Naji Marshall Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Mavs’ Harrison Discusses Jones’ Exit, Marshall, Grimes, Klay

July 16th, 2024 at 3:56pm CST by Luke Adams

After the Mavericks were defeated by Boston in the NBA Finals last month, head of basketball operations Nico Harrison referred to re-signing Derrick Jones as the team’s “priority 1A and 1B.” When the team agreed to trade Tim Hardaway Jr. to Detroit in a cost-cutting move prior to free agency, it seemingly paved the way for Jones to return, but the defensive-minded wing signed with the Clippers instead.

Asked by Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required), why Jones didn’t end up back in Dallas and whether his 11th-hour agent change was a factor, Harrison suggested it wasn’t the Mavs’ decision to move on.

“Honestly, it’s a better question for him to answer,” Harrison said. “I mean, I don’t know. I guess he liked L.A. better than Dallas.”

Harrison admitted that he was somewhat surprised by Jones’ decision.

“Yeah,” he said. “But honestly, we have Naji (Marshall) and I’m excited about Naji. I did say (Jones) was 1A and 1B, and that’s how we approached it. That’s how we approached him for the whole year, in terms of how we approached him with respect and the love that we showed him and also the play that he had with our guys. He deserved it too, but he made his own choice. And we have Naji. We’re excited about Naji.”

Here are a few more highlights from Harrison’s conversation with Curtis:

On what new additions Marshall and Quentin Grimes will bring to Dallas:

“Naji’s a really good basketball player … He’ll be a really physical defender, which we’ve got good defense, but not physical. And he’s a physical (player), but he’s a good basketball player. He can shoot. He can really handle the ball. He’ll be able to drive the close out and he can make plays. So I think his skill level is kind of better than people know. And then Quentin, defensively, he’s elite and he can handle the ball and can shoot.”

On why he thinks the Mavericks, who don’t have a strong track record of landing impact free agents, appealed to Klay Thompson:

“I think winning. But before you get to the winning is the culture that we’re creating. I think when you create the right culture and people thrive in it, then I think people in the league take notice. They want to be a part of it.”

On how he expects Thompson to fit alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving:

“In terms of a basketball player, he’s one who’s relentless and has a crazy work ethic. He’s one of the best shooters the game has. I’m excited. Excited to have my team. And he’s a winner, too. I think we now have one of the best shooters in the NBA, maybe the best. And you add that to Luka and Kyrie, it’s only going to open up the floor. I think he opens up the floor for them and they open up the floor for him. I really think it’s a really good combination.”

On having made a series of changes to a roster that just appeared in the NBA Finals:

“It’s not like we added another ball-dominant scorer. We added complementary pieces that are really good. So I think you got to get better if you want to get back to where you were. If you just sit there, idling … the West is tough. Everybody in the West is getting better. You got to figure out how you can do it without disrupting the core makeup of the team because you don’t want to start training camp in ground zero. Now you bring in a few fresh faces, people that are additive they can fit in to what we’re already doing.”

Contract Details: George, Martin, Wiseman, Isaac, Hield, More

July 8th, 2024 at 6:49am CST by Luke Adams

Following the end of the July moratorium on Saturday, teams wasted no time in officially finalizing many of the contracts they’d agreed to up until that point.

Now that those contracts have been completed, we have the official details on many of them. Here, via several reporters – including Keith Smith of Spotrac, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, and cap expert Yossi Gozlan – as well as our own sources, are some of those notable details:

Players with trade kickers:

Lakers forward LeBron James (15%), Knicks forward OG Anunoby (15%), Sixers forward Paul George (15%), Sixers forward Caleb Martin (15%), Mavericks sharpshooter Klay Thompson (15%), and Mavericks forward Naji Marshall (5%) received trade kickers on their new free agent deals, while Celtics guard Derrick White (15%) got one on his contract extension.

As an aside, James’ exact starting salary in 2024/25 is $48,728,845, which is $1,258,873 below the maximum he could have earned.

Players who waived their right to veto a trade:

A player who re-signs with his team on a one-year contract (or two-year contract with a second-year option) is typically awarded the right to veto a trade, but has the option to waive that option.

Heat center Thomas Bryant, Rockets guard Aaron Holiday, Raptors wing Garrett Temple, and Magic teammates Gary Harris and Moritz Wagner all surrendered their right to veto a trade in 2024/25 and could be moved freely.

