<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/nba-rumors-pelicans-zion-williamson-trade-situation-this-summer');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Pelicans’ Zion Williamson trade situation will come to head this summer');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Zion-Williamson_8ce082.jpg"><figcaption>© Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Pelicans’ Zion Williamson trade situation will come to head this summer</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-03T07:54:16-07:00">April 3rd, 7:54am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-03T08:42:18-07:00">April 3rd, 8:42am</time><address><a href="https://haydencilley.wixsite.com/hayden-cilley-s-port">Hayden Cilley</a>Hayden Cilley joined ClutchPoints in August 2024 as a Phoenix Suns and Mercury reporter, as well as an Associate Editor. Hayden graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. He recently covered the Phoenix Mercury for The Next Hoops and PHNX Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>According to ESPN insider Shams Charania, the New Orleans Pelicans and Zion Williamson might be no longer over the summer. It might come to fruition after the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/nba-rumors-pelicans-unlikely-trade-zion-williamson">Pelicans teased trading Williamson</a> during the season.</p><p>On the Pat McAfee Show, Charania detailed the <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25180436-nba-insiders-think-zion-williamson-pelicans-must-decide-future-amid-trade-rumors" rel="noopener">hesitant, yet necessary move</a> the franchise might need to make</p><p>“The last thing you want to do is trade Zion Williamson… and he just skyrockets, because he’s able to find help, he’s able to find that maturity, find that growth in his career,” Charania said. “They want that to come in New Orleans.</p><p>“But, I do believe, and people around the league do believe, both sides have to come together this summer, and figure out exactly what that’s going to look like. Because how it’s going right now, it’s not going to be sustainable for either side.”</p><p>New Orleans has had as tumultuous of a season as it gets. Although they dealt with a flurry of injuries, it doesn’t disregard the rough start.</p><p>As a result, they sit second to last in the Western Conference. After the Pelicans traded Brandon Ingram to the Toronto Raptors, it might be a matter of time until they trade away their other franchise star.</p><h2><b>The Pelicans could finally trade Zion Williamson</b></h2><p>With as much talent as Williamson has, <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/zion-williamson-out-indefinitely-after-being-diagnosed-with-hamstring-strain-191008150.html" rel="noopener">his injury history</a> is extremely concerning. He’s played in less than half of total NBA games since being drafted.</p><p>However, when he has been on the court, he has been unstoppable. In his second and third seasons, he made consecutive All-Star games. Everybody was hoping that the injuries were a thing of the past.</p><p>Fast forward to the 2024-25 season, and it hasn’t happened. It’s been more of the same. Even though New Orleans is ready to turn the page, Charania thinks that it’s not as easy as it appears.</p><p>“This summer, I will say that the Pelicans have decisions, as an organization, they have decisions they’re going to have to make,” Charania said.</p><p>“We’ve talked about the Suns evaluating everything. The Pelicans are going to be in the same boat. They have to look at everything, with the season they just had.”</p><p>As of writing this, the Pelicans sit at a 21-55 record in the Western Conference. They have the fourth-worst record in the league. Landing a potential No. 1 pick and Cooper Flagg would do wonders for them.</p><p>After the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-cj-mccollum-shut-down-rest-season">Pelicans shut down Williamson for the remainder of the season</a>, it might be the last game he played with the team. However, with guys like Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones, the franchise might be set on who their cornerstones will be.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Pelicans’ Zion Williamson trade situation will come to head this summer

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-pelicans-zion-williamson-conditioning-performance');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Pelicans ‘happy’ with Zion Williamson’s conditioning, performance');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/NBA-rumors-Pelicans-happy-with-Zion-Williamsons-conditioning-and-performance.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Pelicans ‘happy’ with Zion Williamson’s conditioning, performance</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-06T09:00:10-08:00">February 6th, 9:00am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-06T09:05:11-08:00">February 6th, 9:05am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raptors-news-pelicans-trade-brandon-ingram-nba-deadline">New Orleans Pelicans agreed to trade Brandon Ingram to the Toronto Raptors</a> on Wednesday. Are the Pelicans set to enter a complete rebuild? Will they consider trading Zion Williamson? <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6118012/2025/02/06/brandon-ingram-trade-pelicans-zion-williamson/" rel="noopener">A recent report suggests</a> that New Orleans may keep Williamson on the roster for now, via William Guillory of The Athletic.</p><p>“Based on conversations I’ve had in recent weeks, several of the Pelicans higher-ups have been very happy with Williamson’s work behind the scenes to improve his conditioning and performance on the court,” Guillory wrote in a recent article. “While nothing is off the table in a post-Luka Dončić-to-Lakers world, I’d be surprised if Williamson isn’t a member of the Pelicans after Thursday’s deadline.”</p><p>As Guillory mentioned, anything is possible. The Dallas Mavericks were not expected to trade Luka Doncic, yet they ended up <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-mavericks-luka-doncic-anthony-davis-trade">dealing the 25-year-old to the Los Angeles Lakers</a>. Nevertheless, it seems as if Zion Williamson will remain with the Pelicans past the 2025 NBA trade deadline.</p><h2><b>Zion Williamson’s 2024-25 season with Pelicans</b></h2><p>Williamson, 24, is a two-time All-Star. He’s dealt with injury trouble in his career, but Williamson is one of the better players in the NBA when healthy.</p><p>He has been limited to 15 games played so far during the 2024-25 season. Williamson is averaging 23.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks per outing in those games.</p><p>The Pelicans are in last place in the Western Conference with an abysmal 12-39 record. New Orleans was looking to compete heading into the campaign, but injuries have played far too much of a role. The Pelicans could bounce back in 2025-26 if they are able to stay healthy.</p><p>New Orleans is reportedly impressed with Williamson’s conditioning improvement. He unquestionably features a high ceiling, but the question is whether or not he can avoid consistent injury trouble.</p><p>The Pelicans would love to build a contending roster around Zion Williamson.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Pelicans ‘happy’ with Zion Williamson’s conditioning, performance

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-pelicans-gaining-traction-on-brandon-ingram-trade-with-hawks-raptors');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Pelicans ‘gaining traction’ on Brandon Ingram trade with Hawks, Raptors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/NBA-rumors-Insider-shares-update-on-Brandon-Ingram-potential-trade-suitors-if-healthy.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Pelicans ‘gaining traction’ on Brandon Ingram trade with Hawks, Raptors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-05T13:05:19-08:00">February 5th, 1:05pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-05T13:45:34-08:00">February 5th, 1:45pm</time><address><a href="https://haydencilley.wixsite.com/hayden-cilley-s-port">Hayden Cilley</a>Hayden Cilley joined ClutchPoints in August 2024 as a Phoenix Suns and Mercury reporter, as well as an Associate Editor. Hayden graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. He recently covered the Phoenix Mercury for The Next Hoops and PHNX Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Hawks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New Orleans Pelicans are ‘<a href="https://x.com/JakeLFischer/status/1887240356393103718" rel="noopener">gaining traction</a>‘ on a trade surrounding Brandon Ingram, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer on X. They’ve been engaged in talks involving the Atlanta Hawks and the Toronto Raptors. Funny enough, on Tuesday, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-jeff-teague-hawks-pelicans-trade-trae-young-scoring-co-star">Jeff Teague mentioned that the Hawks should trade for Brandon Ingram</a>.</p><p>Now, with Thursday’s deadline approaching, it could happen sooner rather than later. After all, the Pelicans would be in the luxury tax if they were to keep Ingram for the rest of the season. He has 1 more year remaining on his contract and could be the piece.</p><p>The Hawks would want to pair Ingram with Young and give him that second star. On the flip side, the Raptors are a rebuilding team but have some nice players. Someone like Scottie Barnes has been Toronto’s No. 1 option for quite a while. Ingram would be an established scorer and someone to lift the Raptors into legitimacy.</p><p>However, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-raptors-brandon-ingram-trade-pursuit-murky-update">Raptors’ pursuit of Ingram</a> has become murky, thus opening the door for the Hawks. They have the players and draft capital to make a move possible. Plus, a duo of Ingram and Young would give the latter his first All-Star forward.