<!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>

NBA rumors: Zion Williamson among 3 ‘core’ Pelicans being ‘shopped’

<!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-lakers-magic-named-possible-cj-mccollum-trade-suitors');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Lakers, Magic named possible CJ McCollum 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/2024/12/Lakers-Magic-named-possible-CJ-McCollum-trade-suitors.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Lakers, Magic named possible CJ McCollum trade suitors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-20T12:49:11-08:00">December 20th, 12:49pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-20T12:49:11-08:00">December 20th, 12:49pm</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">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/latest-jimmy-butler-zach-lavine-nba-trade-rumors-siegels-scoop">New Orleans Pelicans are reportedly exploring trade opportunities</a> for several players amid a disappointing 5-23 start to the season. With injuries to Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram derailing their campaign, the Pelicans have been receptive to trade inquiries on all players except Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones, according to NBA Insider Brett Siegel. Among the potential trade candidates, veteran guard CJ McCollum has emerged as a strong option.</p><p>McCollum, 33, is in the second year of a two-year, $63.9 million deal, earning $33.3 million this season with $30.6 million slated for 2024-25. In 15 games this season, McCollum is averaging 20.9 points, 3.9 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 43.6% from the field and 32.5% from three-point range. Known for his scoring ability, McCollum is also regarded as a solid defender, adding to his appeal for teams looking for a two-way contributor.</p><p>The Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic are two teams identified by Siegel as potential suitors for McCollum. The Lakers, with a 15-12 record, are active in trade discussions as they aim to strengthen their roster ahead of the February 6 trade deadline. They have <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-lakers-3-clear-needs-ahead-of-trade-deadline">prioritized three needs</a>: a defensive-minded center, a 3-and-D wing, and a guard with point-of-attack defensive capabilities. Although McCollum stands at 6’3” and is not a traditional defensive stopper, his ability to guard opposing guards effectively and his offensive versatility make him a logical fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.</p><h2><b>Lakers, Magic could emerge as top suitors for CJ McCollum ahead of trade deadline</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/CJ-McCollum-3-shoots-the-ball-while-Indiana-Pacers-center-Myles-Turner-33.jpg"><figcaption>© Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>To facilitate a trade, the Lakers would likely need to part with D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura to match McCollum’s salary. Russell is in the final year of a two-year, $18.6 million contract. Hachimura, meanwhile, is on a three-year, $51 million deal, making $17 million this season and $18.2 million in its final year during the 2025-26 season. A package involving these contracts would align with McCollum’s $33.3 million salary for this season.</p><p>The Orlando Magic, currently 17-12 and fourth in the Eastern Conference, are another team to watch in the McCollum sweepstakes. With <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/magic-news-orlando-players-who-must-step-up-after-franz-wagner-injury">Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner sidelined due to torn right obliques</a>, the Magic have lost three consecutive games and struggled offensively, <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/traditional?dir=D&amp;sort=PTS" rel="noopener">ranking 28th</a> in the NBA in scoring with an average of 106.8 points per game. McCollum’s veteran leadership, defensive capabilities, and scoring would complement Orlando’s young core and address the team’s offensive struggles. Siegel suggests a potential trade package could include Cole Anthony, who is in the second year of a three-year, $39 million deal. Anthony, earning $12.9 million this season, is having a down year with averages of 5.1 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists but has shown significant upside in previous seasons.</p><p>As the trade deadline approaches, McCollum’s two-way skills and veteran experience make him a highly sought-after asset for teams like the Lakers and Magic, both of whom are eager to solidify their playoff aspirations.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Lakers, Magic named possible CJ McCollum 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', '/pelicans-news-cj-mccollum-trey-murphy-iii-address-trade-rumors-rockets-nba-deadline');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans’ CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy III address trade rumors before visiting Rockets');   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/CJ-McCollum-Trey-Murphy-III-address-trade-rumors-before-Rockets-game.jpg"></figure><h1>Pelicans’ CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy III address trade rumors before visiting Rockets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-18T19:16:43-08:00">December 18th, 7:16pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-18T19:16:43-08:00">December 18th, 7:16pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a Memphis Grizzlies beat reporter for ClutchPoints who has also covered the New Orleans Pelicans. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</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">cursed, injury-plagued New Orleans Pelicans</a> are running out of time and options this season and it’s not yet Christmas. Dozens of games missed by Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, and Trey Murphy III have taken a toll. Fans are in a frenzy and other front offices are calling to ask which rotational pieces are available in a trade. The outside noise had become near-deafening over the past few weeks as the Pelicans (5-22) fell to the bottom of the Western Conference standings.</p><p>Murphy III <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cs8zPXBm0h0" rel="noopener">did not hold back</a> when asked about the team’s difficulties and some Pelicans being mentioned in NBA Trade Deadline rumors.</p><p>“It’s part of the business,” Murphy III stated. “I figured it out my rookie year, especially when the trade deadline came and they traded (Nickeil Alexander-Walker). He was one of my best friends. I was with him for every road trip, dinner, and all that stuff. The next day he is gone so you kind of get numb to it. It’s a part of reality. You just wish the best for the next person.”</p><p>McCollum<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3k1iw9WK5g" rel="noopener"> brushed off the yearly tradition</a> with a laugh.</p><p>“What are the rumors?” McCollum asked. “What players have been (named)?”</p><p>“I’ve been in the league a long time,” added McCollum. “It’s the time of the year where you can turn your mentions off (for your cell phone). You can turn on your alerts or turn them off. For a lot of guys who’ve been in the league, they understand it. Generally speaking, most guys aren’t going to be lifers on one team. There are only a handful of guys throughout the league’s history that have only played on one team.”</p><p>Fans of the Pelicans did get some sympathy from a somber-sounding McCollum.</p><p>“It’s been difficult. Losing is not great. You don’t really feel comfortable doing anything,” McCollum stressed. “It doesn’t really feel comfortable going out to eat. You feel bad for the fans and everyone involved in the environment of trying to win games. But it’s our reality. We’ve got to continue to work hard and give ourselves the best chance to dig ourselves out of a tough hole.”</p><h2>Pelicans trying to break a losing cycle</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/CJ-McCollum-defense-Pelicans.jpg"><figcaption>Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/why-pelicans-cannot-move-dejounte-murray-before-nba-trade-deadline-dyson-daniels-draft-assets">Pelicans have limited options</a> considering the market for Murray, Ingram, and Williamson. Murphy III has been in this kind of 25% win rate cycle before unfortunately.</p><p>“I haven’t been on the best teams in my life, I’ll say that,” admitted Murphy III. “It is not fun when you are accustomed to winning. Last year we won almost 50 games, winning at a decently high rate. Now it doesn’t feel good. People are frustrated. We want to make a change about it and in ourselves, you know, fighting it out. Against Indiana, at times we weren’t playing together.”</p><p>McCollum, ever the consummate professional oozing veteran leadership, maintained an even keel when detailing what the Pelicans might change.</p><p>“You’ve got to do your job,” McCollum said. “Your job is to prepare and give your best effort each night. It starts with preparation and trying to string together some wins. We’re not doing well, so teams are going to be circling like sharks. Trying to see who they can poach. Our team is maybe entertaining trades, maybe not entertaining trades. Who knows? It’s about how you prepare.”</p><p>In a multi-billion dollar industry, someone is always watching how a player prepares for and reacts to certain situations. McCollum knows those eyes can lead to life-changing moments. It led him to the Pelicans after all.</p><p>“You want to be in the position to be liked by more than just one team because it means you have something to offer,” McCollum stressed. “If teams are calling and inquiring about you, it means you have value beyond where you’re currently at. Your job is to create value for yourself and your family.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans’ CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy III address trade rumors before visiting Rockets