Unlikely incentives:

Nets center Nic Claxton ($97MM base + $3MM incentives), Pacers forward Obi Toppin ($58MM +$2MM), Suns forward Royce O’Neale ($42MM +$2MM), and Sixers forward Martin ($35,040,704 + $5,256,106) are among the players whose contracts include unlikely bonuses that would boost the total guaranteed salary if those incentives are reached.

As cap expert Albert Nahmad observes, the structure of Martin’s contract helped the 76ers maximize their cap room, since his unlikely incentives don’t count toward the cap once he signs.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Martin’s “unlikely” incentives are easier to earn than a typical player’s incentives would be — I don’t expect them to be for making an All-Star team or anything like that. An incentive is considered unlikely for cap purposes if the player wouldn’t have met the criteria the year before. For example, as Nahmad suggests, a bonus related to Martin making 24 or more starts would be considered unlikely because he started 23 games last season. Martin’s bonuses – considered “unlikely” for cap purposes but perhaps “likely” to be earned in reality – could have served as a way to strengthen the Sixers’ offer without sacrificing that extra cap room.

It’s also worth noting that a player’s unlikely incentives can’t exceed 15% of his guaranteed base salary, and Martin’s $5,256,106 in incentives represent exactly 15% of his overall $35,040,704 salary.

Partial or non-guarantees and options:

James Wiseman‘s two-year, minimum-salary contract with the Pacers is guaranteed for $500K in year one, with a team option for 2025/26. That team option would be guaranteed for $569,041 if exercised (ie. the same percentage as his first-year salary).

Luka Garza got a similarly structured two-year, minimum-salary deal with the Timberwolves, except his first year is fully guaranteed prior to his second-year team option. That 2025/26 option would be guaranteed if picked up.

As previously reported, Isaiah Hartenstein‘s three-year, $87MM deal with the Thunder includes a team option for 2026/27. It’s worth $28.5MM, with $58.5MM in guaranteed money across the first two seasons.

Magic teammates Harris ($7.5MM) and Wagner ($11MM) each have second-year team options on their two-year deals.

The Rockets used their full bi-annual exception to give Holiday a two-year deal worth $9,569,400 that includes a second-year team option ($4,901,400).

Neemias Queta‘s three-year, minimum-salary contract with the Celtics is fully guaranteed in year one with a partial guarantee of exactly 50% ($1,174,789 of $2,349,578) in year two, plus a third-year team option for 2026/27. The third-year option ($2,667,944) would be guaranteed for 50% ($1,333,972) if exercised. Since his minimum deal covers more than two years, a team wouldn’t be able to acquire Queta via the minimum salary exception if he’s traded down the road.

Jonathan Isaac‘s new long-term deal with the Magic is partially guaranteed ($8MM of $14MM) in 2026/27, with non-guaranteed salaries of $14.5MM in 2027/28 and $15MM in 2028/29. However, each of those salaries would become fully guaranteed if Isaac plays at least 52 games in the prior season. For instance, if Isaac were to appear in 54 games in 2026/27, his $14.5MM salary for ’27/28 would be fully guaranteed.

Sign-and-trade contracts:

Interestingly, Kyle Anderson‘s and Buddy Hield‘s new contracts with the Warriors have the exact same salaries for the first three seasons: $8,780,488, $9,219,512, and $9,658,536. Anderson’s three-year deal is fully guaranteed for the first two years and non-guaranteed in year three.

As for Hield, his four-year contract is fully guaranteed for the first two years, with a partial guarantee of $3MM for year three. His fourth year is a $10,097,560 player option that would be partially guaranteed for $3,136,364 if exercised.

Klay Thompson’s three-year contract with the Mavericks comes in at exactly $50MM, as reported — it starts at $15,873,016 and features 5% annual raises.

Jonas Valanciunas‘ three-year contract with the Wizards is worth $30,295,000 in total, beginning at $9.9MM (which is the amount of the trade exception generated for the Pelicans). It’s fully guaranteed for the first two seasons and non-guaranteed in year three.

Cody Zeller got a three-year, $11,025,000 deal in the sign-and-trade that sent him from New Orleans to the Hawks. The first year is guaranteed for $3.5MM, with two non-guaranteed seasons after that.

Finally, as part of the Mikal Bridges trade, new Nets guard Shake Milton got a three-year, $9,162,405 contract that has a guaranteed first-year salary of $2,875,000, with two non-guaranteed years after that ($3MM in 2025/26 and $3,287,406 in ’26/27). His teammate Mamadi Diakite, who was also sent to Brooklyn in the trade, had his $2,273,252 salary partially guaranteed for $1,392,150.

