Derik Queen

Stein’s Latest: Mavs, Davis, Bulls, Kuminga, CP3, Pelicans

December 12th, 2025 at 8:32am CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont has begun gathering information on possible candidates to run the team’s front office on a permanent basis following last month’s ouster of Nico Harrison, reports Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).

However, according to Stein, Dumont is in no rush to complete that search process and is content with the idea of taking a committee approach for the rest of the regular season. While Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi are the team’s co-interim general managers, minority owner Mark Cuban, head coach Jason Kidd, and Dumont himself are also providing input on front office decisions, with Dumont having become “far more involved” since Harrison’s dismissal, per Stein.

One major decision facing that committee prior to this season’s trade deadline is whether or not to trade star big man Anthony Davis. Stein hears from sources that a Davis deal isn’t a foregone conclusion by any means. As Stein explains, the Mavs recognize that last season’s Luka Doncic blockbuster can’t be undone, so the team doesn’t want to just accept the best offer on the table for Davis. Accepting a subpar return for him would risk simply “compounding mistakes already made,” Stein writes.

Here’s more from Stein’s latest NBA round-up:

The Bulls don’t appear to have any real interest in Davis, but they remain a team to watch for Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, Stein says. As Stein notes, Chicago has conveyed some interest in Kuminga in the past, bringing him in past discussions involving Alex Caruso and other players.
The Hornets were among the teams with interest in Chris Paul during the offseason, but the veteran point guard wasn’t interested in playing so far away from his family in Los Angeles. According to Stein, Charlotte is no longer expected to pursue Paul at this time, but CP3 is believed to be more open-minded about destinations further removed from L.A. Paul, who remains under contract with the Clippers for now, will become trade-eligible on Monday.
Rookies Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears are now viewed as the most untouchable players on the Pelicans‘ roster, Stein writes. That designation used to belong to Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones — while New Orleans may be more open to listen on those players now, the team’s asking price for Murphy and Jones is still “extremely” high, according to Stein, who notes that the Pelicans are essentially discouraging inquiries based on the return they’re seeking.

Southwest Notes: Queen, Poole, Rockets, Morant, K. Johnson

December 11th, 2025 at 9:06am CST by Luke Adams

Pelicans head of basketball operations Joe Dumars has heard the criticisms of his decision to trade an unprotected 2026 first-round pick (the most favorable of New Orleans’ and Milwaukee’s selections) in order to move up from No. 23 to No. 13 in the 2025 draft to nab Derik Queen. In fact, Dumars says he “gets it,” telling Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN that “so much of today’s NBA narrative is around (draft) picks.”

However, the Pelicans’ top basketball executive has no regrets about that deal, since it allowed the team to leave the draft with both Jeremiah Fears and Queen, two prospects the front office badly wanted, rather than having to decide between them at No. 7.

“We looked at the lottery this year and said, ‘Wow, it’d be great if we could get both of those guys, and it may cost us,'” Dumars said. “But if you truly believe they can be foundational pieces for your success long term, then we’ll do what we have to do. It simply came down to we have this guard that we really, really love and this young big that we really, really love. Let’s go for it. I know we paid a big price for it, but it’s not like we’re unhappy with what we got. We like what we have as foundational pieces for the long term here.”

As we noted earlier this week, while the 3-22 Pelicans look increasingly likely to convey a high 2026 draft pick to Atlanta as a result of that draft-night trade, Queen’s performance in recent weeks, including a 33-point double-double on Monday, has shown there’s reason to believe the deal can work out for both teams.

“I know it probably weighs on his mind and on (Queen’s) shoulders a lot,” Fears said of the reaction to the trade. “As long as he knows what he can bring to the table and proves it every single time, there’s not really much you can say. He’s going to continue to prove to Joe D, to prove to everybody else that (Dumars) made the right decision.”

We have more from around the Southwest:

Jordan Poole, who has missed the Pelicans‘ past 18 games due to a left quad strain, has a chance to play on Thursday for the first time since November 4. The veteran guard has been upgraded to questionable for New Orleans’ game against Portland, per the team. Poole started four of the club’s first seven contests before going down with that quad injury.
Even though they lost starting point guard Fred VanVleet to an ACL tear before the season, the Rockets aren’t interested in pursuing Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, league sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic. Houston has the NBA’s fourth-best offense this season with Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, and Aaron Holiday running the point.
He has become somewhat overlooked in San Antonio as the Spurs added top-five picks Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper to their roster in recent years, but Keldon Johnson is routinely described by people within the organization as the heart of the team, writes Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Johnson, who had 17 points in the Spurs’ NBA Cup quarterfinal win over the Lakers on Wednesday, has scored double-digit points in 20 of 24 games this season despite coming off the bench in each one of those contests. “He puts his body in harm’s way for the betterment of the team every game,” head coach Mitch Johnson said. “We got a lot of big personalities, and we got a face of the franchise, but that guy’s the heart and soul of the team, and I think you can see it when you watch this team long enough.”