<!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-linked-nuggets-trade-pursuits');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Brandon Ingram also linked to Nuggets trade pursuits');   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-Brandon-Ingram-also-linked-to-Nuggets-trade-pursuits.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Brandon Ingram also linked to Nuggets trade pursuits</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-18T08:15:26-08:00">December 18th, 8:15am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-18T19:17:17-08:00">December 18th, 7:17pm</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">Denver Nuggets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Brandon Ingram trade rumors continue to swirl around him, and this time the Denver Nuggets. The New Orleans Pelicans forward has been involved in a variety of trade discussions, but this one with Denver is the newest of the bunch. After <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-brandon-ingram-turned-down-pelicans-offer">Ingram declined the Pelicans $50 million per season offer</a>, his time in the city <a href="https://x.com/IanBegley/status/1869202861634318632" rel="noopener">might be coming to a close</a>.</p><p>SNY’s Ian Begley reported from The Athletic that “Brandon Ingram is another player among the group on their radar. The clearest pathway for Denver to make a trade for a big scorer with a significant salary would be to include Michael Porter Jr. in the deal.”</p><p>Porter Jr. has three years and $114 million left on his contract. For the Nuggets to trade for Ingram, they’ll need to include him in the deal. Still, Ingram is in the final year of his contract and could be an unrestricted free agent after the year. However, the Nuggets might need a secondary scorer as soon as possible.</p><p>Ingram is having a solid season thus far. He’s averaging 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists. He’s also shooting <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/i/ingrabr01.html" rel="noopener">46.5% from the field and 37.4% from three</a> while being the top-scoring option. Not to mention, Zion Williamson hasn’t played a game for New Orleans this season. It’s forcing much of the defensive game plan against Ingram. He’s performing well, considering the circumstances.</p><h2><b>Brandon Ingram’s trade with the Pelicans and Nuggets could do wonders</b></h2><p>On a team with Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, the former Duke basketball forward will thrive with the duo. After all, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-trade-brandon-ingram-new-contract">Pelicans are rumored to likely trade Ingram rather than extend him</a>. Although Murray is having a rough season, Jokic is playing at an MVP level. Not to mention, he’s practically carrying the offense while playing an absurd amount of minutes.</p><p>While Christian Braun and others have stepped up, there’s not that secondary to take pressure off of Jokic. It was supposed to be Murray, but after his struggles, Denver might want to pull the trigger on a potential deal. Someone like Ingram can unlock an interesting dynamic at the forward position.</p><p>His innate scoring ability, mixed with an improved playmaking ability, is essential for a top-tier offense. Plus, they can give the ball to Ingram late in games, in addition to Jokic. That two-man game is a scary thought for an opposing defense. With all that being said, it’s only a rumor. The Nuggets are the No. 5 seed and are in a comfortable position. If they need to or desire to make a move, they have the pieces necessary.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Brandon Ingram also linked to Nuggets trade pursuits

<!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-predicts-zion-williamson-trade-value-if-moved');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Insider predicts Zion Williamson’s trade value if moved');   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/Pelicans-news-Zion-Williamson-makes-official-agency-decision.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Insider predicts Zion Williamson’s trade value if moved</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-16T14:00:12-08:00">December 16th, 2:00pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-16T14:00:12-08:00">December 16th, 2:00pm</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-hamstring-injury-update-timeline">Williamson is still sidelined</a> for the New Orleans Pelicans as he’s suffering from a hamstring injury. Injuries have the story of Williamson’s career, and now rumors have started to float around on what his trade value could look like if the Pelicans <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/42878124/nba-trade-deadline-2025-10-players-watch-feb-6" rel="noopener">decided to move on from him</a>, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.</p><p>“As Charania reported last week, the Pelicans have no desire to waive Williamson despite an injury-marred career,” Marks wrote. “Williamson has played more than 60 games in two of his first five seasons and is currently out because of a left hamstring strain.</p><p>“Should New Orleans explore the trade market for Williamson and build around Ingram? The question is valid, especially if the Pelicans are tired of regularly seeing Williamson’s name on the injury report. The realization comes with New Orleans needing Williamson to be available if it wants to maximize his value on the court or in a trade.</p><p>“If they do move him, the Pelicans can acquire expiring contracts and perhaps a future first-round pick. New Orleans can outright release Williamson this summer with no financial obligation.”</p><p>When Williamson is healthy, he’s one of the more dominant players in the league, but it’s hard to get him on the floor due to injuries. If the Pelicans do want to go their separate ways, it will be interesting to see what his trade value looks like.</p><h2>Zion Williamson dealing with hamstring injury</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Williamson-on-the-sidelines.jpg"><figcaption>Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-leaves-cavaliers-game-with-potential-injury">Zion Williamson hasn’t played since Nov. 6</a> due to a left hamstring strain, and at the beginning of December, he received an update on his return. The Pelicans announced on Dec. 4 that Williamson was <a href="https://www.nba.com/pelicans/news/new-orleans-pelicans-medical-updates-december-4-2024" rel="noopener">progressing well through rehabilitation</a> and will be re-examined by the team’s medical personnel in approximately two weeks, which should be right around the corner.</p><p>Williamson hasn’t been the only player on the Pelicans that have dealt with injuries this season, but the team is slowly starting to get healthy. Due to the injuries, the Pelicans have found themselves at the bottom of the Western Conference with a 5-22 record.</p><p>The Pelicans have a lot of talent on the roster, but there’s still a question of how it will come together when everybody is back playing. There have been talks that Williamson and Brandom Ingram can’t play together, while Dejounte Murray and CJ McCollum might not be the best fit with each other as well. Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones have been solid as three-and-D players, and don’t need the ball as much to be effective.</p><p>Once Williamson returns, the Pelicans’ chemistry will truly be put to the test.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Insider predicts Zion Williamson’s trade value if moved

<!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-trade-business-3-exceptions');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Pelicans open for trade business, with 3 exceptions');   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-Pelicans-open-for-trade-business-with-3-exceptions.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Pelicans open for trade business, with 3 exceptions</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-15T14:06:04-08:00">December 15th, 2:06pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-15T14:06:21-08:00">December 15th, 2:06pm</time><address><a>Benjamin Adducchio</a>Benjamin Adducchio is a journalist and writer with more than a decade of experience in covering sports news. Ben is a passionate sports fan who loves college football, basketball, and the New York Yankees.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New Orleans Pelicans are mired in a frustrating season, and the team is open to trade offers to rebuild. New Orleans is rumored to <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/sunday-best-all-the-latest-nba-trade?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=153164916&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">have every player available</a> for a possible deal except three, per The Stein Line Substack account.</p><p>Those three players expected to stay in the Big Easy are Herb Jones, Yves Missi and Trey Murphy III. Everyone else including Zion Williamson could be shipped elsewhere during this season.</p><p>Missi is a rookie, while Jones and Murphy are also younger players. Pelicans leadership believes those three guys are part of a nucleus of talent for the future. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-yves-missi-making-early-nba-rookie-statement-willie-green">Missi leads the Pelicans in rebounds and blocks</a>, with eight and 1.2 respectively.</p><p>Murphy is the fourth leading scorer on the team. He’s averaging more than 18 points a game, although he’s missed several contests. Jones is averaging a little more than 10 points a contest.</p><p>The Pelicans are 5-21 on the year, with injury issues aplenty.</p><h2>Pelicans fans have to be frustrated with this club</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Pelicans-Jordan-Hawkins.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Pelicans have never had much success since they became a franchise, but this season has been especially frustrating. New Orleans has just five wins in 26 games. That’s good enough for last in the Western Conference, just behind the struggling Utah Jazz.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-jordan-hawkins-reveals-troubling-back-injury-update-specialist-college-days-pain">New Orleans has been bothered by injuries to multiple players</a>. The team is without Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, among several other rotation pieces. The squad has lost nine of their last 10 contests, in part due to the lack of depth they are dealing with. Ingram for example is the team’s leading scorer, and fans have gotten quite used to reading his name on the injury report.</p><p>Pelicans fans are disheartened with how rough it has been. New Orleans entered the season with expectations to make the postseason. Those hopes <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/pelicans/news/brandon-ingrams-honest-statement-on-pelicans-loss-to-warriors-01jbkm3tmgbs" rel="noopener">are pretty much extinguished</a>, despite the season still having miles to go.</p><p>“We know we gotta give more offensively, but we definitely gotta give more on the defensive end,” Ingram said earlier this year, per Sports Illustrated. “We gotta have that in us, every single time that we come out and do our jobs.”</p><p>The team is truly struggling defensively. New Orleans is doing a poor job this season in stopping second chance points. The Pelicans <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/defense?dir=A&amp;sort=OPP_PTS_2ND_CHANCE" rel="noopener">are allowing opponents to score more</a> than 15 second chance points a game, per league stats. Only the Washington Wizards and Oklahoma City Thunder are allowing more.</p><p>The Pelicans next play the Indiana Pacers on Sunday, with a chance to get a victory.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Pelicans open for trade business, with 3 exceptions