</p><h2><b>The Pelicans could trade Brandon Ingram to the Hawks, Raptors</b></h2><p>Both teams make a compelling case, but there’s more of a reason for the Hawks to trade for Ingram than the Raptors. Starting with Atlanta, they are in a win-now mode. With head coach Quin Snyder, he understands coaching a superstar or superstars. He coached Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert when they were on the Utah Jazz.</p><p>Now, he’s coaching Young and could be coaching Ingram. The Hawks have a Top 10 offense in terms of points per game. Now, that can be expanded if they land Ingram.</p><p>For Toronto, they have a 16-34 record and aren’t looking like a playoff contender anytime soon. However, Ingram can be the No. 1 option like he was on the Pelicans. Still, the Raptors don’t have the assets, outside of Barnes, to hoist them into playoff or even play-in contention.</p><p>At the end of the day, anything can happen surrounding the NBA trade deadline. The Pelicans would <a href="https://youtu.be/I62qMaVu8sM?list=PLu1neCd4swuakibtwr6887z4D8YH3YUnK&amp;t=1808" rel="noopener">want to avoid the luxury tax</a>, but make sure to receive some compensation for Ingram. Either way, this season might be a wash for New Orleans, and Ingram could be the first domino to fall.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Pelicans ‘gaining traction’ on Brandon Ingram trade with Hawks, Raptors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-bobby-marks-pelicans-trade-guarantee-ahead-of-deadline');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Bobby Marks makes Pelicans trade guarantee ahead of deadline');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/NBA-rumors-Bobby-Marks-makes-Pelicans-trade-guarantee-ahead-of-deadline.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Bobby Marks makes Pelicans trade guarantee ahead of deadline</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-05T08:47:33-08:00">February 5th, 8:47am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-05T08:47:33-08:00">February 5th, 8:47am</time><address><a href="https://haydencilley.wixsite.com/hayden-cilley-s-port">Hayden Cilley</a>Hayden Cilley joined ClutchPoints in August 2024 as a Phoenix Suns and Mercury reporter, as well as an Associate Editor. Hayden graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. He recently covered the Phoenix Mercury for The Next Hoops and PHNX Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New Orleans Pelicans might make a move at the NBA trade deadline, according to NBA insider Bobby Marks. Even though the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-trade-brandon-ingram-new-contract">Pelicans might trade Brandon Ingram due to his contract</a>, there is more to the story. Marks explained on The Hoop Collective Podcast about why he believes New Orleans <a href="https://youtu.be/I62qMaVu8sM?list=PLu1neCd4swuakibtwr6887z4D8YH3YUnK&amp;t=1808" rel="noopener">should make a deal</a>.</p><p>“If you’re New Orleans right now, you have essentially 2 choices,” Marks said. “You could keep Ingram and figure out something in the off-season in a sign and trade or you could look to move him but probably at a less than desirable package.</p><p>“I think the biggest thing for them is that when you have the Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, and Zion, and Trey Murphy extension, they’re not in a position to take money back that extends long term here. They’re going to make a trade 100%, they’re going to get under the luxury tax.”</p><p>The 12-38 Pelicans are in 14th place in the Western Conference. They are 10 games behind the Trail Blazers in the win column which are one spot in front of them. With the flurry of injuries and contract disputes, it might be time for New Orleans to pull the plug.</p><h2><b>Bobby Marks sees a Pelicans trade happening soon</b></h2><p>One of the biggest names throughout the process has been Ingram. After all, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-brandon-ingram-turned-down-pelicans-offer">Ingram didn’t agree to the Pelicans’ $50 million per year</a> contract extension. That’s a hefty price tag, but there might be more to the story. He’s in his 9th year in the league and his 6th with the Pelicans.</p><p>The furthest they’ve been was the <a href="https://www.nola.com/sports/pelicans/brandon-ingram-not-happy-with-performances-against-thunder/article_47908b46-0565-11ef-8e5b-eb1ca61775d7.html" rel="noopener">2022 playoffs</a> against the Phoenix Suns. Since that time, there’s been a mix of injuries to multiple stars. Even at the beginning of the season, the Pelicans had 8 players ruled out for a game. Although that’s unpredictable, it’s not a recipe for success.</p><p>Going back to the luxury tax discussion, the Pelicans have never been in that position before. Although winning teams are in that predicament, New Orleans isn’t. However, if they keep their current roster, they’ll have to pay the luxury tax. For a team that is 26 games below .500, that’s not something to be thankful for.</p><p>At the end of the day, the NBA trade deadline has shown major unpredictability. Still, this can be one of the more predictable moves if it takes place. The Pelicans have until Thursday to strike a deal with another team. If that happens, it’ll be a hard reset for the franchise.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Bobby Marks makes Pelicans trade guarantee ahead of deadline

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-insider-dishes-multi-team-deal-involving-jimmy-butler-pelicans-raptors');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Insider dishes on multi-team deal involving Jimmy Butler, Pelicans, Raptors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Insider-dishes-on-multi-team-deal-involving-Jimmy-Butler-Pelicans-Raptors.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Insider dishes on multi-team deal involving Jimmy Butler, Pelicans, Raptors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-04T10:33:47-08:00">February 4th, 10:33am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-04T11:21:52-08:00">February 4th, 11:21am</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University senior from Atlanta on track to graduate with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Heat</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>While the NBA still recovers from the aftershocks of the mind-boggling Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers trade, several big names remain on the market, including that of Miami Heat star forward Jimmy Butler. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-brian-windhorst-jimmy-butler-obsession-suns-trade">Butler has made no secrets</a> of his desire to take his talents out of South Beach, but as of yet, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-warriors-call-off-jimmy-butler-trade-pursuit-contract-extension-bombshell">Heat haven’t been able</a> to find a deal that makes sense for them moving forward.</p><p>There has been much speculation that a potential third team could be involved in a deal to help facilitate a Butler trade, and recently, NBA insider Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBLxE7GNV7g&amp;t=1546s" rel="noopener">dropped some insight</a> as to two potential candidates for such a role.</p><p>“Don’t forget about Brandon Ingram potentially being a matching salary back or somehow factoring in a multi-team construct with Toronto getting involved or just Toronto ending up coming in and taking on Brandon Ingram,” said Fischer, per Bleacher Report on YouTube. “That interest from the Raptors remains real from my understanding.”</p><p>Brandon Ingram makes about $36 million this year, while Butler makes $49 million, so if another salary in the $10-12 million range were added to the deal, Ingram could indeed be a helpful chip to help accelerate a Butler deal.</p><p>Meanwhile, Ingram would take a lot of the pressure off of Scottie Barnes in Toronto, giving the Raptors a legitimate perimeter scoring threat as well as some added versatility on the defensive end of the floor.</p><h2><b>Will Jimmy Butler get traded?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Butler-vs-the-Blazers.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Navarro-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>A week or two ago, it seemed like a formality that Jimmy Butler would indeed get traded. However, with just 48 hours remaining until Thursday’s deadline, there’s growing concern over whether Pat Riley and company may be asleep at the wheel.</p><p>The fact that Luka Doncic was only able to net the Dallas Mavericks one (!) first round pick is certainly not going to make Heat fans very hopeful about a potential return for Butler, although it should be noted that teams like the Phoenix Suns who are theoretically desperate might be willing to swing for the fences.</p><p>In any case, the Heat have two more games before the trade deadline, starting on Tuesday evening on the road vs the Chicago Bulls.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Insider dishes on multi-team deal involving Jimmy Butler, Pelicans, Raptors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-raptors-brandon-ingram-trade-pursuit-murky-update');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Raptors’ Brandon Ingram trade pursuit gets murky update');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/NBA-rumors-Raptors-Brandon-Ingram-trade-pursuit-gets-murky-update.