Pelicans Notes: Queen, Jones, Murphy, Poole, Zion

December 9th, 2025 at 4:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Two of the league’s most promising rookies had the best games of their respective NBA careers on Monday in New Orleans. The Spurs and Dylan Harper, who scored 22 points and handed out six assists in 26 minutes off the bench, ultimately came out on top, with a three-point win over the Pelicans and Derik Queen.

Still, it was a memorable night for Queen, who became the first rookie center to ever record a 30-point triple-double, per ESPN’s Michael C. Wright, with 33 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. The big man also blocked four shots and was a +14 in 33 minutes.

“Special night for him,” Pelicans interim head coach James Borrego said of his standout rookie. “He was great. He did a really good job defensively on the boards, controlled the offense. We ran a lot of our stuff through him. He was fantastic.”

Although Monday’s loss dropped the Pelicans to a league-worst 3-22 on the season, Queen’s ongoing emergence is one reason for optimism, according to Rod Walker of NOLA.com (subscription required). Walker adds that the rookie’s strong play may help turn down the heat on head of basketball operations Joe Dumars, who faced loud criticism for his decision to trade an unprotected 2026 pick to move up 10 spots for Queen in June.

Those critics are unlikely to go away if the pick Dumars sent to Atlanta in that deal lands in the top three next June, especially since there will always be questions about whether the Pelicans could’ve moved up from No. 23 to No. 13 in this year’s draft without giving up quite such a valuable asset. However, if Queen – who will turn 21 later this month – continues to turn in performance like Monday’s, the deal could turn into a win-win for the Pelicans and Hawks.

Here’s more from out of New Orleans:

William Guillory of The Athletic considers what sort of in-season trades to expect from the Pelicans, writing that he views Herbert Jones as more likely to be moved than Trey Murphy III, though there’s no guarantee New Orleans will seriously consider dealing either player. Guillory notes that a move involving Zion Williamson would be easier to complete in the offseason than before the trade deadline, and adds that high-priced guards Jordan Poole and Dejounte Murray and role players Saddiq Bey and Kevon Looney could also emerge as trade candidates.
Although there’s still skepticism around the league that the Pelicans will trade either Jones or Murphy this season, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) says he spoke to five separate rival teams last week that said New Orleans isn’t shutting down inquiries on those players like the front office has in the past.
Poole, who has been sidelined since November 4 due to a quad strain, participated in some parts of Tuesday’s practice, according to Borrego, who said the plan is for Poole to go through a full practice on Wednesday (Twitter link via Guillory).
In a subscriber-only column for NOLA.com, Walker takes a look at the latest disappointing turn of events in the Williamson saga. This was supposed to be a “get-right” season for the former No. 1 overall pick, Walker writes, but hamstring and adductor strains have limited the two-time All-Star to just 10 appearances, and the Pelicans haven’t played well with or without him.

Pelicans Rumors: Zion, Jones, Murphy, Fears, Queen

December 6th, 2025 at 3:14pm CST by Rory Maher

Chris Dodson of ClutchPoints reported on Thursday that Zion Williamson is increasingly unlikely to be in the Pelicans‘ long-term plans, but the team has yet to have any meaningful trade talks regarding the oft-injured star forward, who is currently out with an adductor strain.

Williamson, who is on an unusual maximum-salary contract that features weigh-in checkpoints and guarantees based on games played, likely has minimal trade value due to his extensive injury history.

During Thursday’s live stream for Bleacher Report (YouTube link), NBA insider Jake Fischer said there’s an expectation that New Orleans will entertain offers for the former No. 1 overall pick — and he’s not the only Pelicans player that will apply to.

“You can rest assured that the Pelicans are going to be listening to trade offers for (Williamson),” Fischer said (hat tip to RealGM). “And there are definitely teams that believe, that have told me as recently as today, that New Orleans is now starting to listen and at least show some type of willingness to listen on guys like Herbert Jones and Trey Murphy III as well.

