Pelicans Rumors

And-Ones: Top Newcomers, Realignment, McGrady, St. Bonnie’s

September 9th, 2025 at 1:09pm CST by Luke Adams

With most of the NBA’s offseason action now in the books, Chris Herring and Kevin Pelton of ESPN identify the 14 NBA “newcomers” whose changes of scenery will have the greatest impact in 2025/26.

There are no surprises at the top of the list, which features new Rockets forward Kevin Durant at No. 1, Magic guard Desmond Bane at No. 2, and Nuggets forward Cameron Johnson at No. 3. However, Herring and Pelton deviate a little from expectations at No. 4 by including a head coach: Mike Brown of the Knicks. As Herring writes, it’s possible no coach in the league will face more “title-or-bust pressure” than Brown in his first year on the job.

Lakers center Deandre Ayton rounds out the top five on the 14-man list, which – outside of Brown – is made up exclusively of players.

We have more from around the basketball world:

What might NBA realignment look like if the league were to expand to Las Vegas and Seattle? Zach Harper of The Athletic takes a closer look at that topic, exploring scenarios in which either the Timberwolves, Pelicans, or Grizzlies move to the Eastern Conference and considering how the league might shuffle its divisions around in each hypothetical case.
Former NBA star Tracy McGrady has signed a new endorsement deal to reunite with Adidas, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the two parties are expected to work with longtime sports marketing executive Sonny Vaccaro to revive the ABCD (Academic Betterment and Career Development) Camp. As Charania explains in a follow-up tweet, the ABCD Camp was a youth basketball camp that ran for over two decades from 1984-2006 and featured several future stars, including McGrady himself.
The St. Bonaventure men’s basketball program will host its first ever pro day on Saturday, October 11 at the NBPA training facility in Manhattan, according to a press release from the school. “The first Bonnies Pro Day is a tremendous opportunity for NBA and G League front office executives to scout our players in a competitive practice and workout environment,” former ESPN reporter and current St. Bonnie’s general manager Adrian Wojnarowski said in a statement.

Contract Details: Sharpe, Liddell, Prosper, Brooks, Schumacher

September 9th, 2025 at 7:45am CST by Luke Adams

As part of his two-year contract agreement with the Nets, Day’Ron Sharpe waived his right to veto a trade during the 2025/26 season, Hoops Rumors has learned.

A player who re-signs with his previous team on a one-year deal or a two-year deal that includes a second-year option is typically given an implicit no-trade clause, but a team can ask the player to give up that no-trade clause upon signing. Because Sharpe agreed to do so, he would lose his Bird rights if he’s traded ahead of February’s deadline.

Even though he re-signed with his previous team, got a raise exceeding 20%, and signed for more than the minimum, Sharpe will become trade-eligible on December 15 instead of January 15 because the Nets were still operating below the cap upon completing his deal.

Here are more details on a few recently signed contracts from around the NBA:

E.J. Liddell‘s new two-way contract with the Nets will cover just one season, Hoops Rumors has learned. The former Ohio State forward received a partial guarantee of $85,300 on that deal.
Olivier-Maxence Prosper, who signed a two-way contract with the Grizzlies, also agreed to a one-year deal that includes a partial guarantee worth $85,300, but his partial guarantee would increase to $318,218 if he remains on the roster through opening night — that’s 50% of his full two-way salary ($636,435).
As expected, the contract that Garrison Brooks signed with the Pelicans last week is a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 deal, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. He’ll earn a bonus worth $85,300 if he’s waived by New Orleans and then spends at least 60 days with the Birmingham Squadron, the Pelicans’ G League affiliate.
While most Exhibit 10 contracts include that maximum bonus of $85,300, that’s not the case for every E10 deal. For instance, Alex Schumacher – who was signed and waived by the Suns last week – will earn an Exhibit 10 bonus worth $20K if he spends 60 or more days with the Valley Suns in the G League.

Southwest Notes: FVV, Adams, Grizzlies, Pelicans, Mavs

September 6th, 2025 at 1:58pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets‘ trade for Kevin Durant was clearly the most impactful move of the team’s offseason, but extending Steven Adams and re-signing Fred VanVleet on a more team-friendly deal shouldn’t be overlooked, Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required) writes in a preview of the club’s season.