<!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-zero-interest-trey-murphy-iii-herb-jones-trades');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Pelicans hold ‘zero interest’ in Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones trades');   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-Pelicans-hold-zero-interest-in-Trey-Murphy-III-Herb-Jones-trades.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Pelicans hold ‘zero interest’ in Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones trades</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-13T12:59:22-08:00">December 13th, 12:59pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-13T16:55:24-08:00">December 13th, 4:55pm</time><address><a>Joshua Valdez</a>Joshua Valdez started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper before becoming an associate editor and Washington Wizards/Mystics reporter for ClutchPoints. He is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. When Joshua is not either watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or working on a screenplay.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Losing teams such as the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ranking-best-herb-jones-trade-destinations-if-pelicans-go-nuclear">New Orleans Pelicans (5-21) are often sellers</a> at the NBA trade deadline. Not all teams in the cellar become sellers, though.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/jimmy-butler-warriors-rumors-latest-trade-block-intel-siegels-scoop">Pelicans are instead looking to add talent,</a> via ClutchPoins’ Brett Siegel.</p><p>“Despite being 5-21 this season, the Pelicans are not expected to be major sellers at the trade deadline. Instead, executive David Griffin and his front office are expected to revamp their roster and focus on getting Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones more opportunities,” Siegel said. “The Pelicans hold zero interest in trading either player, as the organization has turned down every team inquiring about Jones and Murphy dating back to the offseason.”</p><p>With both players young and ascending, it makes sense that New Orleans wants to build around them. Murphy, who the Pelicans drafted 17th overall in 2021, is averaging 18.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game on 42.6% shooting. Jones, who they drafted 35th overall in the same year, checks in with 10.3 points and 3.9 rebounds on 48.5% shooting off the bench.</p><p>The Pelicans, though, are open to dealing their older veterans.</p><p>“Along with hearing offers for [Brandon] Ingram, the Pelicans are also open to seeing what CJ McCollum’s value on the trade market is,” Siegel continued.</p><p>Ingram makes the most sense to let go of at the moment, as his contract expires at the end of this season, while McCollum won’t hit free agency until 2026. The 27-year-old Ingram’s ankle sprain, though, makes him difficult to sell.</p><h2><b>Pelicans have a Brandon Ingram conundrum</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Brandon-Ingram-14-reacts-to-a-play-against-Phoenix-Suns-guard-Devin-Booker-1.jpg"><figcaption>© Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Ingram is still <a href="https://twitter.com/TheDunkCentral/status/1866584646558892455?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1866584646558892455%7Ctwgr%5E4c53e5f1c3649b4a43b01151a5cfaca2df9df429%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.si.com%2Fnba%2Fpelicans%2Fnews%2Fnba-star-brandon-ingram-reportedly-turned-down-major-contract-01jesa9dzwqf" rel="noopener">more likely to be traded</a> than extended, due in part to the team’s financial situation, via ESPN’s Shams Charania.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Brandon Ingram reportedly turned down an extension from New Orleans last year that would have paid him $50 million per year, per <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShamsCharania</a> </p><p>(h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/PelsFilmRoom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PelsFilmRoom</a> ) </p><p> <a href="https://t.co/AVv7RHHEL5">pic.twitter.com/AVv7RHHEL5</a></p><p>— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheDunkCentral/status/1866584646558892455?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“They’ve been really bouncing trade vs. extension since the offseason. As it stands right now because of their salary cap situation for this year and for the next years to come, an extension at even his current salary of $36 million, they just can’t reach it as an organization right now,” Charania said. “That’s why, from what I’m told, the trade route is more likely, but the Pelicans’s price threshold as well as Ingram’s recent significant ankle sprain impacts how this could play out.”</p><p>New Orleans offered Ingram a pot of gold twice, but he rejected both offers.</p><p>“When you think about the last couple of offseasons, Ingram turned down an extension worth $50 million per year in 2023 and an extension of about $40 million this past offseason,” Charania continued. “How do you communicate with his new agents, with the organization now, to find the right extension or the right trade? That’s something that both sides will navigate. I expect him to have a robust market between now and the deadline.”</p><p>The Pelicans may have to compromise on their price tag in an Ingram trade given that he’s <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3913176/brandon-ingram" rel="noopener">ruled out indefinitely</a>, via Charania. New Orleans has until 3 PM EST on February 6th to ship the Duke alum out before he likely walks in free agency.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Pelicans hold ‘zero interest’ in Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones trades

<!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-turned-down-pelicans-offer');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Brandon Ingram turned down Pelicans’ $50 million per season offer');   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/Brandon-Ingram-turned-down-Pelicans-50-million-per-season-offer.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Brandon Ingram turned down Pelicans’ $50 million per season offer</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-10T14:23:25-08:00">December 10th, 2:23pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-10T14:23:25-08:00">December 10th, 2:23pm</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">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram reportedly declined a $50 million per season extension offer in 2023, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The revelation, shared during Charania’s appearance on NBA Today with Malika Andrews, sheds light on the ongoing <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-trade-brandon-ingram-new-contract">uncertainty surrounding Ingram’s future</a> with the franchise.</p><p>Charania <a href="https://x.com/TheDunkCentral/status/1866584646558892455" rel="noopener">emphasized</a> the challenges the Pelicans face in navigating Ingram’s contract situation.</p><p>“They’ve been really balancing trade versus extension since the offseason,” Charania stated. “As it stands right now, because of their salary cap situation for this year and for the next years to come – an extension at even his current salary at $36 million, they just can’t reach it as an organization as of right now. That’s what makes, from what I’m told, the trade route more likely.”</p><h2><b>Brandon Ingram’s contract rejections fuel trade speculations</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Brandon-Ingram-14-reacts-to-a-play-against-Phoenix-Suns-guard-Devin-Booker-1.jpg"><figcaption>© Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Charania also noted that Ingram declined not only the $50 million per year extension last year but also a $40 million offer this past offseason.</p><p>“That’s something that both sides will navigate,” he continued. “I expect him to have a robust market between now and the deadline.”</p><p>Ingram, 27, is currently sidelined indefinitely alongside teammate Zion Williamson due to injuries, compounding the Pelicans’ struggles this season. He is 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 in 18 games before his ankle injury.</p><p>The Pelicans have endured a difficult start to the season, sitting at 5-20 following their latest loss. With Ingram set to become a free agent next summer and the team underperforming, trade rumors surrounding him and other players have intensified.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Brandon Ingram reportedly turned down an extension from New Orleans last year that would have paid him $50 million per year, per <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShamsCharania</a></p><p>(h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/PelsFilmRoom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PelsFilmRoom</a> )</p><p><a href="https://t.co/AVv7RHHEL5">pic.twitter.com/AVv7RHHEL5</a></p><p>— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheDunkCentral/status/1866584646558892455?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><p>Ingram recently changed his representation to Klutch Sports, signaling a potentially significant shift in how his future will be negotiated. The move adds another layer of complexity as the Pelicans weigh their options between retaining Ingram or seeking trade opportunities before the February 6 deadline.</p><h2><b>Pelicans weigh roster overhaul as CJ McCollum, Herb Jones draw interest </b></h2><p>Ingram’s situation is part of a broader picture of uncertainty for the Pelicans, who have been hampered by injuries to key players. In addition to Ingram, Charania reported earlier Tuesday that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-2-pelicans-drawing-trade-interest-amid-brandon-ingram-saga">CJ McCollum and Herb Jones are also garnering trade interest</a> from multiple teams.</p><p>McCollum, a 12-year NBA veteran, and Jones, a rising two-way talent, represent valuable trade assets for a team grappling with injuries and a poor start to the season. Charania suggested that the Pelicans’ struggles, coupled with their salary cap challenges, may push them to explore significant roster changes as the trade deadline approaches.</p><p>The Pelicans now face critical decisions about their direction moving forward. Whether they choose to build around their current core or pursue a roster overhaul could shape the franchise’s trajectory for years to come.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Brandon Ingram turned down Pelicans’ $50 million per season offer

