New Orleans Pelicans Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Cade Cunningham, Nikola Jokic Named Players Of Week

November 10th, 2025 at 2:53pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pistons guard Cade Cunningham has been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week, while Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been chosen as the Western Conference Player of the Week, according to the NBA (Twitter links).

Cunningham led Detroit to four consecutive wins during the week of November 3-9 while averaging 31.0 points and 9.8 assists per game on 54.7% shooting. This marks the second time in his career that Cunningham has received a Player of the Week award.

Jokic also led his team to a 4-0 week, with home victories over Sacramento, Miami, Golden State, and Indiana. The three-time MVP averaged a triple-double, with 31.3 points, 13.3 assists, and 11.3 rebounds per contest. His biggest game of the week came last Wednesday against the Heat, when he racked up 33 points, 16 assists, 15 rebounds, and three steals.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks), Jalen Duren (Pistons), Kon Knueppel (Hornets), Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers), Norman Powell (Heat) and Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks) were the other Eastern Conference nominees.

Devin Booker (Suns), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder), Trey Murphy III (Pelicans), Julius Randle (Timberwolves) and Alperen Sengun (Rockets) were also nominated in the West.

Pelicans Notes: H. Jones, Queen, Murphy

November 9th, 2025 at 4:29pm CST by Rory Maher

Former second-round pick Herbert Jones signed a three-year, $68MM extension with the Pelicans over the summer. The 27-year-old forward is now under contract through 2029/30, including a player option for the final season.

In an interview with Grant Afseth of RG.org, Jones says he’s worked to become a more vocal leader for New Orleans, particularly on offense.

“I think most of my growth has come through just being more vocal and telling guys what I see — not necessarily scoring more points, but coming from a defensive-minded guy, telling guys what I see on the offensive end that we might be able to capitalize on,” Jones said. “If the defense is doing something, I can see it and try to give our guys something to beat it.”

Through nine games (30.1 minutes per contest) this season, the 2023/24 All-Defensive member is averaging 10.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.4 steals on .449/.450/.667 shooting. Jones tells Afseth he’s very high on the team’s group of rookies, which is headlined by lottery picks Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen.

“Their competitive nature,” Jones said with a smile. “There’s never a day that goes by that we don’t compete. Whenever we do, those guys show up and don’t back down from anything. You gotta love that.”

Here’s more on the Pelicans:

Speaking of Queen, the ex-Maryland big man has put together an impressive string of games lately, as Rod Walker of NOLA.com writes. During Tuesday’s victory over Charlotte — the Pelicans’ first win of the season — Queen notched 12 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals in the fourth quarter, the first player to record such a stat line in any quarter since the NBA started play-by-play tracking in 1996/97. The 20-year-old also impressed Spurs legend Tim Duncan during Saturday’s loss at San Antonio, Walker adds. During the game, which Duncan attended, the five-time champion sent a text message to Pelicans analyst (and Duncan’s former teammate) Antonio Daniels that read, “I really like that Queen guy.”
After a slow start to the season, Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III had a huge night on Saturday against the Spurs, Walker notes. Murphy, who is in the first season of a four-year, $112MM rookie scale extension, tied a career-high by scoring 41 points (on 15-of-22 shooting) while also contributing nine rebounds and three assists in the defeat. “It was great and we needed it from him,” head coach Willie Green said. “He scored on every level tonight. He got to the free throw line. He got to the paint. He shot the ball well. He rebounded the ball well, something that we’ve been talking about. We can see him starting to implement it.”
In case you missed it, you can find all the latest updates on New Orleans — including Jordan Poole‘s quad injury and Zion Williamson‘s reported trade value (or lack thereof) — on our Pelicans team page.

Controversial Decisions May Lead To Willie Green's Departure

November 7th, 2025 at 1:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

An 0-6 start increased speculation about Willie Green’s job security, and the Pelicans‘ front office had “serious internal conversations” about making a change, Siegel adds in the same piece. Controversial decisions may lead to Green’s demise, Siegel states, citing the choice of giving playing time to rookie point guard Jeremiah Fears ahead of Jordan Poole. Sources tell Siegel that the move caused “visible frustration” for Poole and “did not sit right” with some of his teammates. There was also consternation about starting DeAndre Jordan ahead of Yves Missi, who made the All-Rookie team last year, and lead executive Joe Dumars was unhappy early in the season that Derik Queen wasn’t getting enough minutes.