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Raptors’ Brandon Ingram trade pursuit gets murky update</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-04T07:55:41-08:00">February 4th, 7:55am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-04T14:54:58-08:00">February 4th, 2:54pm</time><address><a>Tim Crean</a>Tim Crean started writing about sports in 2016 and joined ClutchPoints in 2022. He excels with his versatile coverage of the NFL, NBA, soccer, sports media, and more. As a longtime self-professed sports junkie, it is a dream to write about sports professionally. He’s a lifelong Buffalo Bills fan from Western New York and when he’s not enjoying a round of golf he's probably coaching youth soccer or flag football. You can catch all of his sports-related musings on Twitter at @twcrean.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-spurs-pistons-potential-brandon-ingram-trade-suitors">New Orleans Pelicans are open to moving Brandon Ingram</a> at the NBA trade deadline, and the Toronto Raptors are interested. So where are we with this potential trade? The latest update is that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-raptors-team-to-watch-brandon-ingram-trade">the Raptors may be interested</a>, and the Pelicans may like what they would potentially get in return, but the truth is, <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/nba/article/raptors-in-wait-and-see-mode-as-trade-deadline-approaches/" rel="noopener">no one really knows at this point</a>.</p><p>“The intensity of the discussions is hard to gauge,” Sportsnet’s Raptors reporter Michael Grange shares. “There’s a sense that if the opportunity was right, they would like to add a ‘significant piece’ to pair with Scottie Barnes and shift the program from ‘rebuilding’ to ‘competing’ sooner rather than later.</p><p>“No one I’ve spoken with denies that Ingram has been on Toronto’s radar or that they’ve reached any kind of conclusion one way or the other.”</p><p>Grange also notes that the Raptors could easily put together a nice Brandon Ingram trade package with RJ Barrett, Davion Mitchell, and draft picks.</p><p>That gives the Pelicans a player in Barrett, who is three years younger than Ingram and an expiring contract in Mitchell. It would also reunite Barrett and Zion Williamson, who played their one year of college basketball at Duke together.</p><p>This is not a no-brainer deal for either side, though. Brandon Ingram has excellent stats but plays in the midrange, which is not ideal in the 2025 NBA. He is also injury-prone.</p><p>The former Los Angeles Laker hasn’t played more than 62 games since his rookie season and has played fewer than 60 games in four out of his first eight campaigns. Currently, he has been out for eight weeks with a high ankle sprain, an injury that usually takes about a month to recover from.</p><p>Finally, the Raptors would have to know that Ingram would sign an extension with the club as he is a free agent at season’s end.</p><p>Grange concludes that, “The simplest solution for the Raptors might be to hang on to Barrett, hope his development curve continues to trend positively, and that there’s a contract in the future that makes sense for both sides.”</p><p>However, the Raptors are a team that desperately needs to try something different around Scottie Barnes, and giving Brandon Ingram a change of scenery at the NBA trade deadline could work out great for all involved.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Raptors’ Brandon Ingram trade pursuit gets murky update

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-pelicans-emerge-as-trade-suitor-in-jimmy-butler-sweepstakes');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Pelicans emerge as trade suitor in Jimmy Butler sweepstakes');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/NBA-rumors-Pelicans-emerge-as-trade-suitor-in-Jimmy-Butler-sweepstakes.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Pelicans emerge as trade suitor in Jimmy Butler sweepstakes</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-31T09:59:01-08:00">January 31st, 9:59am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-31T10:12:20-08:00">January 31st, 10:12am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Heat</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New Orleans Pelicans have <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/new-developments-in-the-jimmy-butler" rel="noopener">reportedly emerged</a> as a potential trade suitor for Jimmy Butler, according to NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer. With the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-heats-mission-to-trade-jimmy-butler-features-new-strategy">Miami Heat actively exploring Butler trade scenarios</a>, the Pelicans have entered discussions about a potential swap involving Brandon Ingram.</p><p>According to The Stein Line, league sources indicate that after failing to reach an agreement on a contract extension with Ingram — who is on an expiring $36 million deal — the Pelicans decided to engage the Heat directly in trade discussions. Rival teams had reportedly proposed various trade frameworks designed to facilitate Butler’s exit from Miami, but New Orleans took the initiative to explore a direct swap involving Ingram.</p><h2><b>Pelicans approach Heat for potential Jimmy Butler-Brandon Ingram trade</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Jimmy-Butler-22-controls-the-ball-around-New-Orleans-Pelicans-forward-Brandon-Ingram-14.jpg"><figcaption>© Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Pelicans’ level of urgency to finalize a deal remains unclear, especially with the February 6 trade deadline rapidly approaching. While <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-bulls-absolutely-involved-in-bradley-beal-jimmy-butler-suns-trade-conversations">Butler has reportedly expressed a desire to join a contender — specifically the Phoenix Suns</a> — New Orleans’ motivation to acquire him appears to be financially driven rather than solely basketball-related.</p><p>Despite holding a 12-36 record, the Pelicans are nearing luxury tax territory for the first time in franchise history, currently sitting about $1.5 million over the tax line. Acquiring Butler would require the Pelicans to include multiple lower-salaried players in any transaction or involve additional teams to help facilitate a deal. Potential salary-matching options include Daniel Theis, Javonte Green, or Jeremiah Robinson-Earl.</p><p>A Butler trade could offer the Pelicans financial flexibility moving forward. If Butler declines his $52.4 million player option for the 2025-26 season and enters free agency, New Orleans could free up significant cap space while avoiding tax penalties.</p><h2><b>Potential implications in a Butler-Ingram trade</b></h2><p>For Miami, an Ingram-for-Butler trade would allow the team to remain competitive with a core of Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, and Ingram. The 27-year-old forward is currently averaging 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game while shooting 46.5% from the field and 37.4% from three-point range across 18 games this season. His offensive versatility and playmaking ability could provide Miami with a strong secondary option alongside Herro.</p><p>Butler, meanwhile, remains a productive two-way force despite ongoing trade speculation. The 35-year-old forward is averaging 17 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 54% from the field and 36.1% from beyond the arc. His $48.8 million salary this season, coupled with his player option for next season, has made it challenging for Miami to find the right trade partner.</p><p>With less than a week until the trade deadline, the Pelicans’ interest in Butler adds another layer to an already complex situation. While Miami has engaged with multiple teams in trade discussions, New Orleans presents a unique opportunity due to its financial positioning and Ingram’s availability.</p><p>Whether a deal materializes remains uncertain, but as the deadline nears, the Heat and Pelicans are now firmly among the most active teams in the trade market.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Pelicans emerge as trade suitor in Jimmy Butler sweepstakes

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-celtics-knicks-possible-pelicans-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Celtics, Knicks among teams eyeing possible Pelicans trade sale');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/NBA-rumors-Celtics-Knicks-among-teams-eyeing-possible-Pelicans-trade-sale.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Celtics, Knicks among teams eyeing possible Pelicans trade sale</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-24T14:02:01-08:00">January 24th, 2:02pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-25T14:08:24-08:00">January 25th, 2:08pm</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the trade deadline approaches, contending teams are trying to find a way to get better to improve their chances of making a deep run in the playoffs. With the New Orleans Pelicans having a lackluster year due to injuries, they could be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-pelicans-want-to-save-tax-money-at-trade-deadline">a team looking to be in sell mode</a> with some of their players.</p><p>Don’t expect players such as Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson to be on the market, but Javonte Green is one person <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/jimmy-butler-heat-trade-intel-nba-cap-crisis-siegels-scoop">who has the interest of several teams</a>, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.</p><p>“While they can’t move out of the second apron, the Celtics are another team exploring avenues to potentially save some money by trading Jaden Springer’s $4 million contract.</p><p>“Pelicans swingman Javonte Green is a player the Celtics hold interest in, sources said, but New Orleans doesn’t want to take back more money. The Bucks, Nuggets, and New York Knicks have also been mentioned as teams holding a level of interest in Green,” Siegel wrote.