Milton’s $2,875,000 salary, Diakite’s $1,392,150 partial guarantee, and Bojan Bogdanovic‘s $19,032,850 salary add up to $23.3MM, which is equivalent to Bridges’ salary — the exact amount of outgoing salary the Knicks needed to send to avoid being hard-capped at the first tax apron.

Stein’s Latest: Ingram, Bridges, Cavs, Mavs, Westbrook

July 4th, 2024 at 3:45pm CST by Rory Maher

The Pelicans have “intensified” their efforts to trade Brandon Ingram in the past few days, league sources tell Marc Stein (Substack link).

Apparently the desire for a deal is mutual, as Ingram is disappointed that New Orleans has been unwilling to offer him a lucrative long-term extension. Stein hears that Ingram’s representatives have been looking at trade options.

Aside from moving Ingram, the Pels are focused on trying to sign Trey Murphy to a rookie scale extension, Stein writes. They’re also looking for depth up front after Jonas Valanciunas agreed to a three-year deal with Washington.

According to Stein, the Kings, who have explored trading for several forwards, are one potential suitor for Ingram.

Here’s more from Stein’s latest rumor round up:

The Cavaliers have been described as a “team to watch” in a possible sign-and-trade for Hornets forward Miles Bridges, though Stein isn’t sure how serious Cleveland’s interest is. Bridges is “known to be interested” in sign-and-trade scenarios, Stein adds.
The Mavericks are “sure to re-sign” free agent forward Markieff Morris, according to Stein, who says Dallas is also looking for minimum-salary backcourt depth. Morris hinted at returning to the Mavs on Wednesday.
Sources tell Stein the Mavericks offered Derrick Jones the same three-year, $27MM contract that Naji Marshall accepted, but evidently Jones was looking to maximize his earnings, which is why he agreed to a three-year, $30MM deal with the Clippers. Stein hears the Mavs weren’t sure how much money Jones would command and were wary of a bidding war, which is why they switched their attention to Marshall, a player they like.
According to Stein, the Nuggets continue to show the “most tangible” interest in Clippers guard Russell Westbrook, who is considered likely to be on another team to open the 2024/25 season.

Mavericks Sign Naji Marshall To Three-Year Deal

June 30th, 2024 at 9:04pm CST by Rory Maher

JULY 6: Marshall has officially signed with the Mavericks, the team announced today (via Twitter).

JUNE 30: The Mavericks are signing free agent wing Naji Marshall to a three-year, $27MM contract, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter).

A former undrafted free agent who played college ball at Xavier, Marshall has spent his entire four-year NBA career with New Orleans, initially starting out on a two-way contract. Known for his energy and tenacious defense, the 26-year-old had a career year from deep in 2023/24, converting 38.7% of his three-point looks, though it was on very low volume (2.3 attempts per game).

Notably, Marshall was one of the Pelicans’ top performers in their first-round loss to the Thunder, averaging 9.0 points and 2.8 rebounds while shooting 40% from long distance in 21.0 minutes per contest. He averaged 7.1 points and 3.6 rebounds in 19.0 minutes across 66 regular season appearances last season, almost entirely off the bench (he made one start).

It’s a huge raise for Marshall, who finished last season on a minimum-salary contract. A report last month indicated New Orleans didn’t expect Marshall back next season due to financial reasons.

Marshall was considered a fallback option for Dallas if the team was unable to re-sign starting forward Derrick Jones, whose free agency was complicated by the fact that he recently switched agents. Veteran reporter Marc Stein confirms the Mavs are preparing to move on from Jones, citing league sources who say the team is still focused on landing Klay Thompson in a sign-and-trade with Golden State (Twitter links).

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon says (via Twitter) the Mavs are using a significant portion of their non-taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Marshall. As ESPN’s Bobby Marks has noted, there’s an expectation that Dallas will use its bi-annual exception to acquire Quentin Grimes from Detroit, creating a trade exception worth Tim Hardaway Jr.‘s full outgoing salary (nearly $16.2MM). If a deal comes to fruition, Thompson’s contract would fit into that new TPE.

The 2024 offseason is the first time that the MLE and BAE can be used to acquire players in trades or waiver claims, not just to sign free agents.

