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Southwest Notes: Zion, J. Jackson, Belinelli, Cash

August 5th, 2020 at 2:20pm CST by Luke Adams

After playing limited minutes and sitting in crunch time during the Pelicans‘ first two games – both losses – Zion Williamson logged 25 minutes and was a key contributor down the stretch as New Orleans closed out a Monday win over Memphis. After the game, Williamson told ESPN’s Malika Andrews that he “felt alive again,” per Andrew Lopez of ESPN.

“I ain’t gonna lie to you, it’s just different in a bad way when I’m on the bench in the fourth quarter, and there’s nothing I can do to help my team win,” Williamson said. “So I said I felt alive — it was just great to be out there doing whatever I can to help my team win.”

In addition to Williamson’s contributions, the Pelicans also got 24 points and some key late baskets from Brandon Ingram, while Josh Hart chipped in 15 points and Lonzo Ball was a game-best +15. The performances prompted head coach Alvin Gentry to praise his young core after the win.

“When you have two really young players (Williamson and Ingram) like that who stepped up for you, and Josh Hart, you know, Josh is a very young kid, too,” Gentry said. “I think if you look at it, we have a good, young nucleus of players along with some of the veteran guys we have.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer explores the impact that losing Jaren Jackson Jr. will have on the Grizzlies‘ push to secure a playoff spot. As O’Connor writes, Memphis is well ahead of schedule in its rebuild and should be pleased with the season as a whole, but there’s a chance it will end on a “decidedly sour note.”
Speaking of Jackson, he’s staying at the Walt Disney World campus for now, according to Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins (Twitter link via ESPN’s Malika Andrews). However, Jackson may need to leave at some point for treatment and/or rehab work related to his meniscus tear, Jenkins acknowledged.
Spurs guard Marco Belinelli, who sprained his left ankle during the team’s first game of the restart last week, is active today after missing a pair of games, tweets Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News.
David Aldridge of The Athletic takes an in-depth look at Pelicans VP of basketball operations and team development Swin Cash, who is the first Black woman to hold such a high-ranking basketball ops position for an NBA franchise.

Southwest Notes: Gordon, Ball, Hart, Winslow

May 30th, 2020 at 6:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

Rockets guard Eric Gordon hopes a weight-loss program over the hiatus will help him overcome the knee issues that have slowed him this season, writes Kelly Iko of The Athletic. A team source tells Iko that Gordon has managed to drop 12 pounds through diet changes and track sprints.

“I think Eric Gordon’s a big key for us,” coach Mike D’Antoni said recently. “He has the potential to put us over the top.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

The Rockets have been preparing to face the Nuggets in the opening round of the playoffs, Iko adds in the same piece. That would be the pairing if the league goes straight to the postseason and uses its traditional formula. If conferences are set aside and the teams are seeded 1-16, Houston would face the Jazz in the first round, which Iko believes is a more favorable matchup.
William Guillory and Danny Leroux of The Athletic discuss whether the Pelicans should give rookie scale extensions to Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart. Leroux recommends offering Ball a deal starting in the $13-$15MM range with the willingness to match a larger offer when he becomes a restricted free agent in 2021. Leroux believes there’s more urgency to get a deal done with Hart because his value may rise by next year and suggests that he might get something in the range of the four-year, $52MM contract that the Celtics gave Marcus Smart. Looking at other New Orleans free agents, Leroux expects the team to try to re-sign Kenrich Williams, while Jahlil Okafor will probably be let go. Frank Jackson is a tougher call that depends on whether the front office believes he will become a rotation player.
Justise Winslow discusses the hiatus with Evan Barnes of The Commercial Appeal, including a plan to adopt a full vegan diet after his 25th birthday next March. Winslow is still waiting to make his debut with the Grizzlies, as a back injury kept him out of action after being traded in February. “I’ve just been waiting to put on that jersey,” Winslow said. “I’ve been grinding, but I miss the team. There’s just something special about this team.”

Josh Hart Apologized For Comments About Lakers

November 25th, 2019 at 8:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Former Lakers guard Josh Hart called some of his ex-teammates and front office members to apologize for comments he made in a podcast this summer after being traded to the Pelicans, writes Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.

The incident took place in a video version of his Sept. 6 “LightHarted Podcast” that included Lonzo Ball, who was also part of the deal that sent Anthony Davis to L.A. Ball was talking about a trip to Lithuania to visit his brothers when they were playing there and called the country “very depressing.”