<!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-2-pelicans-drawing-trade-interest-amid-brandon-ingram-saga');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: 2 Pelicans drawing trade interest amid Brandon Ingram saga');   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/2024/12/2-Pelicans-drawing-trade-interest-amid-Brandon-Ingram-saga.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: 2 Pelicans drawing trade interest amid Brandon Ingram saga</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-10T12:01:12-08:00">December 10th, 12:01pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-10T12:01:12-08:00">December 10th, 12:01pm</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">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New Orleans Pelicans are reportedly receiving trade inquiries for CJ McCollum and Herb Jones <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-trade-brandon-ingram-new-contract">amid ongoing speculation about Brandon Ingram’s future with the team</a>. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, multiple teams have <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/42878390/shams-charania-nba-pass-trade-intel-jimmy-butler-brandon-ingram-golden-state-warriors" rel="noopener">expressed interest</a> in McCollum and Jones as the Pelicans navigate a challenging season.</p><p>The Pelicans had high expectations entering the 2024-25 NBA season, bolstered by the offseason acquisition of Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks. However, injuries to key players have significantly impacted their performance. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-evp-david-griffin-stand-pat-despite-zion-williamson-brandon-ingram-injuries">Zion Williamson remains sidelined indefinitely due to a hamstring injury</a>, and Brandon Ingram is out indefinitely with a high-grade left ankle sprain. These setbacks have contributed to the team’s struggles, culminating in a 5-20 record following a 121-116 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night.</p><h2><b>CJ McCollum’s veteran leadership and scoring make him a coveted target</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/CJ-McCollum-3-is-defended-by-Atlanta-Hawks-guard-Bogdan-Bogdanovic-13.jpg"><figcaption>© Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>CJ McCollum, a 12-year NBA veteran, has been a key piece for the Pelicans since being acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2021-22 season. The 33-year-old guard signed a two-year, $64 million extension in 2022, which ties him to the team through the 2025-26 season. This season, McCollum is averaging 20.3 points, 3.9 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 43.4% from the field and 31.4% from three-point range in 12 appearances.</p><p>Last season, McCollum played a pivotal role in the Pelicans securing a playoff berth, averaging 20 points, 4.6 assists, and 4.3 rebounds while shooting an efficient 45.9% from the field and 42.9% from beyond the arc. His scoring ability and veteran leadership make him an attractive option for teams seeking a proven backcourt presence.</p><h2><b>Herb Jones’ two-way prowess and contract appeal spark trade interest </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Herbert-Jones-2-dribbles-against-San-Antonio-Spurs-forward-Keldon-Johnson-0.jpg"><figcaption>© Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Herb Jones, meanwhile, is regarded as one of the league’s rising two-way talents. The 26-year-old forward signed a four-year, $54 million extension in 2023, keeping him under contract through the 2026-27 season. Jones is averaging 10.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, two assists, and 1.9 steals per game this season while shooting 51.8% from the field.</p><p>Jones’ contributions extend beyond the box score, as his defensive versatility and high basketball IQ make him a valuable asset. Last season, he had a career year, posting averages of 11 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 49.8% from the field and an impressive 41.8% from three-point range across 76 games.</p><p>Trade rumors involving McCollum and Jones are expected to intensify as the December 15 date approaches, when many players become eligible for trades. The Pelicans’ current struggles, coupled with their injury woes, may prompt the team to consider reshaping its roster ahead of the February 6 trade deadline.</p><p>While no deals are imminent, the interest in McCollum and Jones underscores their value in the league. Whether the New Orleans Pelicans opt to move one or both players could hinge on their long-term plans and the offers they receive in the coming months. For now, the franchise faces critical decisions that could shape its trajectory for the remainder of the season and beyond.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: 2 Pelicans drawing trade interest amid Brandon Ingram saga

<!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-trade-brandon-ingram-new-contract');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Pelicans more likely to trade Brandon Ingram than sign to new contract');   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/Pelicans-more-likely-to-trade-Brandon-Ingram-than-sign-to-new-contract.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Pelicans more likely to trade Brandon Ingram than sign to new contract</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-10T08:53:12-08:00">December 10th, 8:53am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-10T08:55:51-08:00">December 10th, 8:55am</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New Orleans Pelicans are financially tied up after acquiring Dejounte Murray and extending Trey Murphy III during the offseason. Those moves have left the Pelicans $31 million below the luxury tax next season. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-evp-david-griffin-stand-pat-despite-zion-williamson-brandon-ingram-injuries">That means for players like New Orleans forward</a> Brandon Ingram, who is looking to sign an extension, the Pelicans might be looking to make a trade instead.</p><p>According to reports, the Pelicans <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/42878390/shams-charania-nba-pass-trade-intel-jimmy-butler-brandon-ingram-golden-state-warriors" rel="noopener">discussed trades with multiple teams over the summer</a>, but no offer made sense for New Orleans. However, because of their salary situation, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ranking-best-brandon-ingram-trade-destinations-after-klutch-sports-move">the Pelicans might have no option but to trade Ingram</a>. To make matters worse, since New Orleans is 5-20, the offers they’re sent might not be the greatest either.</p><p>In his sixth season with the Pelicans, Ingram has averaged 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists. New Orleans would love to keep Ingram since All-Star forwards aren’t readily available. However, with Ingram obtaining new representation and the reality of the Pelicans’ financial situation, a break-up could be coming sooner rather than later.</p><h2><b>Which team could trade for Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Brandon-Ingram-dribbles-Pelicans.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>On paper, the San Antonio Spurs make the most sense for Ingram. San Antonio has good salary-filler contracts like Harrison Barnes, Keldon Johnson, and Zach Collins. The Spurs also have numerous draft picks they could use in a trade to add legitimate star power to play alongside Victor Wembanyama. That could be enough to get the Pelicans to consider a deal. However, it doesn’t end there.</p><p>Since Victor Wembanyama is on his rookie deal and Devin Vassell signed for less than the max, San Antonio might even be able to justify slightly overpaying Ingram for the next two or three years.</p><p>That would give Ingram what he’s looking for financially. It would also give San Antonio a long-term 20-point-per-game scoring threat alongside Wembanyama. The Spurs need that, especially if they want to make it back to the playoffs sooner rather than later.</p><p>Granted, trading for Ingram wouldn’t guarantee San Antonio a playoff spot. However, adding an All-Star caliber forward to the mix certainly raises the Spurs’ ceiling.</p><p>A trade with San Antonio could be a deal where everyone involved walks away happy. The Spurs would get an All-Star forward. Ingram would get the money he’s looking for. The Pelicans would get draft picks and young talent as compensation. If an Ingram trade starts to gain momentum, don’t be surprised if the Spurs are leading the charge. It just makes too much sense for San Antonio.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Pelicans more likely to trade Brandon Ingram than sign to new contract

<!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-trade-value-pelicans-harsh-reality');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Zion Williamson’s trade value slaps Pelicans with harsh reality');   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-Williamsons-trade-value-slaps-Pelicans-with-harsh-reality.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Zion Williamson’s trade value slaps Pelicans with harsh reality</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-02T09:43:10-08:00">December 2nd, 9:43am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-03T12:32:26-08:00">December 3rd, 12:32pm</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>The New Orleans <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-cj-mccollum-dejounte-murray-deliver-must-win-injury-statement-raptors">Pelicans season is off to a terrible start</a>, mostly due to the number of injuries they’ve had to deal with to their star players. With the season not going as planned and players on the shelf, the thought of trades has come up. One of the players that may have some value is Zion Williamson, but it’s <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/top-nba-trade-candidates-for-the-2024-25-season/" rel="noopener">not as high</a> as people would expect, according to HoopsHype.</p><p>“Yet, as always, the success of the Pelicans hinges on the health of Williamson, who another NBA executive told HoopsHype he’d only consider trading one first-round pick to acquire due to his consistent durability concerns,” HoopsHype wrote.</p><p>Williamson is currently out indefinitely for the Pelicans because of a hamstring injury, and the team hasn’t been very successful when he’s not playing. On the other hand, when he’s healthy, they’re a completely different team. The Pelicans will most likely not trade Williamson, and with how his market looks, it doesn’t seem like they’ll get what they want.</p><h2>Will Pelicans make changes at the trade deadline?</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Zion-Williamson.jpg"><figcaption>Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>With the Pelicans wanting to stay under the luxury tax, they’re going to have to make a move at the trade deadline. There are a few options on the team that could be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-face-frozen-brandon-ingram-trade-market-lauri-markkanen-deal">trade candidates, including Brandon Ingram</a> and CJ McCollum.</p><p>Trade rumors were swirling during the offseason with Ingram, and when he hits free agency, he’ll be looking for a max contract. If the Pelicans don’t plan on signing him to an extension, the best bet they have is to trade him for some pieces. It’s also a feeling that the Pelicans could move on from Ingram because of the fit on the court with he and Williamson.</p><p>As far as McCollum, the Pelicans see him as a veteran in the locker room, but his fit with Dejounte Murray also raises questions.</p><p>An NBA executive said about McCollum and Ingram: “New Orleans should move McCollum, and they’ll likely move Ingram for another proven player,” according to HoopsHype.</p><p>The Pelicans have a lot to work with if they want to make moves at the deadline, but they could also wait until the team gets healthy and see if they can make a run. The only question is when will everybody be healthy at the same time for the team, and how will they look all on the court together, especially if fit has already been a conversation with some of their key players.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Zion Williamson’s trade value slaps Pelicans with harsh reality