Jordan Poole Sidelined With Left Quad Strain

November 7th, 2025 at 10:32am CST by Arthur Hill

Jordan Poole has been diagnosed with a mild left quad strain and will be reevaluated in seven-to-10 days, the Pelicans announced (via Twitter).

After playing 27 minutes Tuesday against Charlotte, Poole missed his first game of the season Wednesday at Dallas due to soreness in his left knee. Subsequent testing showed that pain was being caused by the quad issue.

The 26-year-old guard is enjoying a relatively strong start in New Orleans after being acquired from Washington in an offseason trade. He’s averaging 17.3 points and 3.4 assists in seven games, but he’s fallen into a shooting slump lately, going a combined 5-of-25 in his last two outings.

Saddiq Bey was inserted into the starting lineup on Wednesday and may keep that role while Poole is sidelined. Jose Alvarado and Jordan Hawkins also saw an increase in their minutes.

The Pelicans’ schedule for the upcoming week includes games against San Antonio (Saturday), Phoenix (Monday), Portland (Wednesday) and the Lakers (next Friday), so Poole may not miss much action if his next reevaluation is positive.

New Orleans is already playing without Zion Williamson, who’s sidelined with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain. The Pelicans have won back-to-back games as they try to rebound after an 0-6 start.

Bontemps/Windhorst’s Latest: Young, Zion, Ball, Giannis

November 7th, 2025 at 9:14am CST by Arthur Hill

Trae Young is still the top star on a Hawks team that’s expected to be a contender in the East, but a rival executive believes Atlanta officials will at least listen to trade offers for the 27-year-old guard, according to Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

Young’s future is uncertain because he holds a $49MM player option for 2026/27 and can become a free agent next summer. The Hawks could pursue an extension at any time, but there were no negotiations during the offseason and sources tell Windhorst that no progress has been made on that front.

Young’s situation is complicated by a sprained MCL that will sideline him for at least three more weeks. He led the NBA in assists last season, but he got off to a slow start this year and it’s possible that the Hawks could have a promising future without him. They have a collection of young talent centered around Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels and Zaccharie Risacher, and they hold the Pelicans’ unprotected first-rounder in next year’s draft.

“Atlanta is good enough to keep Trae and be good and make the playoffs,” an Eastern Conference executive told Bontemps. “But with the pick and Jalen, Dyson and Zach, they’ll at least pick up the phone and listen when called (about Young).”

The Hawks are 3-1 since Young’s injury, although two of those wins came against Brooklyn and Indiana, who are a combined 2-14. Per Windhorst, the sense around the league is that Atlanta’s front office, as well as Young’s representatives, will see how the season plays out before trying to determine his value. He’s eligible for an extension worth up to a projected $230MM over four years, and the team has already committed a combined $55MM to Johnson and Daniels for next season while facing Kristaps Porzingis‘ upcoming free agency.

Bontemps and Windhorst share information on three other NBA stars:

There’s not much trade interest in Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, who’s currently sidelined with a strained left hamstring. The authors point out that it’s already the fifth hamstring injury of Williamson’s career, and he continues to experience physical issues despite his commitment to improved conditioning. Williamson’s contract isn’t guaranteed for the next two years, but teams aren’t eager to take a chance on him considering his history. New Orleans doesn’t own its 2026 first-rounder, so the team’s best option seems to be trying to improve the talent around him. “To be honest, their move might be a win-now trade, not a Zion trade,” a rival executive said. “His trade value isn’t there and they are facing some pressure to win.”
Hornets guard LaMelo Ball is another talented but oft-injured player who doesn’t seem likely to be traded soon, according to Bontemps and Windhorst. There was hope for improvement in Charlotte this season based on a young core of Ball, Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel, but Miller is out indefinitely with a shoulder injury and Ball has already missed two games due to an ankle impingement. “Yes, he’s talented, but he doesn’t take basketball seriously enough,” a Western Conference scout said. “It’s hard to build a winner with him because of how he plays, and the liberties he takes for himself when he plays. Would someone take a flier on him? For sure. But Charlotte isn’t taking a flier price for him.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo trade speculation has calmed down with the Bucks off to a 5-3 start. Antetokounmpo is averaging 32.3 PPG while shooting 67.7% from the field, and his revamped supporting cast has been better than expected. However, Windhorst advises caution, pointing to an earlier report from Shams Charania that Antetokounmpo is likely to take 20 to 25 games to assess whether the team can be a real contender.