</p><p>Green is only averaging 6.0 points per game, but what he offers on both sides of the ball could be useful for a team that needs wing depth. If the Pelicans are looking to make some moves, many teams will be interested in the services of Green.</p><h2>Could Pelicans move Javonte Green before trade deadline?</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Javonte-Green.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Celtics should be a team that doesn’t need more help than they already have, but it’s not a surprise that they’re trying to improve their roster.</p><p>Over the past few seasons, the Celtics have continued to add pieces to form a contending team, and it worked out for them last year when they acquired Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, and they helped win them a championship.</p><p>For the Knicks, they could be a team that could greatly use Green’s services. The Knicks have a strong starting lineup, but once you get to the bench, there is a major falloff in talent.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/knicks-news-mitchell-robinson-encouraging-injury-update-catch">Mitchell Robinson should be returning soon</a> to help in the front court alongside Karl-Anthony Towns, but they also need more wing depth on the bench. The only question is who will the Knicks trade in order to acquire Green, as they lost most of their assets in the Mikal Bridges deal.</p><p>There is also a possibility the Pelicans decide to keep Green and try to build on the momentum that they currently have as players on the team continue to get healthy.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Celtics, Knicks among teams eyeing possible Pelicans trade sale

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-pelicans-want-to-save-tax-money-at-trade-deadline');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Pelicans want to save tax money at trade deadline');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/NBA-rumors-Pelicans-want-to-save-tax-money-at-trade-deadline.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Pelicans want to save tax money at trade deadline</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-24T12:56:21-08:00">January 24th, 12:56pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-24T13:01:22-08:00">January 24th, 1:01pm</time><address><a>Randall Barnes</a>Randall Barnes is a Fall 2019 Graduate of Fort Valley State University, an HBCU (Historically Black College or University) in Fort Valley, Georgia, where he majored in Media Studies. He is the Founder of HBCU Pulse, a multimedia outlet with the mission to tell the authentic stories of HBCU Life via traditional, digital and social media outlets to amplify our voice. He is also the host of HBCU Pulse Radio, which can be heard on SiriusXM Channel 142 HBCU Fridays at 5 p.m. EST and wherever you get your podcasts.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the NBA trade deadline looms, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-gets-injury-update-ahead-of-grizzlies-game">New Orleans Pelicans find themselves in an uncomfortable position</a>. The team, which appeared poised to make noise in a competitive Western Conference in the offseason, has found themselves <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/team/injuries/_/name/no/new-orleans-pelicans" rel="noopener">slammed with injury issues</a> that have derailed the season and have them firmly outside of the NBA playoff picture. New Orleans is 12-32 with rumors continuing to swirl around them concerning trades for some of their key players.</p><p>According to ClutchPoints Senior NBA Reporter <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/jimmy-butler-heat-trade-intel-nba-cap-crisis-siegels-scoop">Brett Siegel in his latest “Siegel’s Scoop”. the Pelicans are looking to cut salaries</a> so they can stay below the luxury tax threshold.</p><p>“The New Orleans Pelicans are one of these teams, and it continues to look very likely that this front office will cut salary, sources said. Daniel Theis and Javonte Green are two players on minimum contracts that can be moved to allow the Pelicans, who exceed the tax line by $2.1 million, to move below the tax,” Siegel said in his most recent report.</p><p>There’s been a lot of chatter about the possible availability of Brandon Ingram as a tradeable asset for the Pelicans, as the 22-points-per-game-averaging versatile wing could improve the contending fortunes of several teams in the league. But, per Siegel, there’s no real movement in any trade discussions regarding Ingram as the deadline is just weeks away.</p><p>“There have been no new developments regarding Brandon Ingram on the trade market,” Siegel said. “Ingram, a former All-Star, is in the final year of his contract and appears to be taking his career in a new direction outside of New Orleans. Few teams have held direct conversations with the Pelicans about Ingram, and those conversations occurred well before the holiday season in December. It is always possible Ingram gets involved in a Butler scenario, but this continues to look unlikely.”</p><p>The Pelicans look to rebound as they play against the Memphis Grizzlies tonight at 8:30 PM EST as NBA Rivals Week draws to a close.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Pelicans want to save tax money at trade deadline

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-insider-shares-update-on-brandon-ingram-potential-trade-suitors-if-healthy');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Insider shares update on Brandon Ingram potential trade suitors if healthy');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/NBA-rumors-Insider-shares-update-on-Brandon-Ingram-potential-trade-suitors-if-healthy.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Insider shares update on Brandon Ingram potential trade suitors if healthy</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-23T14:31:22-08:00">January 23rd, 2:31pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-23T14:56:25-08:00">January 23rd, 2:56pm</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Detroit Pistons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>There has been an update regarding the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-brandon-ingram-trade-talks-dead-injury-return-deadline">trade speculation of New Orleans Pelicans star Brandon Ingram</a> and the possible suitors for him ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline. Though there have been <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-pistons-trade-deadline-buyers-brandon-ingram">rumors that the Pelicans won’t deal Ingram</a>, NBA insider Jake Fischer mentioned a few teams that looked into the prospect of acquiring the star forward.</p><p>On Bleacher Report’s show “NBA Insider Notebook,” Fischer spoke on such teams as the Milwaukee Bucks and Sacramento Kings that have been needing to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yut_7o_t3fo&amp;t=1017s" rel="noopener">“improve on the wing.”</a> However, he mentioned how some of the talks could have winded down due to his ankle injury and general history.</p><p>“I have been told that Milwaukee is considering options to go out and improve on the wing,” Fischer said. “They checked in and were interested in the concept of Brandon Ingram back in December, but like that’s one conversation that I know hasn’t continued since he’s been injured.</p><p>“Same thing with Sacramento. That’s someone that they considered dating back to this past summer.”</p><p>“How can the Kings, how can the Bucks, how can anyone think about acquiring him if he’s not at full strength,” Fischer continued. “I think the Pistons make some interesting sense, but I’ve been told there’s been no conversation there at all between Detroit.”</p><h2><b>Brandon Ingram could be on Pelicans after the trade deadline</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Brandon-Ingram-on-Dec-7-2024.jpg"><figcaption>Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Fischer also mentioned the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/brandon-ingram-trade-pistons-must-consider-secure-playoff-berth">Pistons being a team that could use Ingram</a>, but he said not even a week ago that the 27-year-old does not come up that often in talks around the league.</p><p>“Ingram’s name <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/jake-fischer-latest-tons-of-nba-trade?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60" rel="noopener">very rarely comes up</a> in conversations with league personnel,” Fischer wrote on The Stein Line Substack. “It’s been that way ever since the former All-Star forward went down with an ankle injury on Dec. 7.</p><p>“There remains a chance Ingram returns to New Orleans’ lineup with roughly a week’s worth of games before the deadline, sources say, which would at least give potential suitors a more current reminder of his abilities.”</p><p>“I’m told that the Pelicans still remain open to re-signing Ingram this summer after the sides were unable to agree to a contract extension this past offseason,” Fischer continued. “Ingram, sources said, was not amenable to New Orleans’ offers that landed in the $40 million range in average annual value.</p><p>“Yet it could well be just as challenging for Ingram, who makes $36 million this season, to find that type of money available on the open market this summer — just as is often said about Jimmy Butler’s quest for a high-dollar contract if the back-with-Miami Butler declines his $52.4 million player option for 2025-26.”</p><p>The Pelicans are 12-32, which puts them 14th in the West ahead of their matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Insider shares update on Brandon Ingram potential trade suitors if healthy