“(Jones and Murphy) are going to have a lot of interest around the league. They’re both on very strong, long-term contracts that are considered relatively team-friendly. Under $30 million in average annual value, which is a big threshold in this current market.

“… But the Pelicans are going to hold a high asking price. And they are going to need multiple first-round picks to move on from either of those guys. That’s my understanding as of now. But right now, it is pretty clear that the Pelicans, with interim head coach James Borrego, are moving in a direction of a team built around Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen, their two lottery picks from this draft.”

Dodson’s ClutchPoints colleague Brett Siegel wrote on Friday that the odds of a deal involving Jones have grown “exponentially” in recent months amid the Pelicans’ disastrous 3-20 start to the season. After signing a contract extension in July, Jones isn’t currently eligible to be traded, but that will restriction will lift on January 14, a few weeks before this season’s deadline.

Fischer is the first reporter we’ve seen state that New Orleans may be open to the possibility of moving Murphy — Dodson suggested the team views the 25-year-old wing as part of the team’s core rather than a trade chip. Murphy is in the first season of a four-year, $112MM rookie scale extension.

In the wake of multiple rumors surrounding the struggling Pelicans, Will Guillory of The Athletic hears from several sources that the team has not had any trade talks involving Murphy, Jones or Williamson (Twitter link). Obviously that stance could change down the line, but it’s worth noting nonetheless.

Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel Named Rookies Of The Month

December 2nd, 2025 at 1:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Duke teammates Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel have been named the NBA’s October/November Rookies of the Month for the Western and Eastern Conference, respectively, the league announced today (via Twitter).

According to the league, it’s the first time since the NBA began handing out Rookie of The Month honors by conference in 2001/02 that the Western and Eastern winners were from the same college program.

The No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, Flagg got off to a bit of a slow start for the struggling Mavericks, but had a big November that he wrapped up by scoring a career-high 35 points in a win over the Clippers on Saturday.

In total, the 18-year-old forward averaged 16.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.4 steals in 34.0 minutes per game across 20 outings in October and November. Flagg made just 25.3% of his three-point tries, but posted solid field goal (46.2%) and free throw (80.3%) percentages.

Flagg beat out Grizzlies forward Cedric Coward and Pelicans teammates Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen, who were also nominated in the West, per the NBA (Twitter link).

In the East, Knueppel won the award over fellow nominees VJ Edgecombe of the Sixers and Hornets teammate Ryan Kalkbrenner. The fourth overall pick has immediately emerged as a go-to offensive option in Charlotte after starring alongside Flagg with the Blue Devils in his first and only college season.

In his first 20 games, Knueppel averaged 18.4 points per game on .470/.413/.898 shooting while also contributing 5.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per contest.

Flagg is currently the slight betting favorite for this season’s Rookie of the Year award. Both he and Knueppel are considered significant favorites over the rest of the field.

Bulls Notes: Expiring Contracts, Defense, Queen, Essengue, Collins

November 26th, 2025 at 6:16pm CST by Arthur Hill

This season will go a long way toward shaping the future of the Bulls, who could have as many as eight free agents next summer, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times (subscription required). Nikola Vucevic, Zach Collins, Coby White, Kevin Huerter, Ayo Dosunmu, Jevon Carter and Dalen Terry all have expiring contracts, while Chicago holds a $2.4MM team option on Julian Phillips for next season.

According to Cowley, coach Billy Donovan has been emphasizing to his players since training camp that they have a common goal in helping one another have the brightest possible NBA future.

‘‘We’ve got eight guys on expiring contracts,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘They’re all tied together. Their futures and careers are in each other’s hands. You get a player that’s young, that’s in their first or second year, they’re looking down the road and thinking, ‘Fifteen years is forever.’ Vooch is sitting there saying, ‘Hey, this went by like that.’ So I do think that there’s an urgency by Vooch, a mindset, a mentality.’’

Cowley suggests that urgency helps to explain Vucevic’s weekend comments after a one-point win over Washington when he said the team was “very soft” for most of the game. Cowley notes that Vucevic and his family like living in Chicago, and the front office could have interest in re-signing the 35-year-old center if the season goes well. He adds that executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas has displayed loyalty to Donovan and much of the roster, and several players could receive multiyear contracts if the Bulls are able to exceed expectations.