As Lerner points out, both VanVleet and Adams are respected locker-room leaders in addition to providing value on the court and were among Houston’s most effective players in the postseason series vs. Golden State.

After winning 52 games last season, the Rockets appear capable of increasing that number in 2025/26, perhaps to the 55-win range, Lerner writes. However, winning in the playoffs will be the ultimate barometer of success in Houston this season — the team hasn’t won a postseason series since 2020.

We have more from around the Southwest:

In addition to previewing Houston’s 2025/26 campaign, Lerner spoke to beat writers for other Southwest teams within the past week to get a sense of their outlooks for the coming season. Michael Wallace of Grind City Media (Chronicle subscriber link) believes the Grizzlies are capable of competing for a top-six seed in the West after trading away Desmond Bane; Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com (subscriber link) thinks the Pelicans will exceed expectations after having widely been projected as the No. 14 team in the conference; and Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com (subscriber link) forecasts a 48-34 regular season and a playoff berth for the Mavericks.
While the Mavericks‘ new four-year, $89MM extension with P.J. Washington looks relatively team-friendly in a vacuum, it’s unclear how much sense it makes for Dallas, according to Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link), who points to a crowded frontcourt and the team’s increasingly pricey roster going forward as ways the deal could backfire.
The Memphis Hustle, the Grizzlies‘ G League affiliate, acquired the returning player rights for guard Evan Gilyard from the Raptors 905 in exchange for a 2025 NBAGL first-round pick, according to an announcement from the team (Twitter link). Gilyard, who averaged 12.3 points and 5.4 assists per game during the 2024/25 G League regular season for Toronto’s affiliate, is now a candidate to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with Memphis if the team wants to pay him more than the standard NBAGL salary.

Pelicans Sign Jalen McDaniels

September 3rd, 2025 at 10:17am CST by Arthur Hill

September 3: The signing of McDaniels is official, according to a team press release.

August 18: Jalen McDaniels has agreed to a contract with the Pelicans, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

The 27-year-old small forward saw limited time in four games last season after signing a 10-day deal with the Wizards in February. He spent most of the season with Washington’s G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go, where he averaged 13.5 points and 7.2 rebounds in 38 total games.

McDaniels played his first three and a half NBA seasons in Charlotte after being selected with the 52nd pick in the 2019 draft, but he has bounced around the league since then. He was sent to Philadelphia in a four-team deal at the 2023 trade deadline, then signed with Toronto that summer. He was traded twice last year, being shipped to Sacramento in June and San Antonio in October. The Spurs waived him a day later, and he remained in the G League until he joined the Wizards.

In total, McDaniels has appeared in 252 NBA games with career averages of 6.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 18.1 minutes per night.

Charania doesn’t release any details of McDaniels’ new contract, but it could be an Exhibit 10 deal with an invitation to training camp. With 14 standard contracts, the Pelicans have one roster opening and are roughly $4.2MM below the luxury tax line, so they could carry a 15th man into the regular season without going into the tax.

McDaniels is ineligible for a two-way contract because he has already played six NBA seasons.

Pelicans Sign Garrison Brooks

September 3rd, 2025 at 10:15am CST by Luke Adams

September 3: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

September 2: The Pelicans have reached an agreement to sign free agent forward Garrison Brooks, agent Darrell Comer tells NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link).

While Haynes doesn’t specify the terms of the deal, it’s almost certain to be an Exhibit 10 contract. The Birmingham Squadron, New Orleans’ G League affiliate, recently acquired Brooks’ returning rights, so if the Pelicans sign him to an Exhibit 10 deal and then waive him prior to the start of the season, he’ll be in line to earn an Exhibit 10 bonus worth up to $85,300 if he spends at least 60 days with the Squadron (on top of his base NBAGL salary).

Brooks, 26, went undrafted out of Mississippi State in 2022. He spent his rookie season in the G League with the Westchester Knicks, played in Korea for a few months in 2023, and then spent most of the past two seasons with BC Wolves in Lithuania.

In 18 EuroCup outings for the Wolves last season, Brooks averaged 7.1 points and 4.1 rebounds in 20.3 minutes per game. During his previous NBAGL stint, in 2022/23, he put up 13.6 PPG and 11.6 RPG in 37 games (30.5 MPG) for Westchester.