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-the-under-the-radar-pelicans-trade-candidate-monitor');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: The under-the-radar Pelicans trade candidate to monitor');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/0The-under-the-radar-Pelicans-trade-candidate-to-monitor0.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: The under-the-radar Pelicans trade candidate to monitor</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-19T11:08:20-08:00">January 19th, 11:08am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-19T11:08:20-08:00">January 19th, 11:08am</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University senior from Atlanta on track to graduate with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/2-best-trades-pelicans-must-make-2025-nba-trade-deadline">New Orleans Pelicans have had a trainwreck </a>of a 2024-25 NBA season so far, currently sitting with one of the worst records in the league as the season passes its midway point. The Pelicans have dealt with a plethora of injuries so far this year, including to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-intriguing-star-power-admission">franchise cornerstone Zion Williamson</a>, who just recently returned from a hamstring ailment.</p><p>With all of their struggles, and the fact that there are several seasoned veterans on the Pelicans roster, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that New Orleans has seen its name thrown around the trade rumor mill relentlessly as the deadline approaches next month.</p><p>Recently, NBA insider Jake Fischer took to Marc Stein’s account on Substack <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/jake-fischer-latest-tons-of-nba-trade?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60" rel="noopener">to break down</a> who the Pelicans will and won’t be interested in entertaining offers for.</p><p>“The Pelicans continue to shut down ongoing interest in defensive stalwart Herb Jones, who’s out indefinitely with a torn labrum in his right shoulder,” reported Fischer. “If there’s one trade candidate to monitor in New Orleans, it may be Javonte Green. The Pelicans are receiving healthy interest in the athletic forward, who makes just $2 million this season and is yet another player whose current salary is lower than the league’s current veteran minimum.”</p><p>Green indeed is one of the more under-the-radar players on the Pelicans roster amid some of the more high-profile names like CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram.</p><h2><b>What should the Pelicans do?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Williamson-celebrates.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Despite the fact that there is still a half season left to be played, the Pelicans have effectively been eliminated from playoff contention for all intents and purposes, especially considering how deep the field of contending teams in the Western Conference is.</p><p>Making matters worse is that the Pelicans made some all in moves this past summer, including most notably acquiring Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Dyson Daniels and a package of picks, a trade which is looking like a disastrous one in retrospect.</p><p>Still, if there’s one way the Pelicans can wring something positive out of this season, it would be finding ways to acquire as many assets as possible for some of their veteran pieces at this year’s trade deadline, which is set for mid-Februray.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: The under-the-radar Pelicans trade candidate to monitor

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-brandon-ingram-trade-talks-dead-injury-return-deadline');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Pelicans’ Brandon Ingram trade talks dead before deadline');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/NBA-rumors-Brandon-Ingram-trade-talks-dead-as-he-nears-injury-return-before-deadline.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Pelicans’ Brandon Ingram trade talks dead before deadline</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-19T10:51:41-08:00">January 19th, 10:51am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-19T10:51:41-08:00">January 19th, 10:51am</time><address><a>Preston Byers</a>Preston Byers is an experienced writer and journalist who currently serves as an associate editor for ClutchPoints and as a staff writer at The Vindicator and Tribune Chronicle, where he covers sports in the Mahoning Valley. Previously, Preston worked as an associate editor for Dot Esports and a site expert for FanSided's Union and Blue.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>While it seemed inevitable at one time that Brandon Ingram would be parting ways with the New Orleans Pelicans amid constant trade rumors, the partnership may be lasting a lot longer than anyone expected.</p><p>Ingram has been out since early December, having missed the last 19 games due to a left ankle sprain. Although New Orleans is heading toward potentially the worst record in the NBA, it doesn’t appear the team will trade Ingram <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/when-is-the-2025-nba-trade-deadline-date-time-players-on-the-block">before the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline</a>.</p><p>“Ingram’s name very rarely comes up in conversations with league personnel,” Jake Fischer <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/jake-fischer-latest-tons-of-nba-trade?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60" rel="noopener">wrote on The</a> Stein Line Substack. “It’s been that way ever since the former All-Star forward went down with an ankle injury on Dec. 7.</p><p>“There remains a chance Ingram returns to New Orleans’ lineup with roughly a week’s worth of games before the deadline, sources say, which would at least give potential suitors a more current reminder of his abilities.”</p><p>With little to no interest around the league and no recent tape to go off of, Ingram very well may be a member of the Pelicans until the offseason, which seemed unlikely after the two sides could not work out a contract extension last summer. And unfortunately, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-brandon-ingram-turned-down-pelicans-offer">numbers that Ingram was shooting for</a> last offseason may not be realistic this time around either, which could lead to him staying put in New Orleans.</p><p>“I’m told that the Pelicans still remain open to re-signing Ingram this summer after the sides were unable to agree to a contract extension this past offseason,” Fischer wrote. “Ingram, sources said, was not amenable to New Orleans’ offers that landed in the $40 million range in average annual value. Yet it could well be just as challenging for Ingram, who makes $36 million this season, to find that type of money available on the open market this summer — just as is often said about Jimmy Butler’s quest for a high-dollar contract if the back-with-Miami Butler declines his $52.4 million player option for 2025-26.”</p><p>Fischer reported that the Pelicans even feel “confident” that Ingram will not simply walk away from the team and sign with another club in the offseason. Even if Ingram does come to an agreement elsewhere, New Orleans seems to expect the deal to come in the way of a sign-and-trade, which would give the Pelicans something in return for losing Ingram.</p><p>Ingram was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the second overall pick in the 2016 draft. The Lakers later traded him to the Pelicans in the summer of 2019 as part of the Anthony Davis deal. Ingram has been with the Pelicans since then. He earned an All-Star appearance in 2020 and averaged a career-high 24.7 points per game in 2022-23.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Pelicans’ Brandon Ingram trade talks dead before deadline

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-richard-jefferson-pelicans-have-9-tradable-players-ahead-of-deadline');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA Rumors: Richard Jefferson claims Pelicans have 9 tradable players ahead of deadline');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/NBA-Rumors-Richard-Jefferson-claims-Pelicans-have-9-tradable-players-ahead-of-deadline.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA Rumors: Richard Jefferson claims Pelicans have 9 tradable players ahead of deadline</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-16T12:59:22-08:00">January 16th, 12:59pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-16T12:59:22-08:00">January 16th, 12:59pm</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University senior from Atlanta on track to graduate with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-tenure-officially-over-says-gilbert-arenas">New Orleans Pelicans have been a trainwreck</a> so far in the 2024-25 NBA season, currently sitting with the worst record in the Western Conference at 10-32. A combination of injuries, poor roster construction, and regression from some starting players have left <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-willie-green-silver-linings-losing-streak-hits-10">Willie Green and company searching for answers</a> as the season passes its midway point, and there is understandably rampant speculation that the Pelicans could look to be sellers on the NBA trade market this year.</p><p>Recently, former NBA champion Richard Jefferson took to the Road Trippin’ podcast to break down why he thinks New Orleans has a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBCOejKY7EY&amp;t=2410s" rel="noopener">treasure trove of assets</a> they could part ways with at the deadline next month.