“I wouldn’t do it again,” he said. “… It’s like hella gloomy, nobody smiles, it’s like everybody just hates that they’re there. I’m like ‘Damn.’ I had to get out of there, bro.”

Hart responded with “Sounds like L.A. … No, I’m not talking about the city.” When the producer promised to “edit that part out,” Hart laughs and said, “I was going to say the Lakers organization.”

He later went on social media to explain that he was upset that the Lakers didn’t give him prior notice that he was about to be traded to New Orleans. He learned about the deal on social media after taping another podcast.

“When my sarcasm, that wasn’t supposed to be in that — it was supposed to be cut — was in there, I called some of the people in the [Lakers] front office, I called some of my teammates that I had and made sure they knew that none of this stuff was about you guys,” Hart said in an ESPN interview last night. “I loved my time here. I loved my time here and I wouldn’t have changed it for the world. I love Laker Nation. They show so much love, so much support.”

Pelicans Pick Up 2020/21 Options On Ball, Hart

October 25th, 2019 at 9:51am CST by Luke Adams

OCTOBER 25: The Pelicans officially exercised their 2020/21 options on Ball and Hart on Friday morning, a source tells Lopez (Twitter link).

OCTOBER 22: The Pelicans are expected to exercise their team options for the 2020/21 season on Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart, tweets Andrew Lopez of ESPN. The moves will likely become official soon, Lopez adds.

Ball, who will turn 22 on Sunday, was one of the key pieces in the blockbuster trade that sent Anthony Davis to Los Angeles this summer. In two seasons with the Lakers, Ball averaged 10.0 PPG, 6.4 APG, and 6.2 RPG, but shot poorly (.380/.315/.437) and battled injuries, appearing in just 99 games.

He’ll get a chance at a fresh start in New Orleans this season, and the Pelicans are prepared to lock in his $11,003,782 cap hit for 2020/21. The move will make Ball eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2020 offseason. He’ll reach restricted free agency in 2021 if he doesn’t sign a new deal next year.

Hart also arrived in New Orleans as a result of the Davis trade. Like Ball, he was a first-round pick in 2017 and is entering his third season. He saw his shooting numbers dip to .407./.336/.688 last season after posting a .469/.396/.702 line as a rookie, but will be counted on to help the Pelicans space the floor. His fourth-year option for 2020/21 is worth $3,491,159.

We’re tracking all of this year’s rookie scale option decisions for ’20/21 right here.

Western Notes: Wolves, Hart, Suns, Melton

October 24th, 2019 at 2:10pm CST by Luke Adams

In his first offseason as the Timberwolves‘ president of basketball operations, Gersson Rosas wasn’t in position to significantly reshape the roster.

While the Timberwolves reportedly made a run at D’Angelo Russell, their roster and cap limitations made it difficult to make a splash. However, that doesn’t mean the team’s front office won’t be looking for opportunities to shake things up during the 2019/20 season, writes Kent Youngblood of The Star Tribune.

“We’re at a stage where we’re going to continue to be aggressive,” Rosas said of the Timberwolves. “We don’t have our championship team yet. When you’re at that stage, you want to do less because you want to have that continuity. We’re at the opposite end right now, where we’re establishing our core group and moving forward. A lot of teams aren’t like that. … But we can’t be waiting for the phone to ring. We have to make those calls to make sure that any opportunity that we can improve ourselves, we’re taking advantage of that.”

According to Rosas, there were a few potential opportunities for the Timberwolves to make a move leading up to Monday’s roster deadline, but nothing ultimately lined up and the team simply waived Tyrone Wallace to set its roster. Still, Rosas says that are looking “every day” for “opportunities to add.”

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

Pelicans wing Josh Hart has signed with CAA Sports for representation on and off the court, according to Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal, who tweets that Hart will be repped by agents Leon Rose and Aaron Mintz. The 24-year-old will have his 2020/21 option picked up by New Orleans, which will make him eligible for a rookie scale extension next year.
As Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic relays, Marcin Gortat became the latest NBA veteran to take a shot at the Suns, calling the team “the worst organization” he has ever played for in a recent Polish interview. Earlier this month, Draymond Green criticized Phoenix for mishandling Marquese Chriss after drafting him eighth overall in 2016.
Grizzlies guard De’Anthony Melton, acquired from Phoenix in an offseason trade, initially wasn’t expecting to make his regular-season debut until sometime in November due to a back issue. However, he was cleared for the team’s opener and made a brief appearance on Wednesday in Miami. David Cobb of The Memphis Commercial Appeal has the full story on Melton beating his recovery timeline and what the Grizzlies might expect from him in 2019/20.