<!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-helped-stop-pelicans-jazz-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: How Brandon Ingram helped stop Pelicans-Jazz 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/2024/12/0Brandon-Ingram-in-Jazz0.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: How Brandon Ingram helped stop Pelicans-Jazz trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-01T14:57:48-08:00">December 1st, 2:57pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-01T14:57:48-08:00">December 1st, 2:57pm</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-cj-mccollum-dejounte-murray-deliver-must-win-injury-statement-raptors">New Orleans Pelicans have been in a freefall</a> as of late, currently sitting at 4-16 ahead of Wednesday evening’s matchup in Manhattan against the New York Knicks. The Pelicans have dealt with a slew of injuries so far this season, including <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-dejounte-murray-apologizes-to-fans-with-embarrassed-rant">to point guard Dejounte Murray</a>, whom the team acquired in the offseason and just recently returned from a hand fracture.</p><p>The Pelicans have also dealt with injuries to stars Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. Many were surprised that Ingram was still on the roster to begin the season following the incessant trade chatter around him over the offseason; however, now more <a href="https://intheno.substack.com/p/brandon-ingram-leaves-excel-sports" rel="noopener">light is being cast</a> on a reported trade between the Utah Jazz and the Pelicans that Ingram himself shut down,” per Shamit Dua of In The N.O.</p><p>“Multiple league sources have relayed to me that the Pelicans and Jazz were deep in talks which were shut down by Ingram’s lack of desire to re-sign in Salt Lake City,” reported Dua.</p><p>Dua also reported that this decision “highlights that money is not presumably everything for Ingram.”</p><h2>A disastrous start for the Pelicans</h2><p>Injury concerns were always going to be the question for a team with Zion Williamson as its best player. Williamson is currently out of the lineup with a hamstring injury that doesn’t appear to be close to fully healed, and the Pelicans have also dealt with injuries to several of their other key pieces.</p><p>Brandon Ingram, when he’s been on the floor, has been the Pelicans’ most consistent scoring option this year, putting together numerous high scoring performances on solid efficiency, but he hasn’t had nearly enough help to keep New Orleans from floundering in the Western Conference standings.</p><p>The Pelicans are also still waiting on the first real returns from Dejounte Murray, who was acquired from the Atlanta Hawks in the offseason in exchange for Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance Jr., and first round draft picks. Murray was brought in to help stabilize a Pelicans offense that grew very stagnant during the team’s first round sweep at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder in this past postseason.</p><p>In any case, the Pelicans and Knicks are slated to get underway at 6:00 PM ET. After that, the team will head south to face the Atlanta Hawks in what will be Dejounte Murray’s return to his former team.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: How Brandon Ingram helped stop Pelicans-Jazz 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', '/pelicans-news-did-brandon-ingram-just-send-more-subtle-messages-to-front-office-amid-trade-rumors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans news: Did Brandon Ingram just send more subtle messages to front office amid 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/2024/09/Did-Brandon-Ingram-just-send-more-subtle-messages-to-front-office-amid-trade-rumors.jpg"></figure><h1>Pelicans news: Did Brandon Ingram just send more subtle messages to front office amid trade rumors?</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-10T17:57:08-07:00">September 10th, 5:57pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-10T17:57:08-07:00">September 10th, 5:57pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a New Orleans Pelicans beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram has been spending a lot of time on social media and the purpose has not exactly been clear. Two of the newest Instagram posts are also of the subtle variety but they got the attention of any fan of the Pelicans. Those fans are all asking the same questions, again: Should the front office be worried about these posts?</p><p>There are ways the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/how-pelicans-make-brandon-ingram-work-next-season">Pelicans can make Ingram work with Zion Williamson</a>, Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, and Trey Murphy. Those five are the foundation for the future. If Ingram wants to stick around there will seemingly have to be financial and on-court sacrifices made. Taking less money and more three-pointers is just the start. Instead, Ingram’s posts seem to highlight was has been <a href="https://twitter.com/DoingItDodson/status/1833608357325758654" rel="noopener">done in the past.</a></p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Brandon Ingram’s newest IG stories:<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pelicans?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pelicans</a> <a href="https://t.co/d6qHIZECQ2">pic.twitter.com/d6qHIZECQ2</a></p><p>— Dodson, Chris Dodson (@DoingItDodson) <a href="https://twitter.com/DoingItDodson/status/1833608357325758654?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“Everyone can talk. Ask them what they’ve done,” Jay-Z begins. “It was 365 days last year and I can tell you exactly what I’ve done. Let me tell you, everything I’ve done in the last year to create change. I can tell you the amount of people I’ve saved from going to jail…”</p><p>The second Instagram story was just a screenshot of Ingram’s phone playing To Whom It May Concern from the album Trust the Process by Ace Hood. It’s hard to trust the process when communicating through social media smokescreens though.</p><h2><b>Pelicans pushing luck with training camp contract friction</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Brandon-Ingram-walks-through-the-handshake-line.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Ingram is entering the final year of a five-year, $158 million rookie scale contract extension with the Pelicans. New Orleans has been very hesitant to offer another max-level deal to the former second-overall pick. The one-time All-Star has been included in practically every trade rumor segment since news of Ingram’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/source-pelicans-brandon-ingram-trade-market-considered-mild" rel="noopener">tepid market</a> broke.</p><p>This recent late summer social media activity seems to reflect his frustration with the team’s reluctance to commit to him long-term. Conservations have lingered all offseason. Now, these Instagram stories have done nothing but sparked significant speculation that there could be friction heading into training camp. Ingram <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/what-pelicans-can-learn-players-only-training-camp">skipping out on voluntary workouts</a> after years of being the lead organizer only added fuel to the fire.</p><p>The initial post featured a clip from a motivational speaker discussing the importance of recognizing one’s value. The speech emphasized finding and valuing people and places that appreciate one’s talent. Stick to your true worth and everything will all work out, essentially.</p><p>“You cannot stay in environments where people don’t know the true value of you,” the speaker declared. “If you stay in environments where people don’t recognize the value of you, you will shrink your gift to the size of what they can stand.”</p><p>Ingram’s posts come at a critical time for the Pelicans. The team is trying to build a competitive roster around Williamson, Murray, Murphy, and Jones. Ingram could be a big piece of a championship puzzle. However, his recent social media activity suggests that he may be considering free agency options next summer. The Pelicans would then be under pressure to find a trade before the deadline. Meeting contract demands would no longer be their problem.</p><p>However, even that strategy presents a dilemma for the small-market Pelicans. On one hand, they need to manage their finances carefully to build a sustainable team while likely having to avoid the luxury tax. On the other hand, losing a player of Ingram’s caliber for nothing could set them back significantly.</p><p>Will the next social media post be cryptic, news of a consolidation trade, or of a new contract? Only one person truly knows that answer.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans news: Did Brandon Ingram just send more subtle messages to front office amid 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-jazz-linked-to-brandon-ingram-trade-amid-lauri-markkanen-saga');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Jazz linked to Brandon Ingram trade amid Lauri Markkanen saga');   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/2024/07/NBA-rumors-Jazz-linked-to-Brandon-Ingram-trade-amid-Lauri-Markkanen-saga.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Jazz linked to Brandon Ingram trade amid Lauri Markkanen saga</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-07-29T09:41:57-07:00">July 29th, 9:41am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-07-30T05:57:15-07:00">July 30th, 5:57am</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Most of the major dominoes of the 2024 NBA offseason period have already fallen. But there is still one major player who could change the landscape of the NBA contending picture — Lauri Markkanen. All offseason long, many eyes have been on the Utah Jazz in anticipation of whether or not they would be keeping Markkanen amid deafening trade rumors linking him to a few suitors, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sources-warriors-lauri-markkanen-trade-offer-unchanged-amid-jazz-demands">the most prominent of which</a> is the Golden State Warriors.</p><p>Alas, there are no indications that Markkanen is angling for a trade from the Jazz. In fact, Markkanen is reportedly content with the Jazz, and he might end up signing a huge contract extension when the opportunity first presents itself (August 6). If the Jazz keep Markkanen, then they may have to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sources-lauri-markkanen-brandon-ingram-kyle-kuzma-trade-scenarios">pull off a win-now trade</a> or two to make things worth their while, as per Brett Siegel, NBA insider for ClutchPoints.</p><p>To that end, it <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lauri-markkanen-brandon-ingram-and-the-importance-of-aug-6/id1627101192?i=1000663433191" rel="noopener">remains very “possible”</a> that the Jazz acquire New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram amid a lukewarm trade market for the former All-Star forward, according to Christian Clark and Adam McCreary on From The Wing podcast.</p><p>The Jazz have decided to let their feet off the gas pedal in the final few months of the past two seasons. They reside in that awkward middle ground where they’re not too solid of a team to compete for a playoff spot in the Western Conference and they’re also not too bad of a team to compete with the worst of the worst for a top-three draft pick.</p><p>While Brandon Ingram won’t be the final piece to the Jazz’s playoff-contention puzzle, acquiring the Pelicans forward should at least help them be more competitive as they look to threaten for a play-in spot in a loaded conference.</p><h2><b>Brandon Ingram, welcome to the Jazz?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Brandon-Ingram-dribbles-the-ball-against-the-Thunder.jpg"></figure><p>It has seemed inevitable all offseason long that Brandon Ingram would be switching teams. Ingram ended the 2023-24 season in the worst way possible, struggling under the immense pressure of leading the Pelicans in a difficult first-round matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the aftermath of another unfortunate Zion Williamson injury.</p><p>Moreover, with the Pelicans letting Jonas Valanciunas walk in free agency and trading away Larry Nance Jr. in the Dejounte Murray trade, it seemed as though dealing Ingram for a new starting center was their <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-brandon-ingrams-200-million-contract-desires-complicate-pelicans-trade-efforts">next logical move</a>. Alas, with Ingram set to enter free agency after the 2024-25 season, the trade market for him has been very chilly, as not a single team has stepped up and expressed much interest in offering the Pelicans forward a huge extension.</p><p>But the Jazz have plenty of future cap space, and they actually expressed interest in pulling off blockbuster moves for the likes of Mikal Bridges and Paul George, just to name a few. They also have someone like Walker Kessler whom they can dangle to the Pelicans in a trade that makes a ton of sense for both sides. Don’t sleep on the Jazz as a sleeper Ingram destination, especially with Danny Ainge at the helm.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Jazz linked to Brandon Ingram trade amid Lauri Markkanen saga