</p><p>“New Orleans has nine players that any playoff team would love on their roster,” said Jefferson. “They’ve got seven players in New Orleans that if they were to ship them to certain teams, it would change the trajectory. If the Lakers would get Dejounte Murray what they would look like.”</p><p>Jefferson then listed another example of a player he thinks has significant value on the market.</p><p>“They’re not giving up Trey (Murphy), but CJ McCollum, think about it,” said Jefferson. “There’s so many teams that can use so many players and there’s actually a bunch of teams that should be looking in other directions of like, yeah this is over. It’s over in New Orleans, it’s over.”</p><h2><b>What should the Pelicans do?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Williamson-on-the-bench-1.jpg"><figcaption>Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Pelicans indeed have several “name brand” players on their roster, including most notably Zion Williamson, who just recently returned from an extended injury absence.</p><p>New Orleans also has players like CJ McCollum, as Jefferson referenced, in addition to Herb Jones and Brandon Ingram, each of whom could be of some interest to teams looking to add wing depth.</p><p>It’s unclear if New Orleans would look to part ways with Dejounte Murray just six months after acquiring him from the Atlanta Hawks. The team also has to navigate the fact that some of their contracts, particularly Ingram’s, wouldn’t necessarily be categorized as team friendly.</p><p>However, if one thing has been made abundantly clear through the first 42 games of this season, it’s that a major change is needed in New Orleans.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA Rumors: Richard Jefferson claims Pelicans have 9 tradable players ahead of deadline

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-breaks-silence-on-trade-rumors-after-returning');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans’ Zion Williamson breaks silence on trade rumors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Pelicans-news-Zion-Williamson-breaks-silence-on-trade-rumors-after-finally-returning-from-injury.jpg"></figure><h1>Pelicans’ Zion Williamson breaks silence on trade rumors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-08T09:46:28-08:00">January 8th, 9:46am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-08T09:46:28-08:00">January 8th, 9:46am</time><address><a>Daniel Locke</a>Daniel Locke covers the New Orleans Pelicans and is an Associate Editor for ClutchPoints. He will graduate from Auburn University with a degree in Journalism in May. Daniel has covered Auburn Athletics for the entirety of his time as a student, focusing on football, men's basketball, and baseball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>For the first time since Nov. 6, New Orleans Pelicans power forward <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/timberwolves-news-chris-finch-julius-randle-flowers-spoiling-zion-williamson-return">Zion Williamson took the floor</a>. The Pelicans fell 104-97 to the Minnesota Timberwolves, but the return of Williamson overshadowed the outcome of the game.</p><p>In 28 minutes of action, Williamson recorded 22 points, six rebounds, four assists, three steals and shot 9-of-15 from the field. Additionally, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-zion-williamsons-eye-popping-360-dunk-vs-timberwolves-breaks-the-internet">Williamson stole the show</a> with <a href="https://x.com/PelicansNBA/status/1876817959370330365" rel="noopener">an impressive dunk</a> that put the basketball world on notice.</p><p>Trade rumors seem to swirl around Williamson constantly. The 6-foot-6 forward took the opportunity to give his thoughts on the matter after his return to the court.</p><p>“At the end of the day, control the things you can control and accept the things you can’t,” Williamson said. “As a professional, the only thing I can do is come into work every day, work hard and have fun. At the end of the day, I feel like, ‘We get to play basketball for a living.’ I love hooping.”</p><p>Despite not coming out on top, Williamson enjoyed getting back to playing and was pleased with the effort he saw from his team.</p><p>“It was definitely good to be back out there,” Williamson said. “It was good to see my teammates competing. The Timberwolves started out hot but nobody was really bothered by it. Everybody was like, ‘Nah we good, stick with what we do.'”</p><p>With Williamson back in the lineup, the question is now about his ability to stay there. Williamson has been prone to being sidelined with injuries throughout his career, but he is determined to put those concerns behind him.</p><p>“Just keep learning more and more about my body and how my body reacts to certain things,” Williamson said. “Working with the team and just talking it through.”</p><p>Due to his extensive stay on the injury report, there has been speculation that Williamson will need some time to get back into game shape. He does not believe the process will take long as his team needs him to be at his best.</p><p>“I definitely feel like my legs are already under me,” Williamson said. “Now it’s just in-game rhythm. You don’t got time to take three to five games for that. We’re going to figure that out as soon as possible.”</p><h2><b>What changes for the </b>Pelicans with Zion Williamson back?</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/New-Orleans-Pelicans-guard-Jose-Alvarado-forward-Zion-Williamson-and-forward-Herbert-Jones.jpg"><figcaption>Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While having Zion Williamson back is certainly a step in the right direction for the Pelicans, they still have a steep hole to climb out of.</p><p>The Pelicans’ two wins over the Washington Wizards put them above having the worst record in the NBA, but they still sit at 7-30 and are 11.5 games out of the last play-in spot.</p><p>The return of Williamson could provide the team with a spark if he is able to stay healthy, but it will require more than that to make a legitimate push. Getting Brandon Ingram back on the floor as well would go a long way.</p><p>Williamson’s presence in the lineup could start the chain reaction that could get the team back where it needs to be, however.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans’ Zion Williamson breaks silence on trade rumors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-spurs-pistons-potential-brandon-ingram-trade-suitors');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Spurs, Pistons among potential Brandon Ingram trade suitors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Spurs-Pistons-among-potential-Brandon-Ingram-trade-suitrs.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Spurs, Pistons among potential Brandon Ingram trade suitors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-03T18:15:48-08:00">January 3rd, 6:15pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-03T18:15:48-08:00">January 3rd, 6:15pm</time><address><a href="https://haydencilley.wixsite.com/hayden-cilley-s-port">Hayden Cilley</a>Hayden Cilley joined ClutchPoints in August 2024 as a Phoenix Suns and Mercury reporter, as well as an Associate Editor. Hayden graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University while covering events like the 2023 NCAA Men's Final Four, the 2024 Vrbo Fiesta Bowl and the Arizona State men's swim and dive team. He recently covered the Phoenix Mercury for The Next Hoops and PHNX Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Detroit Pistons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Once again, the New Orleans Pelicans might blow up their roster amidst a 5-29 record. One of the notable, if not the most notable, name is Brandon Ingram, who has been linked to the San Antonio Spurs and the Detroit Pistons. ClutchPoints’ insider Brett Siegel detailed <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/will-heat-move-jimmy-butler-latest-nba-trade-deadline-intel-siegels-scoop">why the Pistons and Spurs could go after Ingram</a>.</p><p>“San Antonio has shown clear growth in (Victor) Wembanyama’s second season, and the need for another go-to scoring option is apparent,” Siegel said. “By combining the salaries of Harrison Barnes and Zach Collins with some draft assets and maybe a young player like Sidy Cissoko, the Spurs could potentially get Ingram at a very low-risk, high-reward type of price.</p><p>“Then there are the Pistons, an organization that seems ready to go out and find another star player to pair with Cunningham. With Jaden Ivey out indefinitely after suffering a broken leg, the Pistons can be aggressive on the trade market to maintain their competitive position in the East standings. Ingram already has a relationship with Trajan Langdon, Detroit’s president of basketball operations, and the Pelicans have held interest in Isaiah Stewart.”</p><h2><b>Brandon Ingram could be traded to either the Spurs and Pistons</b></h2><p>Both teams are young teams looking for that veteran scorer. Although the Spurs have Chris Paul running the point guard, they need that scoring forward. Devin Vassell has been nice, but someone Ingram’s size could be what they need. It <a href="https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/san-antonio-spurs/news/spurs-could-upgrade-lineup-pulling-blockbuster-trade-pelicans-star-forward/24520e239d2afb9b074840b2" rel="noopener">gives another scoring threat</a> next to Wembanyama. Plus, they’re on the fence about rebuilding and wanting to win. The Pelicans star could bridge that gap nicely.</p><p>Going to the Pistons, they could use another scoring weapon after Jaden Ivey’s likely season-ending injury. He showed true promise as a scorer, even hitting a game-winner. Still, it doesn’t discount Ingram’s impact. Plus, a veteran head coach like J.B. Bickerstaff could use a pro like Ingram. He’s <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6035079/2025/01/03/jaden-ivey-injury-pistons-malik-beasley-ausar-thompson/" rel="noopener">improved his playmaking and can still make tough shots</a> on any given night.