‘‘They have to understand the urgency because they all have something to do with each other’s success and they all have something to do with each other’s future,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘I think the moment you get out of yourself and start thinking, ‘What can I do to help the man next to me? What can I do to help the man on the court?’ that’s when you find out the guys that are really committed.’’

There’s more from Chicago:

The Bulls’ defensive issues have become more apparent during their recent downturn, Cowley states in a separate story. A lack of size and physicality was glaring in games against Washington and New Orleans, and Donovan believes it can only be overcome with a team-wide approach. “For our team, maybe outside Isaac Okoro, we don’t have one guy right now where you can say, ‘This guy is a defensive stopper, this is what this guy hangs his hat on.’ We don’t have that,” he said. “So we have to do it collectively. It’s not one guy’s fault; it’s all of us. It’s the coaches, the players, we all have to do it. We just don’t have the type of guys that you’re going to put on a guy, and he’s going to shut them down.”
The Bulls had serious interest in Pelicans rookie big man Derik Queen with the 12th pick in this year’s draft, Cowley relays in another story. They opted for French forward Noa Essengue, who has spent most of the season in the G League, because they viewed him as a better fit for their up-tempo style. “When the draft actually came, there’s things that happen in that moment,” Donovan explained. “You’ve got five minutes to make that pick. I think (the front office) was looking at Noa as an opportunity long-term — ‘This guy fits the way we would like to play.’ I did not get from the front office or even the scouts that (Queen wasn’t) a fit. (But) I think they thought the way we were playing, Noa, maybe from an upside standpoint, another athletic wing, a long defender, (was) maybe something we needed defensively.”
Collins is expected to begin participating in full-court practices later this week as he moves closer to making his season debut, Cowley adds. The team is hoping to have Collins, who has been sidelined with an injured left hand, back on the court by early December.

Southwest Notes: Sheppard, Edey, Coward, Pelicans

November 25th, 2025 at 1:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Rockets guard Reed Sheppard made just 2-of-9 shots from the floor in his first start of the season on Monday in Phoenix, but he contributed five assists and three steals in his 27 minutes, and Houston was a +6 when he was on the court. It marked the eighth consecutive game in which the Rockets outscored their opponent during Sheppard’s minutes.

While the 21-year-old still has plenty of room to grow, Sheppard has taken a significant step forward so far this season, with his averages – 13.1 PPG and 3.2 APG on .490/.471/.706 shooting – up across the board. As William Guillory of The Athletic writes, Houston’s odds of competing for a title are only increasing as a result of the second-year guard’s improvement.

“The real thing is the opportunity he’s getting, and he’s taking advantage of it,” head coach Ime Udoka said of Sheppard last week. “You’re going to get more of a rhythm with the more minutes and opportunities you get. We needed him to take that step this year, regardless of Fred (VanVleet) being out. He’s really been great. We want him to continue to be confident.”

Sheppard, who started in place of Kevin Durant on Monday, could have another opportunity to be part of the starting five on Wednesday in Golden State, with Durant out for a second straight game for personal reasons.

Here’s more from out of the Southwest:

After missing the first 13 games of the Grizzlies‘ season as he recovered from offseason ankle surgery, center Zach Edey exited his fifth game back early on Monday due to a head injury. If Edey is forced to miss time, it would be a major blow to Memphis, says Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal, given that the club has a +16.5 net rating in Edey’s minutes and a -8.0 mark when he doesn’t play. “Zach is a huge part of what we do, both offensively and defensively,” teammate Cedric Coward said after Monday’s loss to Denver. “Just his presence alone is so meaningful to the team. You guys understand, when he came back, how much better our team got defensively, on the rebounding end, even the offensive end. His roles are gravitating guys inside, so we’re getting easier shots on the outside. It was a huge loss.”
Coward has been one of the NBA’s most productive rookies this fall and is making the Grizzlies look good for trading up to No. 11 in June to draft him, as a Western Conference scout tells Grant Afseth of RG.org. “He only played six Division I games after the partially torn rotator cuff, and that made him one of the biggest unknowns in the draft,” the scout said of Coward. “A lot of scouts weren’t sure how his game would translate against top talent because he’d spent most of his college career at Willamette and Eastern Washington. But Memphis clearly saw something real. … And now he’s outperforming even the optimistic projections. He looks completely comfortable at this level.”
The Pelicans‘ past two games provided a reminder of Zion Williamson‘s impact. After scoring just 98 points on Saturday as Williamson sat out the second game of a back-to-back, New Orleans poured in 143 points on Monday vs. Chicago with Williamson back on the court. While the star forward led the way with 29 points, Monday’s performance was a team effort, with eight players scoring in double figures, writes Les East of NOLA.com. “You couldn’t ask for a better team win when you look at the stat sheet,” said interim head coach James Borrego, who registered his first win since taking over for Willie Green.
Outside of the Hornets, who drafted four players in the top 34 in June, no team has gotten more minutes from its rookies so far this season than the Pelicans, according to Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com. That trend figures to continue going forward, Eichenhofer posits, since Jeremiah Fears, Derik Queen, and Micah Peavy are all part of the rotation now and should see regular playing time with several New Orleans veterans sidelined due to injuries.

