Southwest Notes: Tate, Spencer, Morant, Mavs, Zion
Jae’Sean Tate only played the final 2:27 of the Rockets‘ win over Orlando on Monday, but it was a big night for the veteran forward. As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, Tate earned a $500K bonus as a result of Houston’s victory.
Tate’s contract includes language that assures him of that bonus if the Rockets win at least 40 regular season games, and Monday’s win was their 40th of the season. Since Houston finished last season with a 41-41 record, the bonus had been considered “likely” and was already incorporated into Tate’s cap hit, so the fact that he earned it again won’t affect Houston’s cap situation.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- Grizzlies rookie Cam Spencer had the best game of his young career on Monday, scoring a season-high 16 points in 20 minutes to help Memphis eke out a win over Phoenix and talking trash to Suns star Kevin Durant along the way, as Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal details.“He’s psycho,” teammate Ja Morant told Grind City Media in his post-game interview. “But I love it though.” Morant added that he planned cover the $2,000 fine that will accompany the technical foul Spencer received following his interaction with Durant.
- With just eight healthy players available on Monday, including one (Caleb Martin) on a minutes restriction and none over 6’8″, the Mavericks were still able to pull out a win over San Antonio, pushing their lead over Phoenix for the No. 10 seed in the West back to 2.5 games. “High school, that’s what it feels like sometimes, because we’re so small,” Klay Thompson said, per Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com. “But we got a lot of heart. So, heart over height, you know?”
- Rod Walker of NOLA.com argues that the Pelicans are doing their fans a disservice by sitting star forward Zion Williamson in New Orleans in instances where they have back-to-back sets consisting of one road game and one home game. While Walker’s argument is understandable, it’s worth noting that the NBA’s player participation policy, which applies this season to Williamson, discourages teams from resting players on the road.
Pelicans’ Trey Murphy Discusses Breakout Season, Zion, More
It has largely been a season to forget for the Pelicans, who hold the fourth-worst record in the NBA in part due to a crushing — and seemingly never-ending — wave of injuries. However, one silver lining has been the standout play of Trey Murphy.
The 24-year-old is posting career highs in virtually every major statistic in 2024/25, including points (21.7), rebounds (5.2), assists (3.8), steals (1.2), blocks (0.7), and minutes (35.6) per game through 46 appearances.
Murphy, who signed a four-year, $112MM rookie scale extension in October (it begins in ’25/26), recently discussed a number of topics in an interview with Mark Medina of Sportskeeda. Here are a few highlights.
On his breakout season:
“I’m just trying to get better. I’m understanding that I’m still young and have a long career ahead of me. I just want to build good habits and develop my game. That’s been the biggest thing this season, especially with all the injuries and stuff like that. Those are things we can’t control. The biggest things we can control now is just developing my game and finding ways to get better. … When guys go down, people feel like they have to elevate their roles. So they have to shoot more. I feel like, especially the last three weeks, that my assist numbers have been going up. We’re seeing different coverages. My threat to score has been the biggest thing for me.”
On his nine-figure contract extension:
“It means a lot. Being able to secure generational wealth is great as well as being able to take care of my family. It shows that they believe in me. It means a lot. So it makes me want to continue to work hard and prove them right on their investment.”
On being encouraged by how Zion Williamson responded following a one-game suspension for reportedly missing a team flight and being late for multiple practices:
“He’s been really good. He’s been really good. I’ve seen a big step from him, maturity-wise. It’s been great to see. … Overall, the biggest thing is that he’s been leading by example. He’s been stepping up defensively and talking. He’s sharing the ball offensively. He’s been a complete player.”
On learning from CJ McCollum:
“CJ is probably the person that I look up to the most when it comes to basketball-related things. When I’m his age, I want to be in the position that he’s in with still being super-efficient and still a pro’s pro and is about his business. He has really shown me a lot about the business on and off the court. I’m very appreciative of him. … With how he carries himself, he’s very about taking care of business and making sure to keep the main thing the main thing.”
Murphy’s interview with Medina also touches on how he and the team have dealt with injuries, his close relationship with Brandon Ingram, and how he’s developing into a vocal leader, among other topics. It’s worth reading in full if you’re a fan of the Pelicans and/or Murphy.