Spencer Davies of RG.org reported in July that Brooks was among the players who took part in a Las Vegas pro day for the agency CSE and was drawing interest at the time as a potential NBA training camp option.

Brazil Wins FIBA AmeriCup 2025

September 1st, 2025 at 10:41am CST by Rory Maher

In a Sunday night final in which both teams struggled to score, Brazil beat Argentina by a final score of 55-47 to win the gold medal at AmeriCup 2025 in Nicaragua, according to FIBA.

Brazil’s 55 points marked the lowest ever by a champion, per the press release, while the 102 combined points between the two sides were the fewest in any AmeriCup game.

It was a rematch of the 2022 final, with the Brazilian national team avenging its loss and dethroning Argentina to win its fifth AmeriCup championship (first since 2009). Argentina claimed the silver medal as the runner-up.

Brazilian point guard Yago Santos, who competes professionally in the EuroLeague with Crvena Zvezda, was named MVP of the event after averaging 17.8 points, 6.2 assists (against only 1.8 turnovers) and 3.3 rebounds on .485/.487/.880 shooting in six appearances (27.6 minutes per game).

After recording game highs of 25 points and 12 assists in Brazil’s semifinal comeback against Team USA, Santos finished the final with game highs of 14 points and five assists.

The All-Star Five was comprised of Santos, Bruno Caboclo (Brazil), Juan Fernandez (Argentina), Javonte Smart (United States) and Kyshawn George (Canada). Caboclo and Smart are former NBA players, while George — who was making his senior national team debut — is entering his second season with the Wizards.

Prior to the final, the United States and Canada competed in the third-place game. It was another rematch, with the same result as three years ago: the U.S. defeated Canada to win bronze. Team USA was led by 21 points apiece from Smart and Tyler Cavanaugh.

Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado (Puerto Rico) headlined the All-Star Five second team, with Norchad Omier (Nicaragua), Georginho De Paula (Brazil), José Vildoza (Argentina) and Mfiondu Kabengele (Canada) rounding out the group.

Omier is expected to sign an Exhibit 10 deal with the Cavaliers after going undrafted in June, while Kabengele spent parts of three seasons in the NBA, last suiting up for Boston in 2022/23. Alvarado was injured during Puerto Rico’s quarterfinal loss.

And-Ones: Top Wings, Expectations, Hughes, G League Trade

August 30th, 2025 at 9:33am CST by Dana Gauruder

LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard stand atop The Bounce’s ranking of the NBA’s top 40 wins, according to The Athletic’s Zach Harper, who classifies those three stars as all-time legends who are still elite. Harper’s second tier, comprised of All-NBA level performers, includes Jimmy Butler, Jaylen Brown, Paul George and Jalen Williams.

We have more from the basketball world:

Which NBA teams will exceed their predicted win total? Which will fall below expectations? ESPN’s Tim Bontemps makes his selections on five teams for each side of the ledger, with the Thunder and Clippers among the clubs on the plus side and the Pistons and Mavericks that won’t reach their projected records.
Former NBA player and coach Kim Hughes has died, according to an Instagram post from former NBA center Meyers Leonard. Hughes, 73, played in the ABA and NBA from 1975-81. Following his playing career, Hughes worked as a scout and assistant coach, most recently with the Trail Blazers through the 2014/15 season. He also had a 33-game stint as the Clippers‘ head coach during the 2009/10 season.
The Noblesville Boom, the Pacers‘ NBA G League affiliate, recently acquired the returning player rights to forward Jalen Slawson from the Birmingham Squadron, the Pelicans‘ G League affiliate, in exchange for returning player rights to center Garrison Brooks, according to a team press release. Slawson played for the Osceola Magic last season, averaging 11.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. Brooks has played in Lithuania the past two seasons.

Atlantic Notes: Simons, Queta, Nets, Sixers

August 29th, 2025 at 9:50am CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics are still “very much willing” to discuss Anfernee Simons trade scenarios, one general manager tells Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com. However, another veteran personnel executive suggested that Boston might be better off hanging onto Simons through the start of the regular season.