Pelicans Notes: Zion, Queen, Dumars, Front Office

November 21st, 2025 at 7:57am CST by Luke Adams

Forward Zion Williamson returned to the court on Wednesday after missing the previous eight games due to a Grade 1 left hamstring strain, and the Pelicans played better than they had in the past week, writes Les East of NOLA.com. However, it wasn’t enough against the Nuggets. New Orleans lost its seventh consecutive game, and now has losing streaks of six and seven games sandwiching its only two victories of the season.

Despite not having registered a win since taking over for Willie Green as the Pelicans’ head coach last Saturday, James Borrego was encouraged by what he saw from Williamson, who was a +14 during his 29 minutes of action. The club was outscored by 21 points in the 19 minutes the former No. 1 overall pick didn’t play.

“He got us off to a really good start,” Borrego said after the loss. “His energy and spirit are really important for the team, the city and the organization. We feel like we have a shot every night when he’s on the floor. We didn’t drop the sword tonight, and that’s his spirit.”

Here’s more out of New Orleans:

Williamson went through a full practice on Thursday and isn’t listed on the injury report for Friday’s game in Dallas, but it’s not yet clear whether he’ll be cleared to play in back-to-backs coming off his latest hamstring injury, tweets William Guillory of The Athletic. The Pelicans will return home after their matchup with the Mavericks to host Atlanta on Saturday.
Rookie big man Derik Queen continues to be one of the bright spots in New Orleans amid the team’s disappointing 2-13 start. He led the club with 30 points and nine rebounds in Wednesday’s loss, shooting 12-of-18 from the floor and chipping in four assists, two steals, and two blocks. Borrego referred to the performance as an “impressive first go” at three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, a player that Queen has “looked up to for many years,” as Rod Walker of NOLA.com relays. “He’s an amazing player,” Jokic said after the game. “You can see some similarities (to me). I don’t want people to see him and tell him he’s something like me. He’s a good enough player to have his own story.”
With the Pelicans’ front office facing scrutiny for some of its offseason decisions, Shamit Dua of In The N.O. shares an interesting new detail on the team’s basketball operations department, writing that Joe Dumars‘ son, 34-year-old Jordan Dumars, has become part of management’s inner circle. The Pelicans never formally announced the hiring of the younger Dumars, but sources who spoke to Dua describe Jordan, his father, and senior VP of basketball operations Troy Weaver as being “attached at the hip.” The team told Dua that Jordan’s title is “basketball operations consultant” and confirmed that he has been participating in basketball strategy meetings and discussions.

Pelicans Notes: Borrego, Green, Dumars, Poole, Coaching Search

November 17th, 2025 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

The Pelicans had a new head coach for Sunday’s game against Golden State, but the result was familiar, writes Les East of NOLA.com. Playing its first game under James Borrego, who was promoted after Willie Green was fired on Saturday, New Orleans suffered its fifth straight loss and fell to 2-11 on the season.

“We’ve got a lot to do,” Borrego said. “The beauty of this game is you come back to work the next day. … It doesn’t get any easier. We’ve got another juggernaut coming in.”

He was referring to Monday’s contest against 13-1 Oklahoma City, which provides another tough challenge for a team badly in need of wins. Borrego made his first lineup change on Sunday, giving a first career start to rookie big man Derik Queen, who finished with nine points, seven rebounds and six assists in 24-plus minutes. The Pelicans got balanced scoring with four players in double figures, but committed 20 turnovers that resulted in 27 Warriors points.

“There were costly, careless turnovers in transition,” Borrego said. “We’ve got to have more poise. There’s a balance between playing fast and frenetic and playing with poise. We’ve got to be opportunistic (in transition).”