Southwest Notes: Zion, Mavericks, Popovich, Spurs
With Brandon Ingram no longer on the roster and Dejounte Murray out with a long-term injury, Zion Williamson will have to shoulder more leadership responsibilities for the Pelicans both on and off the court, says William Guillory of The Athletic. While there have been questions in the past about Williamson’s conditioning habits and the way he has communicated with the organization, he has earned rave reviews for the work he has put in behind the scenes this season, according to Guillory.
“I feel like he’s been a lot more locked in. He’s been taking it really seriously. You see a different look in his eye,” teammate Trey Murphy said. “He’s just ready to build and keep building chemistry and figure out what we’re doing.”
The former No. 1 overall pick led New Orleans to its third straight win on Thursday by recording the first triple-double of his career, with 27 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds, as David Brandt of The Associated Press details. New Orleans outscored Phoenix by 17 points during Williamson’s 31 minutes on the court.
“It’s a reminder to the NBA, to the fans, to everybody,” Pelicans head coach Willie Green said after the victory. “This is who he can be, night in and night out. That’s what we’re all striving to accomplish as a group. We’re striving to get our best player on the floor.”
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd has his work cut out for him with his top three big men injured, Moses Brown‘s 10-day contract close to expiring, Dwight Powell on a restriction of 10-12 minutes per game, and Kessler Edwards just 10 appearances away from his limit of 50 active games, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Brown – who had 20 points and 11 rebounds in Thursday’s win over Chicago – can’t be re-signed until April 10 once his 10-day deal expires due to Dallas’ hard cap situation, which will also prevent the team from promoting Edwards to the 15-man roster until the final week of the season.
- The Dallas Morning News staff takes a closer look at what we know so far about the possibility of a new arena for the Mavericks, including the city of Irving’s efforts to lure the Mavs out of Dallas.
- Appearing on ESPN’s NBA Today on Thursday (YouTube link), Shams Charania of ESPN provided a few more details on the first in-person meeting between Gregg Popovich and his players since the Spurs head coach suffered a stroke in the fall. Charania says that “tears were shed” during the meeting and notes that Popovich hasn’t given up hope of resuming his coaching career, even though he won’t be back this season.
Pelicans Notes: Olynyk, Zion, Alvarado, Matkovic
Pelicans forward/center Kelly Olynyk has appeared in just two games for his new team since being acquired in the Brandon Ingram trade at this month’s deadline, but he’s already making his impact felt in New Orleans. He immediately entered the Pelicans’ starting lineup in his debut on Friday, grabbed 15 rebounds in a win over San Antonio on Sunday, and is a plus-32 in 49 minutes through two games.
Praising the veteran big man for his professionalism and leadership, Pelicans head coach Willie Green also expressed enthusiasm for what Olynyk brings the team on the court, as Rod Walker of NOLA.com writes.
“He’s a vet. He’s been in situations where he’s been on a few teams. We all kinda run similar plays and have similar concepts,” Green said. “The terminology may be a bit different, but he’ll pick it up quickly. He’s an extremely talented player with his ability to pass, stretch the floor and rebound. He brings more size to our group, so we’re excited to get him and have him on the floor.”
Here’s more on the Pelicans:
- Michael C. Wright of ESPN (Twitter link) hears that Zion Williamson weighed 264 pounds as of Friday, which would be his lowest weight since the Pelicans drafted him in 2019. The former No. 1 overall pick has been excellent for New Orleans as of late, averaging 27.1 points in 27.4 minutes per game over his past 10 outings on 61.8% shooting.
- While he’s one of several Pelicans regulars to miss time with an injury this season, Jose Alvarado has been a bright spot for the team when healthy, averaging career highs in points (10.0), assists (4.5), and steals (1.4) per game, as well as three-point percentage (39.7%). In a story for NOLA.com, Walker highlights Alvarado’s contributions after his big game on Sunday vs. San Antonio, which included a career-best nine rebounds. “Jose was the vocal leader and his energy really shifted the course of the game,” Williamson said after the victory. “His energy is very infectious because it seems like he’s all over the court.” Alvarado signed an extension back in September that includes a $4.5MM guaranteed salary for next season and a $4.5MM player option for 2026/27.