<!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-ingrams-camp-takes-action-amid-pelicans-trade-efforts');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Brandon Ingram’s camp takes action amid Pelicans trade efforts');   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/2024/07/NBA-rumors-Brandon-Ingrams-camp-takes-action-amid-Pelicans-trade-efforts.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Brandon Ingram’s camp takes action amid Pelicans trade efforts</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-07-12T08:04:53-07:00">July 12th, 8:04am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-07-12T08:04:53-07:00">July 12th, 8:04am</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New Orleans Pelicans had built up hope with how well they were playing in the middle of the 2023-24 season that it became all the more frustrating when their season turned sour in the end once more. Zion Williamson’s injury in the play-in tournament contest against the Los Angeles Lakers ground their contending aspirations to a screeching halt, and in the end, the Pelicans became way too overmatched against the first-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder — with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-fans-want-willie-green-fired-brandon-ingram-traded-thunder-playoff-sweep">Brandon Ingram’s stock</a> taking a massive dip in the process.</p><p>Now, Ingram is in the final year of his deal, and the Pelicans, instead of losing him for nothing, appears to be doing whatever they can to shop the former All-Star in the trade market. Ingram may be a talented player, but the Pelicans have no intention, as per reports, of paying him what he’s demanding — a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-brandon-ingrams-200-million-contract-desires-complicate-pelicans-trade-efforts">contract worth $210 million</a> over four years.</p><p>The Pelicans aren’t alone in this reluctance; per NBA insider Marc Stein, they haven’t found a team that’s willing to cave in to Brandon Ingram’s contract demands. As a result, even Ingram’s camp is <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/my-nba-trade-talk-and-free-agency" rel="noopener">being proactive</a> in helping find a new home for the 26-year-old forward, with his representation searching for a team that’s looking to sign him to a huge contract extension to facilitate a trade with New Orleans.</p><p>Alas, in the financial landscape of today’s NBA, it may be impossible to find a team that will be willing to pay Ingram upwards of $50 million per year, especially in the aftermath of a terrible end to the 2023-24 season. He needed to step up in the aftermath of Williamson, and whatever the opposite of stepping up is was what the 26-year-old forward did instead. He may have been coming off injuries, but his poor body language and inability to do much of anything against Luguentz Dort did not help his value whatsoever.</p><p>It’s unclear how much the increased involvement from Ingram’s camp would influence a potential trade. But it’s becoming increasingly more likely in light of this development that Ingram is no longer a Pelican at the beginning of the 2024-25 season.</p><h2>Brandon Ingram’s potential trade destinations, analyzed</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Brandon-Ingram-1.jpg"></figure><p>It behooves any team in search of a do-it-all, shot-creating wing to call the Pelicans and inquire about what it would take to bring Brandon Ingram on board. Ingram averaged 20.8 points. 5.1 rebounds, and 5.7 assists last season, and as a three-level scorer, he would give any team a higher floor on the offensive end.</p><p>One team that still comes to mind is the Cleveland Cavaliers. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-perfect-brandon-ingram-trade-proposal-to-pelicans">Cavs and Pelicans</a> remain one of the most logical trade partners in the association. Breaking up the Jarrett Allen-Evan Mobley pairing has long been a point of discussion, and trading Allen away for the chance to get their long-term small forward alongside Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, could be worth the Cavs’ while.</p><p>However, Brian Windhorst of ESPN noted that the Cavs will have to dip into the second tax apron if they were to give Ingram a contract extension. Mobley is due for a contract extension as well, now that he’s entering the fourth season of his career. With teams unwilling to give Ingram a four-year, $210 million deal, perhaps the 26-year-old forward agrees to sign an extension at a lower value. But will the Cavs have enough financial leeway to pull it off?</p><p>Other than the Cavs, teams such as Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, Miami Heat, and even the Los Angeles Lakers could be those to watch out for. The Clippers may be more in need of a true power forward to spare Kawhi Leonard the responsibility of lining up at the four, but losing Paul George has left a huge shot-creation void for them on the wing.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Rockets have not been shy when it comes to their rumored pursuit of a superstar player. However, they may be setting their sights on better player than the Pelicans forward, with their prime targets being Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. The Heat and Lakers always manage to find their way into these conversations given their yearly pressure to win big.</p><h2>How is the Pelicans’ roster shaping up?</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Dejounte-Murray-dribbling-the-ball.jpeg"></figure><p>The Pelicans made a huge move earlier in the offseason when they dealt away Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance Jr., and two first-round picks for Dejounte Murray. Murray makes the Pelicans seven deep, with Ingram, CJ McCollum, Zion Williamson, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy, and Jose Alvarado all guaranteed to get heavy burn, with Jordan Hawkins perhaps warranting minutes in Year 2.</p><p>But the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-biggest-mistake-in-2024-nba-free-agency">Pelicans’ center rotation</a> is still questionable at best; will they actually start one of Yves Missi, Daniel Theis, or Jeremiah Robinson-Earl at the five?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Brandon Ingram’s camp takes action amid Pelicans trade efforts