</p><p>It might be a matter of time before trades go down. Even <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-brandon-ingram-linked-nuggets-trade-pursuits">Ingram has been involved in trade rumors with the Denver Nuggets</a>. Furthermore, contending teams want him and will be willing to get him. After he declined a Pelicans extension this summer, it’s clear that he wants to win.</p><p>No matter what, teams will call and inquire about Ingram’s services. The losing ways will make it easier for teams to try and come up with a deal. If Ingram is dealt, teams will be getting an elite scorer with legitimate playmaking ability.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Spurs, Pistons among potential Brandon Ingram trade suitors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-pelicans-open-discussing-cj-mccollum-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Pelicans open to discussing CJ McCollum trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/NBA-rumors-Pelicans-open-to-discussing-CJ-McCollum-trade.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Pelicans open to discussing CJ McCollum trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-03T17:12:22-08:00">January 3rd, 5:12pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-03T17:12:22-08:00">January 3rd, 5:12pm</time><address><a href="https://haydencilley.wixsite.com/hayden-cilley-s-port">Hayden Cilley</a>Hayden Cilley joined ClutchPoints in August 2024 as a Phoenix Suns and Mercury reporter, as well as an Associate Editor. Hayden graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University while covering events like the 2023 NCAA Men's Final Four, the 2024 Vrbo Fiesta Bowl and the Arizona State men's swim and dive team. He recently covered the Phoenix Mercury for The Next Hoops and PHNX Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New Orleans Pelicans are going through it, which means all offers are on the table for their veteran group, which includes CJ McCollum. ClutchPoints’ insider Brett Siegel broke down how the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/will-heat-move-jimmy-butler-latest-nba-trade-deadline-intel-siegels-scoop">Pelicans could begin trade talks surrounding McCollum</a>.</p><p>With the season lost, the Pelicans’ priority is to move below the tax line and regroup to fix the holes on this roster during the offseason,” Siegel said. “Although there is no urgency to move McCollum since he has one year left on his contract, the Pelicans have expressed a level of openness with teams around the league to discuss McCollum’s future, sources said.</p><p>“The veteran guard is making $33.3 million this season and sees his contract value decrease by about $2.67 million next season. Whether or not a market exists for the 33-year-old is an unknown leading up to the trade deadline.” McCollum is a productive player and is averaging 21.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists.</p><p>While they post an abhorrent 5-29 record, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-brandon-ingram-trey-murphy-iii-among-players-out-vs-cavs">Pelicans dealt with a barrage of injuries</a> to all players. Even McCollum himself was injured at one point in the season. Plus, New Orleans has a young core that they’re planning on keeping. There might be a lot of value for McCollum if they choose to move on from him.</p><h2><b>What could the Pelicans get for trading CJ McCollum?</b></h2><p>It’s tough to say because those conversations are just beginning. However, plenty of contending teams could use a player like him. For instance, the Minnesota Timberwolves could use him. He would take pressure off of Anthony Edwards and be a win-now player. Although the Minnesota star is only 23 years old, he’s shown a rising potential already.</p><p>Plus, McCollum’s <a href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/cj-mccollum-leadership-pelicans-analysis" rel="noopener">veteran leadership could be a huge addition</a> for any young teams. Even though the Houston Rockets are a younger team, they could use someone like the Pelicans guard. He’ll maintain and establish a professional demeanor. With young players like Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun, he could keep teaching them to be pros.</p><p>No matter what, teams will come knocking for McCollum. Although <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/player/_/id/13323/cj-mccollum" rel="noopener">he has a high salary</a>, there’s a ton of upside. However, New Orleans might counter any offer with an acting price of either another young player or draft picks. Luckily, there’s plenty of time and unfortunately, the Pelicans season might already be done.</p><p>If that’s the case, the trade calls will likely begin sooner rather than latter. Who knows, there might be more suitors for McCollum than originally anticipated.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Pelicans open to discussing CJ McCollum trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-pelicans-unlikely-trade-zion-williamson');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Pelicans ‘highly unlikely’ to trade Zion Williamson');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/NBA-rumors-Pelicans-highly-unlikely-to-trade-Zion-Williamson.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Pelicans ‘highly unlikely’ to trade Zion Williamson</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-03T10:50:36-08:00">January 3rd, 10:50am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-03T10:50:36-08:00">January 3rd, 10:50am</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Zion <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-alarming-injury-timeline">Williamson has not played a game</a> for the New Orleans Pelicans since the beginning of November after suffering a hamstring injury. With the constant injury problems with Williamson continuing through his career, there had been rumors that the Pelicans <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1874890976298492242" rel="noopener">may be looking to trade him</a>, but it’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/will-heat-move-jimmy-butler-latest-nba-trade-deadline-intel-siegels-scoop">unlikely that they’ll happen</a>, according to ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel.</p><p>“Amid rapid speculation that the Pelicans may finally put an end to their constant struggle with Williamson, that doesn’t appear to be the case inching closer to February,” Siegel wrote. “Zion remains one of the faces of this organization, and the Pelicans still believe that he is one of their best chances of finding success on the court as long as he can remain healthy. That has been the problem through the years, which is why Williamson’s contract is structured the way it is with certain team opt-out clauses.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Pelicans ‘highly unlikely’ to trade Zion Williamson

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-pelicans-wont-waive-zion-williamson');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Why Pelicans won’t waive Zion Williamson');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/NBA-rumors-Why-Pelicans-wont-waive-Zion-Williamson.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Why Pelicans won’t waive Zion Williamson</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-31T11:19:55-08:00">December 31st, 11:19am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-31T11:20:41-08:00">December 31st, 11:20am</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University senior from Atlanta on track to graduate with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-dyson-daniels-nola-cursed-label">New Orleans Pelicans have been struggling</a> mightily to open up the 2024-25 NBA season, currently sitting at 5-28, good for the worst record in th entire league. The Pelicans have dealt with a plethora of injuries this season, with stars Brandon Ingram, Dejounte Murray, and CJ McCollum all missing time.</p><p>However, all of those names pale in comparison to yet another extended <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-zion-williamson-takes-major-step-toward-injury-return">injury absence to 2019 number one overall pick Zion Williamson</a>, who has been out for over a month with a hamstring injury.</p><p>This of course is far from the first time that Williamson has missed a significant chunk of a season due to injury, and some are wondering whether or not the Pelicans may consider cutting their losses by waiving the star in hopes of starting fresh.</p><p>However, recently, Tim MacMahon and Bobby Marks of ESPN reported on why this isn’t likely a feasible scenario for New Orleans.</p><p>“The Pelicans do not consider releasing Williamson to create financial flexibility to be a feasible option, according to sources with knowledge of the franchise’s thinking,” they reported. “The small-market Pelicans know they never have been considered an attractive destination for free agents, so they don’t believe slicing payroll by releasing Williamson would be a realistic path to improving the roster.”</p><p>They did report, however, that “the unique structure of his contract could be a valuable tool for the Pelicans.”</p><p>Indeed, Williamson’s contract is filled to the brim with several stipulations regarding his injury status and certain weight and body fat percentage milestones, which could make the contract more valuable to a potential trade partner.</p><h2><b>A disastrous season for the Pelicans</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Williamson-on-the-bench.jpg"><figcaption>Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Pelicans were expected by many to be a solid, if not championship contending, team in the vaunted Western Conference playoff picture after trading for former Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray this offseason.</p><p>However, Murray went down in the very first game with a fractured hand, and that was unfortunately only a sign of things to come for New Orleans.</p><p>While Murray has since returned to the lineup, Williamson, McCollum, Ingram, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy, and others have all missed significant time for the Pelicans, making it virtually impossible for the team to string together consistent wins so far this season.</p><p>In any case, New Orleans will look to pick up their sixth win of the campaign when they next take the floor on New Year’s Day vs the Miami Heat on the road. That game is slated to tip off at 7:30 PM ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Why Pelicans won’t waive Zion Williamson