- Rookie forward/center Karlo Matkovic appeared in just six of New Orleans’ first 42 games this season, but he has seen action in 13 of the past 15, including nine in a row. The 23-year-old enjoyed the best game of his young career in Sunday’s win over the Spurs, pouring in 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting in 21 minutes while also grabbing six rebounds. Matkovic told reporters after the game that he’s “embracing” the opportunity to play regular minutes for the Pelicans. “Being here, then (in the G League with) Birmingham, and then back and forth. Then getting minutes, not getting minutes,” he said, per Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. “I think that’s a part of the journey. The way it all started, drafted, stashed, working a way through, I think that’s the way it has to go.”
Pelicans’ Missi Available Friday Following Knee Injury
In what is seemingly the first good bit of injury news the Pelicans have had all season, rookie center Yves Missi has been upgraded from questionable to available for Friday’s contest at Dallas, the team announced (via Twitter).
The 21st overall pick of the 2024 draft, Missi sustained a hyperextended right knee last Thursday against Sacramento, which caused him to miss the Rising Stars event at All-Star weekend. However, he’s returning in New Orleans’ first game back after the break, so he may not end up missing any regular season contests as a result of the injury.
Missi has emerged as the starting center for a Pelicans team that lacked depth in the middle entering the season, averaging 27.1 minutes per night and starting in 46 of his 52 total appearances.
The 20-year-old big man has averaged 8.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per contest so far in 2024/25 as he makes a bid for All-Rookie recognition.
Missi has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise season to forget in New Orleans. The team is trying to end ’24/25 on a positive note after going just 13-42 before the break, per Rod Walker of NOLA.com.
“It’s tough, it’s really tough,” Zion Williamson said about the struggles. “I mean, we had a lot of things not really go our way. But all you can do is make the most of the situation you’re in at the moment.”
Griffin: Williamson Remains Centerpiece Of Pelicans’ Future Plans
Zion Williamson remains the focal point of the Pelicans’ plans, despite his extensive injury history. Executive VP of basketball operations David Griffin said during a press conference on Tuesday that he’ll continue to build his team around the high-scoring big man, The Associated Press’ Brett Martel relays.
“If you take just his body of work this year, what he’s done for us when he’s been healthy, he’s taking steps every day and he’s grown by leaps and bounds, both on the court and off,” Griffin said. “The player he is now is better than he’s ever been.”
Williamson has averaged 23.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists per night in 17 games this season. He has missed 36 games, mainly due to a hamstring injury.
Griffin indicated that Williamson has embraced his role as a team leader. Williamson still has three years left on his maximum-salary contract and Griffin feels like his best years are about to come. Griffin added that some of Williamson’s injuries were “flukish” and “unavoidable.”
“People mature at different rates in the league, and sometimes that maturity looks like a brushfire and sometimes it looks like a forest fire,” Griffin said. “I think he’s reaching forest-fire status now — and that’s exciting.”
Confronted with salary cap issues, Griffin chose to deal his other starting forward, Brandon Ingram, who agreed on Tuesday to a three-year extension with his new team, Toronto.
“We reached a point where financially we weren’t going to be able to keep the group together as we were constructed,” Griffin said.
Here’s more from Griffin’s presser:
- The Pelicans have won just 12 games, mainly due to injuries. Griffin admits he needs to find more durable players. “We need to get better just in terms of our ability to build a more available roster,” Griffin said. “Obviously, that’s something we’ve failed at to this point.”
- Along those lines, the Pelicans will look to add size and toughness to the roster, Will Guillory of The Athletic tweets. “We’re one of the worst rebounding teams of the last 15 years in the NBA,” Griffin said. “It doesn’t take a great deal for me to tell you we need to get bigger and more physical. I think that’s fairly obvious. … Our ability to make shots around ball-dominant play creators is important (as well),” he said.
- When the Pelicans acquired Bruce Brown and Kelly Olynyk from the Raptors in exchange for Ingram, there was speculation that Brown could be bought out and that Olynyk could be back on the trade market this summer. Griffin suggested on Tuesday that’s not the plan. “This is not viewed as a short-term situation with either player in our minds. And we hope as the season unfolds, they grow to feel the same about us,” Griffin said, per Rod Walker of NOLA.com. Brown told Walker he’d appreciate some stability. “I’ve been on six teams in seven years, so I’m tired of moving,” the veteran swingman said. “So I want to find a home. If this is the place, this is the place.”
- In case you missed it, Griffin indicated forward Herbert Jones will likely miss the rest of the season due to his shoulder injury. Get the details here.