Western Notes: Warriors, Mavs, Achiuwa, Pelicans, Reaves

November 5th, 2025 at 3:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Warriors forward Jimmy Butler exited Tuesday’s win over Phoenix in the second quarter due to lower back soreness and is listed as questionable to play in the second end of the team’s back-to-back set on Wednesday, writes Anthony Slater of ESPN.

Golden State could be missing multiple stars against Sacramento tonight. Stephen Curry has already been ruled out due to an illness that was bothering him on Tuesday, while Slater hears that Butler is more likely than not to be inactive. Draymond Green is also listed as questionable due to a right rib contusion.

The Warriors’ trio has suited up for all eight games so far this season, but head coach Steve Kerr suggested they could probably use a breather.

“I could tell on the [recent] road trip, all three of those guys looked tired,” Kerr said. “They just ran into a little bit of a wall.”

We have more from around the Western Conference:

Mavericks big man Anthony Davis, who was ruled out last week for at least two games due to a left calf strain, will remain sidelined for a third contest. He and Dereck Lively II (right knee sprain) will both miss Wednesday’s matchup with New Orleans, tweets Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com.
Precious Achiuwa signed on Tuesday with the Kings, who were seeking frontcourt help. He feels he can help them in a variety of ways. “Size. Defense. Rebounding. Toughness. Competing at a high level,” Achiuwa said in a video posted by Kings radio reporter Sean Cunningham. “Things that I do really, really well.” Achiuwa played for the Knicks last season and was signed by the Heat as a free agent but he was waived just prior to opening night. “I was just waiting,” Achiuwa said of what he did after being cut loose. “Something is always going to present itself. I’m just always staying ready.”
With the Pelicans off to a disappointing start this season, Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) explores how three offseason trades might have made the 2025/26 campaign unsalvageable for New Orleans, while Keith Smith of Spotrac considers what the next steps are for the franchise. Besides the Pelicans’ trade up on draft night for Derik Queen, Gozlan singles out the Jordan Poole trade with Washington and the decision to send the Pacers’ 2026 first-round pick back to them. Smith, meanwhile, argues that it’s time for the team to move on from former No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson.
Lakers guard Austin Reaves will miss a second consecutive game on Wednesday vs. San Antonio, having been downgraded to out due to right groin soreness, tweets Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group.

Dana Gauruder contributed to this story.

Zion Williamson Diagnosed With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain

November 4th, 2025 at 3:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Pelicans star Zion Williamson has sustained a Grade 1 left hamstring strain, according to the team, which announced today (via Twitter) that the former No. 1 overall pick will be reevaluated in approximately seven-to-10 days.

That timeline suggests Williamson will be sidelined for upcoming games vs. Charlotte (Tuesday), Dallas (Wednesday), San Antonio (Saturday), and Phoenix (next Monday), and could miss additional time beyond that.

Hamstring issues are nothing new for Williamson, who has now been forced to miss time in each of the last four seasons due to a hamstring injury, tweets Will Guillory of The Athletic. The 25-year-old forward was limited to just 30 outings in 2024/25 as a result of hamstring and back problems.

Williamson appeared in five of the Pelicans’ first six games to open this season and performed well, averaging 22.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 2.0 steals per game while getting to the free throw line a league-high 11.4 times per contest. However, that strong production hasn’t translated into wins — New Orleans is off to an 0-6 start.

As Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports points out (via Twitter), things could go from bad to worse for the Pelicans without Williamson available, given that his -9.0 net rating this season is actually one of the better marks on the team. New Orleans has been outscored by a staggering 28.7 points per 100 possessions in the 136 minutes Williamson hasn’t played through six games.