“Other than Jaylen Brown, there’s not a better scorer than Simons on that roster,” the exec told Bulpett. “I mean, they obviously aren’t going to play the same way they played when they had (Kristaps) Porzingis and (Al) Horford and (Jrue) Holiday. (Head coach) Joe Mazzulla‘s going to have to completely change the style of play.

“Simons… nobody can score like him on that team other than Brown. He’s the second-best scorer, and it’s not even close. … I bet you he’s their leading scorer. Even with Jaylen. He’s going to have the ball a lot, and that dude can really score. That offense is going to have to change to accommodate him, and, on the last year of his contract, he’s going to let it fly.”

Simons is on an expiring $27.7MM contract and likely won’t factor into the Celtics’ plans beyond 2025/26. Having already ducked below the second tax apron, Boston reportedly has interest in shedding additional salary to perhaps move below the first apron or get out of tax territory altogether. But the club may have to exercise some patience to find the sort of deal it wants, another front office source told Bulpett.

“Anfernee Simons makes $27-plus million,” he said. “Who’s got room to put that in their cap? And he’s up after this year, so the Celtics aren’t going to want to take back anything that would load in more salary of less flexibility. I think, unless they are presented with some sweetheart situation, the most likely time for Simons to get moved — again, if he even does — would be at the trade deadline.

“I could see Boston being out of it and another team thinking they need a scorer like Simons to put them over the top. I could see another team that’s close wanting to add that kind of firepower down the stretch and into the playoffs. Even if it’s a rental, a team might go for him, because what we’re seeing now with the second apron and all that, if you win, it’s hard to keep a team with high-priced guys together. An expiring deal is so valuable.”

We have more notes from around the Atlantic:

Celtics big man Neemias Queta came up big in Portugal’s first game of EuroBasket, piling up 23 points and 18 rebounds en route to a 62-50 victory over Czechia, as Semih Tuna of Eurohoops details. Queta, who may get a chance to compete for a starting role in Boston this fall, has a tougher matchup ahead of him on Friday when the Portuguese team takes on Nikola Jokic and the Serbians.
C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News (subscription required) considers the ways in which the Nets might use their remaining cap room, suggesting a deal with the Mavericks – who are looking to move off some salary to make room to sign Dante Exum – could be a logical fit for Brooklyn.
The Delaware Blue Coats, the Sixers‘ G League affiliate, completed a three-team trade with the South Bay Lakers and Birmingham Squadron (Pelicans) that saw them acquire the returning rights to Malcolm Hill and South Bay’s 2026 first-round pick, the team announced (Twitter link). One of the outgoing pieces in the deal was the rights to Jared Brownridge, the former Santa Clara shooting guard who has played for Delaware since going undrafted in 2017. He ranks third all-time with 663 three-pointers made in G League regular season games.

Jose Alvarado Exits AmeriCup Game On Stretcher

August 29th, 2025 at 7:18am CST by Luke Adams

Competing for Puerto Rico on Thursday in the quarterfinals of the 2025 AmeriCup, Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado took a hard fall to the court in overtime and had to be taken off the court on a stretcher (Twitter video links).

As Rod Walker of NOLA.com writes, Alvarado lost his balance while battling for a rebound and appeared to land on his tailbone when he hit the floor. He stayed on the court for a few minutes after the play in obvious pain before being carted off on a stretcher.

Prior to his injury, Alvarado was helping to keep the Puerto Rican team in Thursday’s quarterfinal, pouring in 25 points in 36 minutes of action and making 7-of-15 three-pointers. Puerto Rico ultimately fell short in overtime, losing 82-77 to Argentina, who will face Canada in a semifinal on Saturday.

“Appreciate the love, y’all. But your boy good,” Alvarado wrote in his Instagram story after the game (hat tip to Walker). “God got me.”

While there has been no official update yet on his status, Alvarado projected confidence in that social media post that he avoided a serious injury, which would be a relief for the Pelicans. The team is coming off a season that was essentially a write-off due to a series of health issues affecting key players, with Dejounte Murray (Achilles), Trey Murphy III (shoulder), and Herbert Jones (shoulder) among those recovering this summer from various surgeries.