Josh Hart Says He Found Out He Was Traded Via Twitter

September 5th, 2019 at 6:56pm CST by ChrisCrouse

For nearly all professional athletes, getting traded is a hard reality, especially if a player works hard to find success in an organization. Josh Hart, who was sent from the Lakers to the Pelicans this offseason, believes his former team could have made the process of trading him easier to handle.

“I played my ass off for the purple and gold,” Hart said (via his Twitter account). “Played hurt and never had an excuse. I’m truly grateful to the Lakers organization and I do understand the NBA is a business. But as a player you just want the courtesy of a phone call saying I got traded and not finding out on Twitter.”

The Lakers jettisoned Hart, Lonzo Ball, and Brandon Ingram along with a bounty of draft picks to New Orleans in the Anthony Davis trade.

For the Lakers, it was a chance to raise their ceiling; for the Pelicans, it was a chance to begin a rebuild after realizing they were going to lose one of their best players in franchise history. Hart, along with Zion Williamson and a bevy of new faces, will usher in a new Pelicans era during the 2019/20 season.

L.A. Notes: Howard, Davis, Hart, Clippers

September 5th, 2019 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Around the time that the Lakers agreed to sign Dwight Howard, reports surfaced suggesting the veteran center had shown awareness of having hit “rock bottom” and had been humbled by the experience. Speaking this week to reporters on an introductory conference call, Howard clarified that his “rock-bottom” moment was more about his life off the court than on it.

“It didn’t have anything to do with basketball,” Howard said, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “It was just stuff going [on] in my personal life. Mentally, physically and spiritually. It had nothing to do with me as a basketball player or anything like that. It was just personal things that I had to deal with which made me stronger.”

According to McMenamin, Howard was more reluctant than usual on the call with the reporters to say anything that might cause “eyebrows to raise,” expressing a desire to let his actions speak loud than his words.

“I’ve always said a lot of words, but I’d just rather show you guys,” Howard said.

As we wait to see what the three-time Defensive Player of the Year has left in the tank, let’s round up a few more notes out of Los Angeles…

In an appearance on The Stephen A. Smith Show on ESPN Radio, Ramona Shelburne said that Anthony Davis had a “big say” in the decision to add Howard to the Lakers‘ roster, given Davis’ preference for having a center playing next to him. Harrison Faigen of Silver Screen & Roll passes along the details and the quotes from Shelburne.
Josh Hart and Lonzo Ball both recently said they found out on Twitter about the trade that sent them from the Lakers to the Pelicans, and Hart was somewhat critical of the Lakers on his podcast LightHarted as well, as Dan Feldman of NBC Sports details. In a pair of tweets published today, Hart walked back his criticism, but still expressed frustration that he learned about being traded on Twitter.
With the Clippers prepared to enter the season as one of the NBA’s top title contenders, Jovan Buha of The Athletic poses a question for each player on the roster. Among Buha’s questions: How much will Kawhi Leonard rest? Can Lou Williams adjust to a reduced role? And is Ivica Zubac the team’s center of the future?

Western Notes: Miller, Howard, Warriors, Wiggins

September 2nd, 2019 at 7:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pelicans will have a tough time replacing Darius Miller‘s skill set from the current list of replacements on the roster, as William Guillory of The Athletic details. Miller suffered a ruptured right Achilles tendon and is expected to miss the season.

Miller provides defensive length and the ability to guard either forward spot while spacing the floor offensively, Guillory notes. The Pelicans might give Josh Hart and E’Twaun Moore more minutes at the wing spot but their options at backup power forward are newcomer Nicolo Melli and Kenrich Williams, who is limited as a shooter and defender against quicker forwards.

The contract that Miller signed this offseason — two years and $14.25MM with the second year non-guaranteed — becomes a less attractive trade piece for the Pelicans, Guillory adds.