The silver lining for the Pelicans is that a Grade 1 strain is considered mild, but given Williamson’s injury history, the club figures to manage the injury carefully.

As Rod Walker of NOLA.com writes, head coach Willie Green spoke on Monday about looking to “turn the page” on the 0-6 start, beginning with Tuesday’s game vs. the Hornets. At that time, Williamson was considered questionable to play due to what the team was referring to as hamstring soreness.

“Obviously we’re all disappointed, frustrated with our start,” Green said. “But we continue to come in, work at it and address it.”

Stein’s Latest: Morant, W. Green, Borrego, Vucevic, Irving, Davis

November 3rd, 2025 at 9:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Trade speculation regarding Ja Morant has perked up following his confrontation with the coaching staff and subsequent one-game suspension, but the idea of the Grizzlies moving Morant isn’t a new concept, Marc Stein of The Stein Line writes in his latest Substack column (subscription required).

Rival teams have been monitoring Morant’s situation in Memphis since this summer, according to Stein, when the organization gave a huge extension to Jaren Jackson Jr. but didn’t pursue a similar deal with Morant. The Grizzlies unloaded salary for a renegotiation and extension that resulted in a new deal for Jackson valued at an estimated $240MM over five years.

Regarding Morant, who has two years at $87MM+ left on his current deal after this season, Stein notes that general manager Zach Kleiman called this “a big season for Ja” at media day, adding, “I think it is fair to say as we continue to build this team, to be able to achieve a high-end outcome, we need Ja to be a consistent All-NBA-caliber player.”

Stein also points out that Kleiman has “very publicly backed” head coach Tuomas Iisalo in the current dispute with Morant.

Stein offers m0re inside information from around the league:

Sunday’s 31-point loss at Oklahoma City is turning up the heat on Pelicans coach Willie Green, Stein adds. At 0-6, New Orleans is one of two remaining winless teams and time may be running out to salvage the season. They already have three 30-point losses, and there are serious concerns about whether the Pelicans have enough shooting and play-making to work their way into the play-in race. Stein notes that owner Gayle Benson is fond of Green, and there were rumors that she forced Joe Dumars to keep him in place when he took over as head of basketball operations. New Orleans is under pressure to win this season after sending an unprotected 2026 first-rounder to Atlanta in the Derik Queen trade, so patience with Green might be very thin. Stein notes that the Pelicans denied a request from the Knicks to interview associate head coach James Borrego this summer to become the lead assistant on Mike Brown‘s staff. Stein states that there were whispers behind the scenes that the organization was keeping Borrego in anticipation of a potential coaching change.
Nikola Vucevic was heavily involved in trade speculation dating back to last season’s deadline, but he’s rewarding the Bulls‘ decision to hold onto him, Stein notes. The 35-year-old center, who has an expiring $21.5MM contract, is off to a fast start, averaging 19.3 points and 12.3 rebounds through six games. His trade value is increasing, but Chicago may decide to keep him if it remains in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
Head coach Jason Kidd offered hope over the weekend that Kyrie Irving may be back sooner than expected, but sources tell Stein that the timeline for the Mavericks guard should still be considered “fluid.” Stein was surprised to see Anthony Davis going through a pregame workout Saturday at Mexico City. Davis is sidelined with a low-grade left calf strain and will be reevaluated on Tuesday after the team returns from its current road trip.

Pelicans’ Slow Start Intensifies Coaching Questions

November 2nd, 2025 at 6:04pm CST by Eli Cohen

After losing 137-106 to the Thunder on Sunday, the Pelicans remain one of only two teams without a win on the season, along with Brooklyn.

The rough start has set off alarms around the NBA media landscape, with the Pelicans drawing the wrong kind of attention not just for their 0-6 start but for the way in which those losses have occurred. It was previously reported that head coach Willie Green is on the hot seat after winning just 21 games last season.