The first tax apron for the 2024/25 league year ($178,132,000) will be the hard cap for any team that acquires a player via sign-and-trade, signs a player using more than the taxpayer portion of the mid-level exception, signs or acquires a player using a bi-annual exception, uses any portion of its mid-level exception to add a player via trade or waiver claim, acquires more than 100% of the outgoing salary in a trade, or uses a trade exception generated prior to the start of the 2024 offseason. The Mavs will meet several of those criteria, which means they cannot exceed the first apron salary threshold.

Marshall came in at No. 33 on our list of 2024’s top 50 free agents.

FA Rumors: Lakers, LeBron, Harden, Klay, George, Magic, DeRozan, More

June 30th, 2024 at 7:31am CST by Luke Adams

Having confirmed on Saturday that LeBron James would be open to accepting less than the maximum salary in certain scenarios, agent Rich Paul tells Dave McMenamin of ESPN that the idea would be for the Lakers to add an “impact player” using that extra flexibility.

James Harden, Klay Thompson, and Jonas Valanciunas are a few of the “impact” players who might fit that criteria, sources tell McMenamin. While it might be difficult to convince Harden or Thompson to settle for the mid-level (worth approximately $12.9MM), a sign-and-trade could also be a possibility to land that sort of player. Acquiring a player via sign-and-trade would hard-cap the Lakers at the first tax apron for 2024/25, but so would using more than the taxpayer portion ($5.2MM) of the mid-level exception.

If the Lakers aren’t able to add a player of that caliber, the plan would be for James to seek a max deal to return to the Lakers, Paul tells McMenamin. If LeBron does accept a pay cut, the most likely scenario would see him accept a two-year deal with a 2025/26 player option so that he’d have the ability to negotiate a raise a year from now, sources tell Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

Elsewhere on the Lakers front, after tendering a qualifying offer to Max Christie to make him a restricted free agent, the team would like to retain the 21-year-old guard, envisioning him as a rotation player next season, sources tell Buha. However, if L.A. hard-caps itself by adding an impact player via sign-and-trade or the MLE, fitting a new deal for Christie under the first apron could be a challenge.

Here are a few more rumors from around the NBA ahead of the official start of free agency on Sunday evening:

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN referred to the Sixers this morning on SportsCenter as a “legitimate threat” to sign Paul George away from the Clippers (hat tip to Adam Zagoria of NJ.com), while Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack story that Philadelphia has a “significant measure of renewed hope” in its ability to land the star forward.
Although the Magic are one of three teams to secure a meeting with George, the free agents connected most frequently to Orlando by league insiders are Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein and Nuggets wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, per Stein.
There’s a belief that DeMar DeRozan may wait to see what happens with George’s free agency before making a decision, according to Stein, since he’d have a better feel for his options outside the Bulls at that point. Multiple reports this offseason have suggested the Clippers could be a suitor for DeRozan (likely via sign-and-trade) if they lose George.
While the Lakers have emerged as a legitimate option for Klay Thompson, the Mavericks have made the veteran sharpshooter their top free agent priority, even ahead of starting small forward Derrick Jones, says Stein. Dallas hasn’t ruled out the possibility of signing both players – that would require a sign-and-trade for Thompson and an MLE deal for Jones – which would be the team’s true “Plan A,” Stein writes, adding that Naji Marshall continues to be mentioned as a likely Mavs target if they lose Jones.
The Clippers and Spurs are among the teams expected to have interest in Chris Paul if the veteran point guard ends up being waived by Golden State and becoming a free agent, reports Stein.

Fischer’s Latest: Draft Rumors, Marshall, Young, Kings, Topic, Knicks, Lowry

June 26th, 2024 at 7:10am CST by Luke Adams

As several of this year’s green room invitees gathered on Tuesday to speak to the media, there was a sense of uncertainty about how Wednesday’s draft will play out, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, who says that many prospects don’t have a real sense of where they’ll be picked.

According to Fischer, the Spurs conducted a meeting with Donovan Clingan over Zoom this past weekend and have been linked to the UConn center more in recent days than they were earlier in the pre-draft process. However, many people around the league believe that’s a smokescreen to entice a team like the Trail Blazers or Grizzlies to trade up to No. 4 to draft him.

If the Grizzlies end up trading down from No. 9, the Heat (No. 15) are viewed as a team that may have interest in moving up, Fischer writes, adding that the Cavaliers at No. 20 have also received a number of calls from teams drafting near the end of the first round with interest in trading up.