There’s more from New Orleans:

There was surprise around the league that Green wasn’t fired sooner considering the Pelicans’ poor start, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Scotto hears that executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars was supportive of Green early in the season, but conveyed a constant message that the team needed to improve. Sources tell Scotto that offseason addition Jordan Poole was upset after being removed from the starting lineup on October 29, and Green’s coaching style had become “stale” with Trey Murphy III. Scotto adds that some players and other members of the organization believed Green didn’t do enough to hold Zion Williamson accountable.
Dumars held a meeting with his staff this summer where he talked about emphasizing defense, toughness, high basketball IQ and a high motor, then completed a trade an hour later for Poole, who doesn’t fit that description, sources tell Scotto. Poole’s salary of $31.8MM this season and $34MM in 2026/27 was considered “a tough contract to move” by rival executives, Scotto adds. That trade and the deal sending an unprotected 2026 first-rounder to Atlanta in exchange for Queen were pushed by senior vice president of basketball operations Troy Weaver, Dumars’ long-time associate, Scotto reports.
Weaver is also a strong supporter of Kevin Ollie, who has been mentioned as a possibility to eventually take over as head coach, Scotto adds. Scotto identifies Tom Thibodeau, Michael Malone and Taylor Jenkins as free agent coaches who might interest the Pelicans, but speculates that their “price tags could be too rich” for the team. In his latest Substack column (subscription required), Marc Stein of The Stein Line points to Bucks assistant Darvin Ham as a name to watch in the coaching search.

Southwest Notes: Pelicans, Okogie, Kornet, Mavs

November 12th, 2025 at 10:20am CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans‘ first 10 games of the 2025/26 season have gone about as poorly as they could have, according to William Guillory of The Athletic, with star forward Zion Williamson sidelined due to another hamstring injury and Willie Green‘s hold on his head coaching job looking tenuous.

As Guillory writes, even when the 2-8 Pelicans have been relatively healthy, things haven’t gone according to plan — the trio of Williamson, Trey Murphy III, and Herbert Jones has a net rating of -11.3 during their 75 minutes on the court together.

Lottery picks Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen have been two of the only reasons for optimism in New Orleans so far, Guillory continues. Fears has shown off his ball-handling skills and his ability to make things happen in open-court situations while improving as a decision-maker in pick-and-roll scenarios. Queen, meanwhile, has acted at times as the team’s offensive hub and has scored double-digit points in each of his last four games despite playing a relatively modest role (23.5 MPG).

Guillory also singles out offseason trade addition Saddiq Bey as a bright spot for the Pelicans in the early going, observing that the veteran forward has played better in his return from an ACL tear than Jordan Poole has through three weeks. The duo was acquired from Washington in a summer deal that sent out CJ McCollum and Kelly Olynyk.

Things won’t get any easier for the Pelicans in the near future, per Rod Walker of NOLA.com, who writes that the team is about to begin a five-game home stand against Western Conference opponents that includes matchups with the Lakers, Warriors, Thunder, and Nuggets.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

In an offseason that saw the Rockets acquire players like Kevin Durant, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Clint Capela, minimum-salary free agent addition Josh Okogie flew under the radar. However, he has emerged as a valuable part of the team’s rotation, writes Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required). Okogie has started seven of nine games and Houston is 6-1 in those starts. “He has the same DNA as the guys that we brought in initially and (does) some of what Dillon (Brooks) did, and Dorian, Jae’Sean (Tate), those guys,” head coach Ime Udoka said. “His defensive versatility, offensive rebounding, being able to knock down those shots, it’s what we need at that position. Takes the pressure off Amen (Thompson), and so he’s a guy you can kind of plug in with all these different lineups, and adds more to our depth than just versatility on defense.”
After missing seven games due to ankle and shoulder injuries, Spurs center Luke Kornet had a big game in his return on Monday, scoring 16 points on 6-of-6 shooting and grabbing seven rebounds in a win over Chicago. The Kornet/Victor Wembanyama pairing playfully known as “French Vanilla” came up big down the stretch and now has a +23.0 net rating in three games together, as Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required) details. “It’s good to have him back,” Wembanyama said. “There are not a lot of shot-blockers like him in the league. It’s always good to play with Luke.”
Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) considers what’s next in Dallas following the dismissal of general manager Nico Harrison, suggesting that trades involving Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving could take some time to materialize even if the Mavericks are open to moving them. Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required) also examines the challenges facing new co-interim GMs Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi, who take over a team that lacks draft assets and features several underachieving veterans.

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