Alvarado was one of the Pelicans regulars afflicted by the injury bug in 2024/25, having missed over a month-and-a-half from mid-November to early January due to a hamstring strain. However, he was healthy and available for most of the rest of the season, appearing in 56 games and posting 10.3 points, 4.6 assists, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.3 steals in 24.4 minutes per night. All of those averages were career highs.

Alvarado is entering the first season of the two-year, $9MM extension he signed last September. He’ll make $4.5MM in 2025/26 before making a decision on a $4.5MM player option next June.

NBA 2025 Offseason Check-In: New Orleans Pelicans

August 28th, 2025 at 11:01am CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2025 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the New Orleans Pelicans.

Free agent signings

Kevon Looney: Two years, $16,000,000. Second-year team option. Signed using non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
Jaden Springer: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 9). Signed using minimum salary exception.

Trades

Acquired the No. 23 pick in the 2025 draft and the draft rights to Mojave King from the Pacers in exchange for the Pacers’ 2026 first-round pick.
- Note: The Pelicans had acquired the Pacers’ 2026 first-round pick (with top-four protection) in a previous trade; the Pacers got it back in this deal.
Acquired the draft rights to Derik Queen (No. 13 pick) from the Hawks in exchange for the draft rights to Asa Newell (No. 23 pick) and either the Pelicans’ or Bucks’ 2026 first-round pick (whichever is more favorable).
Acquired Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey, and the draft rights to Micah Peavy (No. 40 pick) from the Wizards in a three-team trade in exchange for CJ McCollum (to Wizards), Kelly Olynyk (to Wizards), the Bulls’ 2027 second-round pick (to Wizards), and the draft rights to Mojave King (to Rockets).

Draft picks

1-7: Jeremiah Fears
- Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $34,193,629).
1-13: Derik Queen
- Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $24,355,797).
2-40: Micah Peavy
- Signed to four-year, $8,685,386 contract. First two years guaranteed. Third year non-guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.

Two-way signings

Trey Alexander
- One year, $85,300 partial guarantee (will increase to $318,218 at start of regular season).
Hunter Dickinson
- One year, $85,300 partial guarantee (will increase to $318,218 at start of regular season).
Bryce McGowens
- One year, $85,300 partial guarantee (will increase to $318,218 at start of regular season).

Departed/unsigned free agents

Brandon Boston Jr. (Fenerbahce)
Keion Brooks Jr. (unsigned)
Bruce Brown (Nuggets)
Jamal Cain (Magic)
Elfrid Payton (unsigned)
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (unsigned)

Other roster moves

Signed Herbert Jones to a three-year, $67,580,892 veteran contract extension that begins in 2027/28. Includes third-year player option.
Waived Antonio Reeves (non-guaranteed contract).
Waived Lester Quinones (two-way contract).

Salary cap situation

Operating over the cap ($154.6MM) and below the luxury tax line ($187.9MM).
Carrying approximately $183.7MM in salary.
Hard-capped at $195,945,000.
Portion of non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($6,104,000) available.
Full bi-annual exception ($5,134,000) available.
Three traded player exceptions available (largest worth $13,445,122).

The offseason so far

The future in New Orleans looked bright during David Griffin‘s first year as head of basketball operations in 2019/20. The Pelicans had just acquired a haul of players and draft picks headlined by Brandon Ingram from the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis and had lucked into No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson, who looked like a natural successor to Davis as the club’s franchise player.

However, injuries to Williamson, Ingram, and a handful of other key Pelicans players consistently derailed the team’s forward momentum. During Griffin’s six seasons on the job, New Orleans posted a winning record just twice and compiled a total of two playoff victories in a pair of brief postseason appearances.

The organization still hasn’t given up on Williamson, who has missed more regular season games (258) during his first six NBA seasons than he has played (214) and faced a lawsuit this spring accusing him of rape and abuse. But Ingram was traded in February, and Griffin was subsequently replaced this spring by former Pistons general manager Joe Dumars.

The decision to hire Dumars raised some eyebrows. The longtime executive was the architect of a Detroit team that advanced to at least the Eastern Conference Finals for six straight years during the 2000s, but the second half of his tenure with the Pistons produced underwhelming results, and it has been a while since he has even been involved in personnel decisions for an NBA team — he worked in the league office for the past three years.