The Thunder, who hold the No. 12 pick, have more than enough ammunition in future picks to move up from there if they want to, but if they stand pat, Pittsburgh’s Carlton Carrington is viewed as one possibility for that pick, Fischer reports. Meanwhile, Indiana big man Kel’el Ware has been repeatedly mentioned by league personnel as a candidate to be drafted at No. 19 by the Raptors, Fischer says.

As for the Bucks at No. 23, with rumors circulating that they could move Brook Lopez this offseason, rival teams believe they may be targeting a possible center of the future at that spot. Sources tell Yahoo Sports that Dayton’s DaRon Holmes is one player Milwaukee tried to bring in for a workout, but he declined that invitation. However, Fischer confirms – as Michael Scotto of HoopsHype previously reported – that Holmes, who has also been linked to the Kings, doesn’t have a promise from the Nuggets.

Here’s more from Fischer:

If the Mavericks are unable to re-sign Derrick Jones and have a hole to fill on the wing, they’re expected to show interest in Pelicans free agent Naji Marshall, sources tell Fischer, who adds that the Pistons are another potential suitor to watch for Marshall.
The Lakers, Pelicans, and Spurs are among the possible destinations that would appeal to Trae Young if the Hawks decide to move him, Fischer says.
While the Kings continue to explore the market for a potential deal involving the No. 13 pick and one or both of Harrison Barnes and Kevin Huerter, they don’t appear to have gained any momentum toward a deal for either Hawks guard (Young or Dejounte Murray), Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, or any other player of that caliber, Fischer writes.
The Magic hired Milenko Topic – Nikola Topic‘s father and a former coach in Serbia and Hungary – to a front office role this past season, per Fischer. That’s a key reason why people around the league believe Orlando at No. 18 is the floor for Nikola in Wednesday’s draft, though he may not make it that far.
After agreeing to acquire Mikal Bridges from Brooklyn, the Knicks might not be done adding former Villanova Wildcats. In a separate Yahoo Sports story on the Bridges deal, Fischer cites sources who say veteran point guard Kyle Lowry has been mentioned as a possible free agent target for New York.

Pelicans Notes: Murphy, Alvarado, Valanciunas, Draft, Arena

May 22nd, 2024 at 9:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

A rookie scale extension for Trey Murphy will be one of the Pelicans‘ offseason priorities, but it will take a significant offer to make it happen, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com. Clark sees a new contract for Murphy falling somewhere between the four-year, $94.5MM deal that Brooklyn gave Cameron Johnson last summer and the five-year pact Devin Vassell signed with San Antonio that includes $135MM in guaranteed money.

Murphy came off the bench in 34 of the 57 games he played this season, but Clark points to an April matchup with Golden State as evidence that he can handle a full-time starting role. With Brandon Ingram sidelined by an injury, Murphy scored 24 points and sank six three-pointers, three of which were from 30 feet or longer.

New Orleans reportedly plans to explore trades involving Ingram this summer, creating an opportunity for Murphy to replace him in the starting lineup. Clark views Murphy as a better fit alongside Zion Williamson and Herbert Jones, adding that all three will be under long-term deals if Murphy signs an extension.

There’s more from New Orleans:

The Pelicans are very likely to pick up their $1.99MM team option on Jose Alvarado, Keith Smith of Spotrac states in an offseason overview of the team. Option decisions on Jeremiah Robinson-Earl ($2.2MM) and Matt Ryan ($2.4MM) are less certain, but Smith expects New Orleans to keep both players unless the front office decides it needs to open a roster spot. The more difficult choices, according to Smith, are what to do with center Jonas Valanciunas and small forward Naji Marshall, who will both be unrestricted free agents if they don’t agree to extensions by late June. Smith expects a one- or two-year deal for Valanciunas if he’s brought back, while Marshall seems likely to wind up elsewhere.
The Pelicans need to find a big man in the draft, and there should be plenty of decent options when they pick at No. 21, Smith adds, listing Zach Edey, Yves Missi, DaRon Holmes II and Kel’el Ware as players who could still be on the board. Smith expects New Orleans to defer the first-round pick that it’s owed from the Lakers, which is at No. 17, and take L.A.’s first-rounder next year instead.
The Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District voted to delay planned improvements to Smoothie King Center because Pelicans owner Gayle Benson, who also owns the NFL’s Saints, is delinquent on payments for upgrades to the Superdome, Clark and Jeff Duncan write in a separate story. ASM Global, which manages the Superdome, contends the Saints are $11.5MM behind and haven’t made a payment since December. The NFL team issued a statement (via Twitter) saying it has no problem paying the $11.5MM — or its $41MM share of the $58MM project — but added, “We have, however, asked for certain documentation over an extended period and we have not received that documentation.” Last year, the Pelicans extended their lease at the arena through June of 2029.