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-zion-williamson-agent-push-trade-deadline');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Will Zion Williamson’s agent push for trade before deadline?');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/NBA-rumors-Will-Zion-Williamsons-agent-push-for-trade-before-deadline.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Will Zion Williamson’s agent push for trade before deadline?</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-31T09:21:19-08:00">December 31st, 9:21am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-31T09:21:19-08:00">December 31st, 9:21am</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-news-denver-perfect-brandon-ingram-trade-offer-to-pelicans">New Orleans Pelicans have had a disaster of a season</a>. Injuries to nearly all of their top players have caused the 2024-25 campaign to spiral out of control quicker than anybody could have imagined, and now it’s time for the front office and the team to pick up the pieces and figure out the best way forward.</p><p>The Pelicans are currently sitting at 5-28 and have been one of the worst teams in the NBA all season long. Brandon Ingram has been injured, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-zion-williamson-takes-major-step-toward-injury-return">Zion Williamson has been injured</a>, and CJ McCollum, Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III have all missed time among others. Now, other teams are looking at some of the Pelicans’ top players as potential trade targets.</p><p>Ingram is the most logical target because he is in the prime years of his career and is on an expiring contract. He and the team have been unable to come to terms on an extension, so he could be elsewhere sooner rather than later. However, speculation has begun that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-zion-williamson-3-core-pelicans-being-shopped">Ingram may not be the only Pelicans star on the move</a>. Due to Williamson’s injury history and the state of the team, buzz has started around a possible trade for the former No. 1 overall pick.</p><p>Despite the noise, Williamson’s agent Bill Duffy <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/43174061/new-orleans-pelicans-move-zion-williamson" rel="noopener">isn’t expected to try to force a trade</a> before the deadline this season, according to Tim McMahon and Bobby Marks of ESPN.</p><p>“Williamson changed representation after suffering the latest injury, hiring WME’s Bill Duffy, a longtime agent who also represents stars such as Luka Doncic, Anthony Edwards and Chet Holmgren,” McMahon and Marks wrote. “Sources told ESPN that Duffy has no intention to push for the Pelicans to trade Williamson before the deadline.”</p><h2><b>Zion Williamson nearing return for Pelicans</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Zion-Williamson_272c62.jpg"><figcaption>Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Barring a historic winning streak, the Pelicans are already out of playoff contention not even halfway through the season. However, Williamson is inching closer to a return from his hamstring injury.</p><p>Williamson’s play when he returns may not be that important in the grand scheme of this season for the Pelicans or the league as a whole due to their place in the standings, but it will still be a crucial pivot point for the former Duke star in his career.</p><p>Simply put, Williamson needs to play at a high level and stay healthy for the rest of the season in order to inspire confidence in the Pelicans, and any other teams that may be interested in pursuing him, that he can stay on the floor. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-kendrick-perkins-claims-pelicans-at-odds-zion-williamson-injury">Williamson has dealt with multiple hamstring injuries</a> during his career, and all of them have kept him out for an extended period of time. That is a major cause for concern for any team that is trying to trade for Williamson, and it’s not a great sign for the Pelicans either.</p><p>If Williamson can prove that he can stay healthy for three months and play good basketball, his value across the league would increase dramatically.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Will Zion Williamson’s agent push for trade before deadline?

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-zion-williamson-3-core-pelicans-being-shopped');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Zion Williamson among 3 ‘core’ Pelicans being ‘shopped’');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Zion-Williamson-among-3corePelicans-being-shopped.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Zion Williamson among 3 ‘core’ Pelicans being ‘shopped’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-24T09:10:18-08:00">December 24th, 9:10am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-24T09:10:18-08:00">December 24th, 9:10am</time><address><a>Jaren Kawada</a>Jaren Kawada is a former full-time sports bettor and is now a NFL, College Football and Betting Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. Kawada was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, but now resides in Indianapolis, Indiana, after graduating from Butler University with a B.A. in sports media. Aside from football, Kawada is an avid combat sports and basketball bettor.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Staring down the hole of another lost season, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-pelicans-open-trade-business-3-exceptions">New Orleans Pelicans could be looking to make changes</a> at the trade deadline. More specifically, they could be looking to shop either one of Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram or CJ McCollum.</p><p>With the deadline fast approaching, the Pelicans’ star trio is reportedly <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iig2skww1gk" rel="noopener">being “shopped,”</a> Jovan Buha of The Athletic said during the Q&amp;A portion of his Dec. 21 ‘Lakers-Kings Postgame Reaction’ video on YouTube. The Los Angeles Lakers reporter also noted that New Orleans is content with keeping Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy III, and Herb Jones on its roster, making their asking price higher than that of their star teammates.</p><p>“Based on the intel, Trey Murphy and Herb Jones are at a certain level for them that they want to keep,” Buha said. “It seems like Zion [Williamson], Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum are the three guys they’ve been shopping more in terms of their core starters. Dejounte Murray has not.”</p><p>With a 5-25 record through their first 30 games, the Pelicans are on track to end the year with a losing record for the first time since 2021-2022. If that ends up being the case, they will suffer a fourth losing season in the six years since drafting Williamson first overall in 2019.</p><p>Both Ingram and McCollum have been two of the Pelicans’ best players on the year, averaging over 20 points per game apiece. Regardless, as two veterans on a struggling team, trade rumors will continue to surround them. Ingram is also in the final year of his expiring contract, while McCollum is signed through the 2025-2026 season.</p><h2><b>Pelicans’ issue with Zion Williamson</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Zion-Williamson-1-looks-on-from-the-bench-against-the-Orlando-Magic-.jpg"><figcaption>© Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Williamson’s issue has never been his talent. In each of his five seasons in the league, he has averaged over 22 points and five rebounds per game. However, the main asterisk in his career has always been his health. Repeated rumors of a lack of motivation have also seemingly limited his ceiling.</p><p>Since joining the team, Williamson has only played over 60 games in a season twice. Overall, he has taken the court for just 190 of a possible 440 total games, a mere 43 percent. Despite his continuous unavailability, Williamson continues to be the face of the franchise.</p><p>Williamson’s health issues were magnified during the 2021-2022 season when he missed all 82 games with a foot fracture. He acquired the injury in the offseason and was initially given a tentative two-month recovery timeline that repeatedly got extended until he was officially ruled out for the year.</p><p>After just six games in 2024-2025, Williamson is in danger of a similar fate. The star forward is currently <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-zion-williamson-out-indefinitely-with-hamstring-injury">sidelined with a hamstring strain</a> that has seemingly no end date in sight, leaving the struggling Pelicans to flounder without him. New Orleans has gone just 2-19 since the team confirmed his extended absence.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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