<!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-ingrams-200-million-contract-desires-complicate-pelicans-trade-efforts');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Brandon Ingram’s $200 million contract desires complicate Pelicans’ trade efforts');   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/2024/07/NBA-rumors-Brandon-Ingrams-200-million-contract-desires-complicate-Pelicans-trade-efforts.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Brandon Ingram’s $200 million contract desires complicate Pelicans’ trade efforts</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-07-10T07:18:52-07:00">July 10th, 7:18am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-07-10T07:18:52-07:00">July 10th, 7:18am</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Following another disappointing season marred by injury troubles and an early exit from championship contention, it seemed as though the New Orleans Pelicans were going to take drastic measures amid a vote of no confidence in their current core. One of the more likely steps the Pelicans were going to take was to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sources-lauri-markkanen-brandon-ingram-kyle-kuzma-trade-scenarios">trade away Brandon Ingram</a> as he’ll be entering the final year of his deal.</p><p>However, heading into the middle of July, Ingram is still a member of the Pelicans franchise, and New Orleans has instead bolstered their core with the addition of former All-Star Dejounte Murray for the low price of Larry Nance Jr., Dyson Daniels, and two first-round picks. The Pelicans reportedly remain willing to entertain trade offers for the 26-year-old forward, but there remains a huge elephant in the room that’s proving to be a major roadblock to a potential deal.</p><p>With Brandon Ingram being in the final year of his deal, any team that will be trading for him will have to sign him to an extension, lest they risk trading legitimate assets away for a player who can walk in free agency. But signing Ingram to an extension requires a significant financial commitment that teams simply <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNCleveland/status/1810685204920709280" rel="noopener">may not be willing to make</a> at the moment, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.</p><p>“The reason that the Pelicans want to trade Brandon Ingram isn’t because he’s not a good player. It’s because he wants a $200 million contract extension and they don’t want to give it. And whatever team trades for him inherits the same exact situation,” Windhorst said in an appearance on 850 ESPN Cleveland radio.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">.<a href="https://twitter.com/WindhorstESPN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WindhorstESPN</a> breaks down the issues with trading for Brandon Ingram, notably the fact that he wants a $200 million contract extension… <a href="https://t.co/RtqMF3qkvq">pic.twitter.com/RtqMF3qkvq</a></p><p>— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNCleveland/status/1810685204920709280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Indeed, in the financial landscape of today’s NBA, it’s more difficult for teams to stockpile on players who make upwards of $35 to $40 million a year. Teams are becoming increasingly wary of crossing the second tax apron, as this basically puts a choke hold on teams’ means of improving their rosters.</p><p>But again, Brandon Ingram is someone who averaged 21/5/6 this past season, and he’s right in the middle of the prime years of his career. With wings who can do it all always being a necessity for teams looking to contend for a championship, expect there to be a team that bites the bullet and trades for Ingram with the knowledge that they’ll have to give him big bucks soon.</p><h2><b>Where can the Pelicans trade Brandon Ingram? Will they even deal him away?</b></h2><p>The Pelicans have assembled one of the deepest cores in the association. Dejounte Murray might not be the All-Star player he once was, but perhaps in a smaller role in New Orleans, he could go back to being his best two-way self. Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum are still around, Ingram is a swiss-army knife on the wing, and the team has top-tier role players such as Trey Murphy, Herb Jones, and Jose Alvarado, to name a few, ready to provide support.</p><p>But the Pelicans remain as ripe for a trade as any team there is in the NBA. At the moment, New Orleans is severely lacking in depth at the center position. They trust Yves Missi to become a good player, but he’s only a rookie; not every athletic freshman center can be as impactful as Dereck Lively II was in his rookie season. They also added Daniel Theis, but Theis profiles as more of a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-daniel-theis-contract-jonas-valanciunas-free-agency-departure">backup center</a> at this point of his career.</p><p>Thus, there remains a possibility that the Pelicans go the blockbuster route and try to acquire their long-term starting center in exchange for Ingram. The Cleveland Cavaliers still loom as one of the more logical trade destinations for the 27-year-old forward, but there remains a few roadblocks in the Cavs’ potential pursuit of the one-time All-Star.</p><p>For one, Windhorst noted that the Cavs will have to trade away Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert to acquire Ingram just to match salaries. Will they be willing to do that? Moreover, the Cavs will exceed the second apron if they re-sign Ingram to his desired contract; will Cleveland’s ownership be willing to stomach shelling out that kind of money for a core of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Ingram, and Evan Mobley?</p><p>Brett Siegel, NBA insider for ClutchPoints, brought up the Orlando Magic, Portland Trail Blazers, Detroit Pistons, and Utah Jazz as a few other teams that could be in the running for Ingram. The Magic have Wendell Carter Jr. (although they are not willing to trade him, per reports), the Blazers have Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams III, the Pistons have Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, while the Jazz have Walker Kessler as centers who could be potential centerpieces of an Ingram trade.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Brandon Ingram’s $200 million contract desires complicate Pelicans’ trade efforts

<!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-brandon-ingram-trade-talks-intensifying');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Pelicans’ Brandon Ingram trade talks ‘intensifying’');   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/2024/07/NBA-rumors-Pelicans-Brandon-Ingram-trade-talks-intensifying.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Pelicans’ Brandon Ingram trade talks ‘intensifying’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-07-05T06:20:58-07:00">July 5th, 6:20am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-07-05T06:20:58-07:00">July 5th, 6:20am</time><address><a>Gerard Angelo Samillano</a>Gerard Angelo Samillano is an Associate Editor for ClutchPoints, with his focus primarily on the NBA, NFL, MLB and Gaming. When he's not writing for CP, Gerard can often be seen playing VALORANT or playing pick-up basketball. He's also working on his BS Mathematics degree.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New Orleans Pelicans are staring down the barrel of a massive change for the team. Negotiations with star forward Brandon Ingram on a new deal have<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-brandon-ingram-trade-buzz-list-of-potential-suitors"> seemingly broken down</a>. As a result, both sides have pivoted into searching for a suitable trade partner to move the All-Star forward.</p><p>These <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/the-latest-nba-free-agency-and-trade?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=146281657&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">talks have now reportedly intensified</a> over the last few days, according to Marc Stein. With the chances of a contract agreement slim, the Pelicans are now looking to trade Brandon Ingram. This would give New Orleans something back in return for the star and allows Ingram to seek greener pastures elsewhere.</p><p>“Attempts in New Orleans to trade Brandon Ingram have intensified in recent days, league sources say. Sources tell The Stein Line that on Ingram’s side, with the reality that the contract extension terms his camp had hoped for are not forthcoming from the Pelicans, there has likewise been exploration of trade options.”</p><p>After a rocky stint with the Los Angeles Lakers, Ingram developed into a star with the Pelicans. He arrived on the team with Larry Nance Jr and Lonzo Ball as part of the Anthony Davis trade. Ingram became a one-time All-Star and received the Most Improved Player award in 2020.</p><p>Last season, Ingram averaged around 20 points per game along with around five rebounds and assists per contest. Unfortunately, the Pelicans’ attempt at a Big 3 with Ingram, CJ McCollum, and Zion Williamson have not succeeded. It’s seen some highs, but <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-zion-williamson-shares-injury-status-update-amid-playoff-series">the trio’s spotty injury</a> only brought disappointment year after year.</p><h2><b>Kings emerging as Ingram suitor</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Brandon-Ingram-making-a-pass.jpg"><figcaption>© Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>There’s at least one team that’s actively looking at Brandon Ingram<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-brandon-ingram-to-have-bigger-trade-market-than-trae-young"> as a trade target</a>: the Sacramento Kings. Stein’s report notes the team’s interest in trading for the former All-Star. The interest seems to stem from Kings assistant Alvin Gentry’s experience with the Pelicans star, having coached New Orleans before.</p><p>“Sacramento is a team said to have explored the feasibility and fit of an Ingram pursuit — as well as Utah’s Lauri Markkanen, Washington’s Kyle Kuzma and Chicago’s DeRozan — as part of the Kings’ long-running efforts to package Kevin Huerter and Harrison Barnes (but not Keegan Murray) in a significant trade. The Kings have particular insight on Ingram thanks to Alvin Gentry’s presence in Sacramento’s front office after coaching Ingram for one season with the Pelicans.”</p><p>Like the Pelicans, the Kings are another up-and-coming team in the Western Conference. Sacramento broke their two-decade long playoff drought two years ago, and they’ve become consistent playoff candidates since. However, they have been unable to reach the second round quite yet, crumbling against the powerhouses of the West.</p><p>Would the Pelicans star be the fix that the Kings need? Perhaps, but it’s at least worth a shot. Ingram would be an upgrade over Barnes, but it’s still going to be tough to crack the West’s top four teams. Pairing Barnes with another All-Star big in Domantas Sabonis and star guard De’Aaron Fox would certainly make for an interesting team.</p><p>As for the Pelicans, the team will be looking to build around Zion Williamson. One of their priorities this offseason seems to be extending breakout forward Trey Murphy.</p><p>“Trading Ingram and then re-signing Trey Murphy III to a contract extension this summer, as well as bolstering their frontline with Jonas Valanciunas soon heading to Washington, are seen as the Pelicans’ next significant moves in the wake of the trade they struck with Atlanta to acquire Murray that could still expand.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Pelicans’ Brandon Ingram trade talks ‘intensifying’