We have more from around the Western Conference:

Dwight Howard will be a role player with the Lakers for the first time in his career if everything goes as planned. New coach Frank Vogel spoke of his plans for the veteran player, who signed with Los Angeles after passing through waivers, to Spectrum SportNet (hat tip to the Sporting News). “He’s going to serve a different role,” Vogel said. “It’s going to be more of a role-player type of role, as opposed to being the lead. He understands that. He’s excited about playing that type of role on this team and what we can accomplish as a group.”
Ryan Atkinson has been named GM of the Warriors’ G League affiliate in Santa Cruz, according to a team press release. Atkinson, 34, had been the G League team’s assistant GM for the last three seasons. Previous GM Kent Lacob has been named the Warriors’ director of team development.
The Timberwolves haven’t come close to trading Andrew Wiggins, mainly because they never received an offer that was worth serious consideration, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic reports. The Timberwolves are hoping he can come closer to realizing his potential, which would also boost his trade value. Getting Wiggins to make a bigger impact at both ends of the floor is also the best way for the team to become more of a factor in the Western Conference.

Southwest Notes: Pelicans, Murray, Westbrook, Hartenstein

August 10th, 2019 at 6:21pm CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma expects big things from three ex-teammates who were shipped to the Pelicans in the Anthony Davis trade, relays Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram, both former No. 2 picks, were sent to New Orleans along with Josh Hart in the deal to get another star to pair with LeBron James. Kuzma thinks the freedom of a new environment should benefit all three players.

“They were excited,” Kuzma said. “It’s a little bit less pressure. They didn’t (actually) say that. But obviously being in L.A., there’s more pressure. They can be themselves now. They can go to New Orleans and develop into the superstars they were supposed to be.”

There had been rumors for months that the Lakers were willing to part with young talent, including Kuzma, to acquire Davis. Kuzma said management told the players they weren’t eager to give up so much of their young core, but everyone understands that Davis is a rare talent.

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Injured Spurs guard Dejounte Murray tweeted today that he has received medical clearance to continue his summer workouts. It’s the latest encouraging sign for Murray as he tries to work his way back from a torn right ACL he suffered during a preseason game last October. Murray was coming off a promising 2017/18 campaign in which he earned second-team All-Defense honors while posting an 8.1/5.7/2.9 line in 81 games. He is eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer.
As part of his trade from the Thunder to the Rockets, Russell Westbrook agreed to alter his contract, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times. The changes will make his deal “more team-friendly and less front-loaded,” sources tell Stein.
Isaiah Hartenstein and Michael Frazier are trying to seize opportunities with the Rockets through extensive offseason workouts that are heavy on 3-point shooting, writes Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Both players will come to camp next month without fully guaranteed deals. Hartenstein has a 50% guarantee on his $1,416,852 contract for this season, while Frazier has the same salary with no guarantee.

Pelicans Notes: Melli, Ball, Ingram, Redick, Miller

July 26th, 2019 at 7:22pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pelicans’ executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin was able to land Euro star Nicolo Melli by selling him on the team’s system and through a connection with Melli’s agent, Griffin told Jeff Duncan of The Athletic in a Q&A session. Melli joined New Orleans on a two-year, $8MM contract.

“It’s not like anybody discovered Melli. Everybody knew Melli. What was interesting is we were able to create a situation that attracted Melli. He had other opportunities to come to the NBA. He’s a player that, because he’s an elite defensive rebounder and floor spacer — I think he’s the leading rebounder in Europe since 2015 and he shoots 42 percent from 3 — that type of player is attractive to the NBA. What I think was significant for us was our situation spoke to him to because he saw his fit within Alvin Gentry’s system, and he’s represented by Sam Goldfeder of Excel Sports Management and Jeff Schwartz, whom I was really close to.”

We have more on the Pelicans:

Griffin received trade inquiries regarding the three rotation players he received from the Lakers in the Anthony Davis blockbuster but didn’t get close to moving Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart or Brandon Ingram, Griffin indicated in the same story. “There was interest but nothing that really spoke to us to any degree. … We felt really fortunate that we were able to land the players we did, and it became really evident that we were fortunate because of the interest in them that was shown by several other teams basically immediately after the deal was announced. It was fascinating to go through the experience, but we didn’t acquire them to move them, so nothing was even close.”
Pelicans guard J.J. Redick will not participate in Team USA’s training camp for the FIBA World Cup, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. Unlike some players on the original 20-man roster who pulled out to concentrate on the next NBA season, Redick declined to be added to the roster due to family reasons as he transitions to a new city. Redick joined the Pelicans on a two-year, $26.5MM contract.
Forward Darius Miller‘s contract has an early July trigger date next summer, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. Miller will make $7.25MM in guaranteed money next season and is due $7MM in 2020/21 in the non-guaranteed portion of his contract. Miller was officially signed over the weekend.