Dumars’ first summer in New Orleans has been a fascinating one. On the surface, many of the moves he has made point toward a soft reset for the Pelicans. The club added a pair of rookies in the draft lottery – Jeremiah Fears at No. 7 and Derik Queen at No. 13 – and got younger in a trade that sent CJ McCollum and Kelly Olynyk to the Wizards in exchange for Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey, and second-round pick Micah Peavy.

With Dejounte Murray still recovering from a torn Achilles that figures to keep him on the shelf for the start of the season, Herbert Jones and Trey Murphy III coming off shoulder surgeries, and even Bey still making his way back from an ACL tear, there’s a world in which the Pelicans take a patient approach to the 2025/26 campaign, wait for all their key players to get healthy, and evaluate their core players and rookies to see how they all fit together before pushing forward in ’26/27.

But it doesn’t seem like that approach is the one Dumars and the Pelicans have in mind. The price to trade up from No. 23 to No. 13 for Queen was New Orleans’ 2026 first-round pick, which will be the most favorable of the Pelicans’ own first-rounder and the Bucks’ first-rounder — that unprotected pick was sent to Atlanta for the right to draft Queen, leaving New Orleans without a first-round selection for 2026 and strongly suggesting that tanking won’t be a consideration.

If Queen turns into an impact player and that “most favorable” 2026 pick ends up in the mid- to late-teens, the trade would be a coup for Dumars. But it carries remarkable risk, given that New Orleans is coming off a 21-win season and probably won’t have its starting point guard available when the 2025/26 season tips off. In a competitive Western Conference, they’re far from a lock to make the playoffs. And while it doesn’t look like Giannis Antetokounmpo is going anywhere at this point, the Bucks’ pick has real lottery upside too in the event of an Antetokounmpo injury or trade.

Even if the Pelicans are relatively confident another 21-win season isn’t on tap, the 39-win Mavericks just provided a reminder that the flattened lottery odds open the door for a middle-of-the-pack team to claim a top pick — the Pelicans know this first-hand, having jumped from No. 7 in the pre-lottery order to get Williamson in 2019.

The pressure will be on head coach Willie Green to turn things around after a disappointing 2024/25 season. Dumars, who has long been fond of Green and nearly drafted him for the Pistons in 2003, opted not to make a head coaching change immediately after taking the reins. However, if the Pelicans underachieve again in ’25/26, it’s not to hard to imagine Green being the next NBA head coach who finds himself on the hot seat.

In addition to Fears, Queen, Poole, and Bey, the Pelicans’ other notable newcomer this offseason was longtime Warriors center Kevon Looney. While I have some reservations about the Queen and Poole/Bey trades, I liked the Looney signing — he has long been an underrated defender and rebounder, he’s still just 29 years old, and his new two-year, $16MM contract is only guaranteed for one season. He should bring some added stability to the center position after the Pelicans had to rely on rookie Yves Missi as their starter in ’24/25.

Up next

The Pelicans are carrying 14 players on guaranteed contracts for the 2025/26 season, with Jaden Springer signed to a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 contract. Their three two-way slots have been filled.

New Orleans has about $4.2MM in breathing room below the luxury tax line, which is more than enough for a 15th man on a minimum-salary contract. While it’s possible the team will leave that spot open to start the season for the sake of flexibility, it probably makes sense for depth purposes to fill it, given that Murray likely won’t be ready to play and a few other players will be managed carefully as they return from major injuries.

Springer may be the leading 15th-man candidate for now, but the Pelicans could bring in a couple more vets on training camp deals to compete for that spot. And since whoever makes the team will likely be on a non-guaranteed contract, New Orleans will have the flexibility to waive that player a month or two into the regular season without paying his full-season salary.

The Pelicans already took care of their top extension candidate this offseason by signing Jones to a three-year, $67.6MM deal. That was a logical move that should pay off, especially if Jones – already one of the NBA’s best defenders – can continue developing and expanding his offensive game.

But that will likely be the last extension the Pelicans sign before the regular season begins. Williamson and Poole will both be eligible to sign new deals, but the club seems extremely unlikely to further invest in the duo at this point, given that they both still have multiple years left on their contracts. Poole has yet to even play a game as a Pelican, while Williamson will, at the very least, need an extended run of good health to warrant another significant commitment from New Orleans.

Load More Posts