Rylan Stiles of Locked On Thunder wrote (via Twitter) during Sunday’s game that the team appeared to have quit on Green, noting the lack of player engagement on the bench. The Ringer’s Zach Lowe echoed the sentiment, tweeting that the team looked broken across the board and speculating that Green likely had to be feeling some level of personal pressure given the state of the team’s performance.

This performance comes after previous reporting that the players seemed to be tuning Green’s messaging out at times.

The Pelicans have given up at least 120 points in each of their six games, and The Athletic’s Law Murray notes that three of the last four games have been 30-point losses (Twitter link).

As William Guillory of the Athletic observes (via Twitter), the team’s disappointing performances last season could be largely chalked up to injuries, but that this year’s Pelicans are relatively healthy, making it harder to justify the lackluster performance. The team is missing Dejounte Murray, who is still rehabbing from an Achilles rupture, but was otherwise at full strength on Sunday. Guillory adds that if New Orleans is unable to turn things around quickly and dramatically, a change in leadership feels inevitable.

Bret Siegel of Clutch Points notes that multiple players have already expressed frustration with the state of the team (Twitter link).

The Pelicans will be under particular scrutiny this season in the wake of their draft-night trade with the Hawks to select Derik Queen with the No. 13 overall pick. The Pelicans gave up their unprotected 2026 first-round pick in the deal, despite the consensus strength of the top of the 2026 draft class. Queen played just 6:51 in Sunday’s loss, scoring four points.

After missing much of the preseason recovering from a left wrist injury, Queen has played in all of the team’s games this season, coming into Sunday with averages of 8.0 points, 5.4 assists, and 0.8 blocks in 19.6 minutes per contest.

Pelicans Notes: Green, 0-5 Start, Poole, Looney

November 2nd, 2025 at 12:44pm CST by Rory Maher

The Pelicans are reportedly having “serious” internal discussions about head coach Willie Green. Should they fire him?

Rod Walker of NOLA.com explores that subject, writing that while there is plenty of blame to go around for the team’s 0-5 start, the players seem like they’re tuned out to Green’s messaging at times. More importantly, the Pelicans largely haven’t played with the effort required to be competitive in an extremely difficult Western Conference.

After back-to-back blowouts at the hands of Boston and Denver, the Pelicans put up a much better fight in Friday’s game against the Clippers. They were down 17 points in the third quarter, but managed to even the score late in the fourth prior to a Kawhi Leonard game-winner. Yet it still counts as a loss all the same.

“Even through a difficult loss, the response we all saw tonight is a group that is learning each other and coming together,” Green said (story via Walker). “But they care. They went out and competed at a high level and gave everything they got.”

New Orleans has now dropped 12 straight games dating back to last season, Walker notes.

We have more on the Pelicans:

Jordan Poole, who was acquired in an offseason trade with the Wizards, had his best game as a Pelican in Friday’s loss, Walker adds. The 26-year-old guard came off the bench for the second straight game and finished with a team-high 30 points on 9-of-15 shooting. “Jordan was great,” Green said. “It’s a tough adjustment for him (coming off the bench). We are all aware of that. He’s such a dynamic player. What he does for our second unit is he’s the hub.”
Kevon Looney is “extremely close” to making his Pelicans debut, Green said on Friday, according to Mark Medina of EssentiallySports. The veteran big man, who is recovering from a left knee sprain, is listed as questionable for Sunday’s contest in Oklahoma City, per the league’s official injury report.
In an in-depth interview with Medina, Looney says he’s been trying to make his presence felt despite the injury. “I’ve still been trying to use my voice,” the 29-year-old center said. “It’s harder to lead and be that guy when you’re on the sideline. But the team and the guys respect me. I’ve done a lot of practices before I went down. I played two preseason games. So I was able to be on the floor with them some. They’ve been losing some games. So I’ve been trying to use my voice and use my experience. I’ve been in a lot of different circumstances in this league and have played a lot of different roles. So I’m just trying to connect with all the guys, talking to them and leading my way. And hopefully, when I get on the court, I can do even more. It’s been different. But it’s still been fun. We have a great group of guys. We have a young team who is excited to come to practice every day. We’ve had that joy and have been practicing hard. So it’s been a lot of fun just connecting and learning these new guys every day.”