Trade Rumors: Boucher, Nuggets, Vucevic, Pelicans, Suns
The Nuggets are a suitor to watch for Raptors big man Chris Boucher, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter links).
However, even though Denver “definitely” has interest in Boucher, the team is extremely limited in terms of both draft assets and appealing matching salary. Its two most expendable veterans, Zeke Nnaji ($8.9MM) and Dario Saric ($5.2MM), are both on multiyear contracts, making them negative trade assets.
The Nuggets are also operating above the first tax apron, so they can’t take back more money than they send out in a trade. They would likely “jump” at the chance to sign Boucher on the buyout market, Grange says, but it’s unclear if Toronto would consider a buyout for the big man if he’s not traded today.
Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- As of two hours before the trade deadline, there was no momentum toward a Nikola Vucevic deal between the Warriors and Bulls, says K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter links). If Vucevic ends up staying in Chicago through the deadline, the expectation is that he’d be on the trade block again in the offseason, Johnson notes.
- Pelicans forward Zion Williamson and guard CJ McCollum aren’t going anywhere at the trade deadline, according to Marc J. Spears of Andscape, who said on ESPN’s NBA Today that both players are on track to remain in New Orleans after the team agreed to trade Brandon Ingram to Toronto.
- The Suns‘ Jusuf Nurkic trade with Charlotte is expected to be the only deal Phoenix makes today, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link). That means the team will move forward with its “big three” of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal despite many rumors involving Durant and Beal leading up to today’s deadline.
Pelicans Rumors: Ingram, Hawks, Tax, Theis, Green, Robinson-Earl, Boston
The Hawks are among the teams who’ve called the Pelicans to gauge the price tag on forward Brandon Ingram, league sources told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Atlanta’s interest in Ingram was previously reported by The Stein Line.
Ingram, who has a 15 percent trade kicker unless he chooses to waive it, will be an unrestricted free agent after the season. Ingram has been out since Dec. 7 due to a left ankle sprain and there’s still no timetable for his return.
In talks between the Hawks and Pelicans, Scotto hears New Orleans would be reluctant to take back future salary, including the contract of Bogdan Bogdanovic, who’s owed $16MM for the 2025/26 season and has a team option worth $16MM for the 2026/27 season.
It still could be a hard sell for New Orleans to complete an Ingram deal. The Pelicans have been fielding offers for Ingram since last summer, but there hasn’t been much traction on a potential trade, The Athletic’s William Guillory reports.
Here’s more on the Pelicans:
- Along with gauging interest in Ingram and his $36MM expiring contract, another item on the agenda for the Pelicans is ducking the luxury tax, Scotto adds. League executives anticipate that Daniel Theis ($2.8MM salary this season), Javonte Green ($2.425MM) and/or Jeremiah Robinson-Earl ($2.2MM) could be on the move.
- Guillory said the franchise also must decide if it is committed to retaining Zion Williamson long-term and whether to obtain assets by trading CJ McCollum to a contender.
- Once the trade deadline passes, there’s a strong belief the Pelicans will convert two-way guard Brandon Boston Jr. to a standard contract, according to Scotto. Boston has already appeared in 41 games, including 10 starts, averaging 10.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 23.9 minutes. Two-way players have a 50-game limit before a team must decide whether to offer a standard deal, waive them, or leave them in the G League the rest of the season.
Southwest Notes: Paul, Wembanyama, Zion, Rockets, Grizzlies
As the Spurs move into the trade spotlight as a potential destination for Sacramento guard De’Aaron Fox, Chris Paul is urging his younger teammates to ignore the online chatter, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Paul has been traded six times and has seen many teammates come and go during his 20-year career, so he’s encouraging everyone to focus on controlling what they can, which means trying to stop a recent slide that has seen San Antonio fall to 12th place in the West.
“Trades, trade deadlines always get tricky,” Paul said. “I know enough GMs, coaches. A lot of them were my teammates and friends. Things can change. One minute, they’re not trying (to make a deal) and then they are. I done heard it all, trust me. So, control what you can control. Show up, do your job. And hopefully people deal with you respectfully. That’s all you can hope for.”
Acting coach Mitch Johnson is also concerned about how trade rumors will affect his players, many of whom have never dealt with that type of speculation before. He notes that social media makes trade rumors inescapable, especially when a high-profile player like Fox comes on the market.
