NBA.com writes that the Pelicans are serious about rebranding, especially when it comes to their roster. While New Orleans made some seriously bold moves this summer, Blinebury wonders aloud if Eric Gordon, Jrue Holiday, and Tyreke Evans can all co-exist together.
New Grizzlies guard Nick Calathes says that he's not a normal rookie, writes Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal. The 24-year-old has succeeded in Europe and feels that he'll have a very smooth transition to the NBA.
Holiday only adds to the glut of talented guards in the Western Conference and Jeff Caplan of NBA.com writes that we're in store for some major All-Star snubs this winter.

Pelicans Audition Terry, Powell, Childress

August 22nd, 2013 at 5:53pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York has heard from a source that the Pelicans have worked out Reyshawn Terry, Josh Powell, and Josh Childress over the past two days. Hoopshype also relayed the news from a source who confirmed Powell's audition for New Orleans today (Twitter links).

After officially announcing the signings of Lance Thomas and Arinze Onuaku earlier today, the Pelicans currently have 15 players under contract. It's worth noting that only 13 of those deals are guaranteed, which means that the final two roster spots are still up for grabs.

Powell last played in the NBA as a member of the Hawks during the 2010/11 season, averaging 4.1 PPG, 2.5 RPG, and shooting 45.2% from the field in 12.1 MPG. Last November, he signed with the eventual champion Olympiacos Piraeus of the Euroleague after a few short stints in China and Puerto Rico. The 30-year-old power forward enjoyed two championship seasons as a reserve on the Lakers in 2008/09 and 2009/10, and his most productive NBA season to date appears to be with the Clippers in 2007/08, where he posted career bests of 5.5 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 19.2 MPG in 64 games played.

Childress, also 30 and a former member of Olympiacos, is looking to land with another NBA team after an underwhelming season on the Nets last year. The former sixth overall pick of 2004 played in just 14 games with Brooklyn, averaging 1.0 PPG and 28.6% shooting overall in 7.1 MPG before being waived in late December. Childress showed some promise in 2007/08 before leaving for Greece over the next two seasons, averaging 11.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 29.9 MPG and shooting an incredible 57.1% from the field in 76 games for the Hawks. However, upon returning to the league three years ago, the 6'8 swingman is still trying to regain his niche in the NBA.

Terry may not have much NBA experience other than his summer league cameos with the Mavericks and Trail Blazers in 2008 and 2010 respectively, but he brings a wealth of international experience to the table. After being selected as the 44th overall pick in 2007, the 6'8 forward headed overseas for the next six years, playing in Greece, Italy, Spain, Germany, the Ukraine, and most recently in Lebanon. Zwerling (via Twitter) noted the opinion of one scout who likened the former North Carolina Tar Heel to "a better version of Chris Copeland," and added that the 29-year-old swingman got off to a late start this summer after being hurt. As a member of Champville SC in Lebanon for 17 games last season, Terry averaged 19.9 PPG, 8.2 RPG, and 36.6 MPG while shooting 56.0% from inside the arc and 37.5% from long range.

Pelicans Re-Sign Lance Thomas

August 22nd, 2013 at 1:08pm CST by Alex Lee

THURSDAY, 1:08pm: The Pelicans have officially re-signed Thomas, the team announced today in a press release.

WEDNESDAY, 8:10pm: Thomas' deal with New Orleans is partially guaranteed for the first season, reports Shams Charania of Real GM who cites a league source.

6:53pm: The Pelicans have re-signed Lance Thomas to a two-year contract for the minimum salary, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York. New Orleans holds a team option for the second year of the deal. A few weeks ago, rumors swirled that Thomas and the Pelicans were moving towards a deal a month or so after the team waived him in July.

Thomas, a 6-foot-8 forward out of Duke, has spent the first two years of his NBA career with New Orleans. After he averaged 4.0 points in 17 minutes per game as a rookie, his playing time was slashed to 10.9 minutes per contest last season, though he did connect on 50 percent of his field goals as compared to 45.2 in 2011/12.