Pelicans Rumors: Zion, Ingram, Hawkins, Murphy, More

May 10th, 2024 at 2:39pm CST by Rory Maher

After being swept in the first round of the playoffs, head of basketball operations David Griffin said at the end of last month that the Pelicans are going to actively look to improve this summer. Those comments drew plenty of attention from rival executives, Michael Scotto told William Guillory of The Athletic on the latest HoopsHype podcast.

Scotto hears New Orleans plans to build around Zion Williamson and the Pelicans will be looking for “positional upgrades to improve their spacing” around the former No. 1 overall pick. Guillory confirms the team was pleased with Williamson’s progress — both on and off the court — particularly in the second half of the season.

Rival front offices view Brandon Ingram as the “most likely” Pelican to be dealt this offseason, per Scotto. As Scotto notes, Ingram is entering the final year of his contract, which will pay him $36MM in 2024/25.

According to Guillory, if Ingram were to hit unrestricted free agency in 2025, he would likely receive a max or near-max deal, which is what his camp would almost certainly be seeking in a potential extension. Still, trading Ingram after he was hampered by a knee injury and struggled mightily in the postseason isn’t ideal from a value perspective, so it’s challenging to come up with deals that make sense for New Orleans, Guillory observes.

Here’s more on the Pelicans from Scotto and Guillory:

Aside from finances, one of the reasons the Pelicans may be open to moving Ingram is they want to get more playing time for a pair of high-volume floor spacers in Jordan Hawkins and Trey Murphy, according to Scotto. Hawkins struggled to crack the rotation in the second half of his rookie campaign due to the team’s backcourt depth and his defensive shortcomings, Guillory notes, but the team remains high on his upside.
As for Murphy, he’ll be eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer, and Scotto believes the North Carolina native will be seeking a deal for at least $25MM annually, pointing to the contracts Devin Vassell and Jaden McDaniels signed last offseason as “starting points.” Guillory thinks the team would prefer to extend Murphy before next season begins rather than waiting until restricted free agency in 2025.
Scotto expressed skepticism that CJ McCollum will be traded due to his leadership and professionalism, and Guillory has heard similarly, stating that the 32-year-old guard likely has more value to the Pelicans than rival teams. McCollum also set a franchise record for three-pointers made in ’23/24, Guillory notes, so he’s certainly capable of spacing the floor.
There’s an expectation that Jonas Valanciunas will likely sign with a new team in free agency, per Scotto. Guillory says he’d be “pretty surprised” if the Lithuanian center returned to New Orleans after he was benched at times down the stretch of the season. While he wasn’t an ideal fit with Williamson, Valanciunas should have some value on the open market, Guillory adds, since he remains productive and has been quite durable throughout his career.
Another free agent who could be on the move is Naji Marshall, with Guillory stating the team is “pretty much sold that he’s leaving” due to financial reasons. The 26-year-old wing shot a career-best 38.7% from three, is a solid defender, and is one of the few Pelicans who played well in the postseason, so he’ll be a name to watch in free agency, Guillory notes.
While the Pelicans could decline their team option on Jose Alvarado to make him a restricted free agent, Guillory doesn’t think that will happen. Alvarado is “very motivated” to stay with New Orleans, but Guillory suggests the team will likely wait a year before deciding what to do with him.
The Pelicans could also make some minor changes to their coaching staff, Scotto reports.

Pelicans Notes: Offseason, Ingram, Center, Point Guard

April 30th, 2024 at 4:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Entering the final day of the regular season earlier this month, the Pelicans just needed a victory to secure the No. 6 seed in the West. However, they lost that game, lost their first play-in game, and lost star forward Zion Williamson in that contest to a hamstring injury that turned out to be a season-ender. New Orleans ultimately claimed the No. 8 seed in the West, but was quickly dispatched by the Thunder in a four-game sweep.

Speaking on Tuesday to reporters (Twitter video link), head of basketball operations David Griffin said there were “so many positives” to take away from the season, pointing to the Pelicans’ league-best 28-14 road record and their sixth-best net rating (+4.6). But while he acknowledged that the team was once again bitten by the injury bug at an inopportune time, he said the front office can’t just bring back the same group and hope for better health luck next season.