“Social media has gotten to a point now where if you want to find it, you can go look for it. Not even during just the trade deadline,” Johnson said. “There’s a lot of opinions on how we play every game, what you wear to the game, what shots you took, what comment you said, and hopefully it’s just something where guys don’t need to look for that stuff. With that being said, it’s a human part and this is a business, and I think it’s understandable when people have feelings about their personal situation. I think we have a great organization that’s always been very supportive and (has emphasized) we’re going to control things we can control.”
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Lakers star Anthony Davis suggested this week that there’s a “narrative” in place to have Victor Wembanyama win Defensive Player of the Year honors, but the second-year Spurs big man told Orsborn that he doesn’t consider individual achievements to be that important. Wembanyama, who was named to his first All-Star game on Thursday, is leading the league in blocks at 3.9 per game. “It’s not something I worry about,” he said. “If I end up being Defensive Player of the Year, it means I’ve helped my team on that side of the court. It means I’ve done my best and I’ve been rewarded for it, but at the end of the day, the best reward is the wins.”
- After missing more than two months with a strained hamstring, Zion Williamson believes he has sufficiently recovered to play both ends of back-to-backs, per Will Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter link). However, the Pelicans are still being cautious, holding him out last Friday at Memphis before using him Saturday at Charlotte. “Let me make this clear to everybody out there,” Williamson said. “If I could play in the back-to-backs, I would. Physically? Yes, I can. But I work for the Pelicans. They have decided that, based off the numbers, it’s not smart to do that right now. If that’s what they feel, I’m rocking with them on that.”
- Kelly Iko and John Hollinger of The Athletic discuss how the top three teams in the West should approach the trade deadline, looking at the options for the Rockets and Grizzlies as well as the Thunder.
Southwest Notes: Zion, McCollum, Sengun, Wembanyama, Edey
Pelicans forward Zion Williamson made his debut with the Pelicans five years ago as of Wednesday, and there have been plenty of highs and lows during that five-year stretch, write Christian Clark and William Guillory of The Athletic. Specifically, Williamson’s missed 230 of a potential 424 regular season games since he entered the league, calling into question just how high New Orleans’ ceiling can be with him.
Clark and Guillory opine that the Pelicans have done well to surround Williamson with talent, but health and availability have always hindered the team even when its star player has been healthy. Williamson seems to be taking a step forward this season, especially defensively, and he’s averaging 21.9 points, 8.2 rebounds and 5.4 assists per contest.
Clark and Guillory agree that the Pelicans need to make decisions on the Brandon Ingram situation and the coaching staff before they seriously weigh Williamson’s future in New Orleans.
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- CJ McCollum is shouldering the scoring load for the Pelicans during their four-game win streak, Rod Walker of NOLA.com writes. McCollum recorded 45 points in an overtime win against the Jazz on Monday after scoring 26 in a victory over Utah last Friday.
- Rockets center Alperen Sengun remains on a strong career trajectory, helping lead Houston to a 29-14 record this season. After winning 42 combined games in Sengun’s first two years in the NBA, the Rockets went 41-41 last season and are now on a 55-win pace in 2024/25, continuing their ascent. In an in-depth interview with The Athletic’s Sam Amick, Sengun opened up about his past and what he thinks has changed for Houston. “Opportunity, and (head coach) Ime (Udoka) believing in me,” Sengun said of his impressive development. “That was the biggest reason. He’s shown me that multiple times — last year, this year. He always trusted me. And that’s one of the things in life. You want to find someone that has trust in you.“
- The Spurs paved the way for Victor Wembanyama‘s success with their history of investing in their players and their track record of international player development, Michael C. Wright of ESPN writes. “The organization has proven over and over they’re willing and they’re doing the right things,” Wembanyama said. “The most important thing is trust and also communication. It’s a balance and the will [between both parties] to keep that balance over the years. This is what’s going to pay off.”
- Zach Edey‘s offensive numbers are down and it’s because the Grizzlies are hoping to expand his game beyond being a traditional back-to-the-basket guy, Damichael Cole of Memphis’s Commercial Appeal writes. “Everybody’s got a different role to do,” Edey said. “My role has changed through the year. Just trying to buy into that role. Buy into being an elite rebounder, buying into being an elite rim protector, buying into being a spacer and cutter more than I’ve ever been used to. If it helps the team win, that’s what I’m going to do.”