Pelicans Sign Arinze Onuaku

August 22nd, 2013 at 1:07pm CST by Alex Lee

THURSDAY, 1:07pm: The Pelicans have officially announced the signing of Onuaku in a press release.

WEDNESDAY, 10:16pm: The Pelicans have agreed to sign Arinze Onuaku to a two-year deal, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. The first year of the deal is unguaranteed and the second is a team option.

The Syracuse product has never played in the NBA, but does have 43 D-League games under his belt. He's averaged 11.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per game for his career in the D-League, which included five games in 2010/11 and a 38 games last season which were good enough to earn him an appointment to the league's 2013 All-Star team. Onuaku will have to prove he belongs in training camp to have a shot to stick on the New Orleans roster.

The Pelicans have had a busy Wednesday night. News broke earlier that the team had inked Lance Thomas to a two-year deal which contained a partial guarantee for the first year and a team option for the second.

Western Notes: Mavs, Fredette, Childress, Meeks

August 20th, 2013 at 11:55am CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks had to go to Plan B this season after missing out on Dwight Howard and Chris Paul in free agency, but coach Rick Carlisle is no stranger to adapting to his roster, notes NBA.com's Jeff Caplan. Carlisle will be at the helm of a Dallas team that looks quite different than last year's incarnation, but he says he's comfortable with that.

"I just made a conscious decision that I’m not going to be a coach that’s limited to a certain system," Carlisle said. "I’m hanging my hat on my ability to adapt each year to potentially a roster that’s quite different, and with the new CBA we’re going to have more of that in this league. I’ve done a lot of it in my career leading up to now anyway, so it’s always challenging in those situations, but it’s also exciting."

Here's more from around the Western Conference:

Appearing on KSL's SportsBeat Sunday, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee said the Kings aren't actively shopping Jimmer Fredette, but have fielded calls and will move him in the right deal (link via KSL.com). There have been some conflicting reports this offseason about Sacramento's willingness to move Fredette, but Jones' explanation of the team's stance makes sense to me.
Josh Childress will work out in New Orleans for the Pelicans this week, agent Chris Emens tells Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Jodie Meeks left the 76ers last summer in free agency for a chance at a ring with the Lakers, but he has yet to take on a significant role with the club. After battling injury in 2012/13, the 26-year-old guard is ready to make his mark in L.A., writes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
After being included in two draft-night deals as a salary throw-in, Malcolm Lee has been working hard to prove he deserves a spot on the Suns' roster, as Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic writes.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Poll: Which Western Team Finishes Higher?

August 17th, 2013 at 9:41pm CST by Spencer Lund

After the new five-year $60MM contract Nikola Pekovic agreed to earlier this week, the Timberwolves have their three core players, Kevin Love, Ricky Rubio and Pek, healthy and ready to compete for a Western Conference playoff spot this season. Sam Tongue of Blazers Edge, compared the 'Wolves with another team in a similar spot out West, the Trail Blazers.

During their podcast on Friday, Matt Moore and Zach Harper of CBS Sports (by way of the Dallas Morning News) discussed two more teams that are on the Western Conference playoff periphery coming into the new season: the Pelicans and Mavericks.

With most NBA observers confidently predicting playoff spots (barring a significant injury) for the Rockets, Thunder, Spurs, Grizzlies, Clippers and Warriors out West, that leaves 2 slots open for the rest of the Western Conference's remaining 9 teams.

The Nuggets, Timberwolves, Mavericks, Trail Blazers, Lakers and Pelicans, all either made moves this offseason to improve, or in the case of the Nuggets and Lakers, lost enough personnel to be considered a fringe contender with the rest of these teams despite making the postseason last year.

So which of these teams on the cusp of the Western Conference playoffs, finishes higher during the 2013/14 season?

Which Western Team Finishes Higher?

Los Angeles Lakers 24.84% (423 votes)

Minnesota Timberwolves 22.08% (376 votes)

Denver Nuggets 20.79% (354 votes)

Dallas Mavericks 12.21% (208 votes)

Portland Trail Blazers 11.51% (196 votes)

New Orleans Pelicans 8.57% (146 votes)

Total Votes: 1,703