“In the past, we’ve always erred on the side of continuity, and our takeaway has always been, ‘Let’s see this group healthy.’ I think we’ve seen it enough,” Griffin said. “I think we had a really, really good opportunity to see Zion play a career high in games. I think we saw it for segments of time well enough to understand that we’ve got a lot of work to do. Because it is a historically good Western Conference, there are teams that didn’t make the playoffs that are going to get radically better this offseason. We need to do the same. I think you’ll see a real sense of urgency from all of us to do that.

“… I want to be really, really clear,” Griffin added (Twitter video link). “This is not going to be a summer of complacency. It’s time to get better.”

The Pelicans aren’t quite as loaded with draft assets as they once were, but they’re still in good position to make a deal heavy on picks. They control all their own future first-round selections, an unprotected Lakers first-rounder (they can take this year’s No. 17 pick or defer it to 2025), an unprotected Bucks first-rounder (2027), and swap rights with Milwaukee in 2026.

Here’s more on the Pelicans:

The Pelicans will face a significant decision this offseason on Brandon Ingram, as the star forward prepares to enter the final year of his maximum-salary contract following an ugly series vs. the Thunder (14.3 PPG on .345/.250/.895 shooting). As Christian Clark of NOLA.com writes, if they don’t want to enter next season with Ingram on an expiring deal, the Pels will have to determine this summer whether to trade or extend him. “That’s not in the front of my mind right now,” Ingram said after Monday’s Game 4 loss. “This is a place where I got my first All-Star (appearance). Where they let me be myself. I have good relationships with everyone. But you never know. I will take a few weeks off and think about what’s best for me, what’s best for my family. Then take it from there.”
While sorting out Ingram’s future will likely be their top priority, the Pelicans have plenty of important items on their summer to-do list, according to offseason previews from ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link) and Mark Deeks of HoopsHype. Trey Murphy will be eligible for a rookie scale extension, Naji Marshall will be an unrestricted free agent, and New Orleans would presumably like to find a center who can reliably close games after having to bench both Jonas Valanciunas and Larry Nance in certain matchups. Valanciunas will also be a free agent this offseason.
Adding a traditional point guard to their roster may be another item on the Pelicans’ offseason to-do list. Asked today about that possibility, Ingram acknowledged, “It would definitely be helpful” (Twitter link via Clark). CJ McCollum has been New Orleans’ primary point guard since being acquired from Portland, but it’s not his original position.

Injury Updates: Mitchell, Okoro, Luka, Sengun, Pelicans

April 7th, 2024 at 2:04pm CST by Luke Adams

The struggling Cavaliers, who have lost seven of their past 10 games, will be without leading scorer Donovan Mitchell on Sunday vs. the Clippers, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who tweets that Mitchell is out due to injury management related to his knee.

On the plus side, Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro is on track to return after missing the past four games with a toe injury (Twitter link via Fedor).

At 46-32, the Cavs still hold the No. 3 spot in the East, but they’re only a half-game ahead of both Orlando and New York, so they’re in danger of losing home-court advantage for the first round of the playoffs.

Here are a few more injury-related updates from around the NBA:

After missing Friday’s win over Golden State, Mavericks star Luka Doncic (right knee soreness) will be back in action on Sunday vs. Houston, the team confirmed (via Twitter). A strong finish in the season’s final week would ensure that the 47-30 Mavs secure a top-six seed in the West — they’re currently at No. 5.
Even with the Rockets slipping out of the play-in race, center Alperen Sengun hasn’t given up hope of returning to the court this season, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required). Sengun, who injured his right ankle and knee on March 10, estimated that he’s about 60% recovered, per Feigen, and has begun “light mobility work,” according to head coach Ime Udoka. He hasn’t been ruled out for the season, but it would be a bit surprising if he returned to just play a game or two after Houston is officially eliminated from postseason contention. “Maybe he gets on the court, but it’s nothing we discussed yet,” Udoka said.
Pelicans wing Naji Marshall, who left Friday’s game with a left shoulder contusion, didn’t practice on Saturday and is considered questionable to play in Sunday’s game in Phoenix, tweets Erin Summers of Bally Sports. Zion Williamson (left finger contusion) and Jose Alvarado (right oblique strain) are also listed as questionable, but they both practiced on Saturday.