<!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-interested-magic-trade-to-replace-jonas-valanciunas');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Pelicans interested in Magic trade to replace Jonas Valanciunas');   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/2024/06/NBA-rumors-Pelicans-interested-in-Magic-trade-to-replace-Jonas-Valanciunas.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Pelicans interested in Magic trade to replace Jonas Valanciunas</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-06-30T14:27:10-07:00">June 30th, 2:27pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-06-30T14:27:10-07:00">June 30th, 2:27pm</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>On Friday evening, the New Orleans Pelicans made a splash on the trade market when it was announced that they would be trading for Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray in exchange for Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance, Jr., and two future first round picks. It was a hefty price<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-2-dark-horse-brandon-ingram-trade-possibilities"> for the Pelicans</a> to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/hawks-news-atlanta-trades-dejounte-murray-pelicans">pay for Murray</a>, who saw his defensive reputation take a severe hit during his tenure with the Hawks but remains a gifted shot creator, something that New Orleans was in desperate need of during their first round sweep loss at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder.</p><p>Another potential <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/nba-rumors-lebron-james-paul-george-klay-thompson-brandon-ingram-isaiah-hartenstein-more/" rel="noopener">area of need</a> for this Pelicans group is around the basket, as center Jonas Valanciunas can leave the team once free agency begins on Sunday at 6:00 PM ET. If the latest reports are any indication, it seems that the Pelicans are already making plans for reinforcements in the event that the big man does indeed take his talents elsewhere.</p><p>“Amid the expected (Isaiah) Hartenstein courtship, rival teams have expressed trade interest in Magic center Wendell Carter Jr., including the New Orleans Pelicans, league sources told HoopsHype,” reported NBA insider Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. “The Pelicans are searching to add a center, with Jonas Valanciunas expected to depart in free agency…”</p><p>Wendell Carter profiles as one of the more intriguing, under the radar big men in the game today, capable of stretching the floor and showing good versatility and instincts to make up for his relative lack of size for the position.</p><h2><b>What is the Pelicans’ ceiling?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Valanciunas-after-a-play.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>A lot of that will depend on what ends up happening with small forward Brandon Ingram, who the Pelicans could still theoretically look to trade if the two sides can’t come to an agreements on a contract extension. Right now, it doesn’t seem that Ingram and the Pelicans are seeing eye to eye on that front.</p><p>Even without Ingram, this Pelicans’ team has a lot to like. While Murray and CJ McCollum will likely be a turnstile on defense just as Murray and Trae Young were in Atlanta, Herb Jones and Trey Murphy are both elite wing defenders who can help compensate for that, and if the team does bring in Carter, that gives them another plus defender in the mix.</p><p>Of course, the biggest question mark with New Orleans, as has been the case ever since they drafted him back in 2019, is the health of Zion Williamson. When Williamson is on the court, the Pelicans can compete with anyone, as he truly is one of the best 15 to 20 players in the NBA, boasting a unique combination of explosiveness and touch around the rim that is nearly impossible to fully shut off.</p><p>However, despite enjoying the healthiest season of his career to date in 2023-24, Williamson sustained an injury at the worst possible time against the Los Angeles Lakers in the play-in game and was forced to miss the entire (four game) postseason run.</p><p>In any case, the Pelicans could certainly look a lot different when next season rolls around.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Pelicans interested in Magic trade to replace Jonas Valanciunas

<!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-2-dark-horse-brandon-ingram-trade-possibilities');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: 2 dark-horse Brandon Ingram trade possibilities');   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/2024/06/2-dark-horse-Brandon-Ingram-trade-possibilities.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: 2 dark-horse Brandon Ingram trade possibilities</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-06-30T09:05:34-07:00">June 30th, 9:05am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-06-30T09:05:34-07:00">June 30th, 9:05am</time><address><a href="https://medium.com/bingeable">Sonny Giuliano</a>Sonny Giuliano is an experienced sports writer for ClutchPoints who has been covering the NFL, NCAA Football, NBA, and NCAA Basketball for well over a decade. Originally from the small town of Elba, New York, Sonny received his degree from Florida Gulf Coast University and currently resides in Naples, Florida</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>In just a matter of hours, NBA free agency officially begins, giving teams the opportunity to remake their rosters in the most drastic ways possible. One team that has already done just that this offseason is the New Orleans Pelicans, who on Friday <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/hawks-news-atlanta-trades-dejounte-murray-pelicans">traded for Atlanta Hawks guard</a> Dejounte Murray. However, just because the Pels have made one big move already, it doesn’t mean that they’re done dealing just yet. Only instead of trading for a former NBA All-Star, they could be sending one out the door.</p><p>“With trade chatter surrounding George settling down after he opted out of his contract, as well as Dejounte Murray being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday, Brandon Ingram now becomes the focal point of discussions,” <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sources-warriors-failed-paul-george-pursuit-nba-free-agency">writes ClutchPoints NBA insider</a> Brett Siegel. “Ingram is entering the final year of his contract and has been made available for trade. At 26 years old, there is still a lot to like about Ingram’s game and ability to be a primary scoring option. However, very few teams have shown legitimate interest at this time in the Pelicans forward.”</p><p>There are a number of reasons why teams aren’t lining up to inquire with the Pelicans about the availability of Brandon Ingram. Over the last three seasons, Ingram has missed 82 games, and given the continued growth of younger wings Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones, in addition to the Pels’ commitment to run more of the offense through Zion Williamson, BI has become expendable to a certain extent.</p><p>So that raises the question, who will be the team that ends up prying Ingram away from New Orleans? The Jazz have been in the mix for a variety of potentially available pseudo-stars, and Ingram fits the bill. Additionally, the 76ers have deemed Brandon Ingram their <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-brandon-ingram-is-76ers-plan-b-if-paul-george-pursuit-fails">“plan B”</a> if their pursuit of Paul George falls short. But according to Brett Siegel, two other teams are considered dark-horse contenders to get in the mix for Ingram as well.</p><p>“The Jazz will likely internally discuss the possibility of pursuing Ingram this offseason, as will the 76ers if they are unable to land George. Two teams viewed as possible dark-horse destinations for Ingram are the Sacramento Kings and Toronto Raptors, sources said.”</p><p>Though Ingram’s trade value is something of a mystery at this point in time, from a salary standpoint, a potential deal with both the Kings and Raptors is actually pretty straight-forward. The contracts of Kevin Huerter and Harrison Barnes would be enough for Sacramento to get a deal done for Ingram, and the same could be said of Bruce Brown and Kelly Olynyk in Toronto.</p><p>But is there one more mystery team who could get in the mix for Brandon Ingram? One that has taken on a former high lottery pick with a questionable fit in the past, only to see it eventually pay off?</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Brandon-Ingram-making-a-pass-1024x574.jpg"><figcaption>© Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h2><b>Could the Golden State Warriors make a late play for Brandon Ingram? </b></h2><p>At the conclusion of his section on Brandon Ingram, Brett Siegel asks the question, “Could the Warriors possibly emerge as another dark-horse suitor for Ingram in the immediate aftermath of their failed trade talks for George?” We’ve seen the Warriors make a move like this in the past when they traded for 2014 #1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins back in February 2020. Wiggins’ fit within the Warriors finely tuned offensive system was questioned, but just two years later, Golden State won their fourth NBA Title in the Stephen Curry/Steve Kerr era.</p><p>The Warriors were initially thought to be in the mix for Paul George, but those rumors have fizzled out. Golden State <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-warriors-open-klay-thompson-trade-help-get-him-to-new-team">will likely be losing Klay Thompson</a> this summer, and that leaves an opening for a player like Brandon Ingram to be able to step in to. Ingram doesn’t provide the Warriors with the floor spacing that Klay Thompson did, nor is he someone who could crash the glass and impact the game defensively like Andrew Wiggins did, but Ingram has scored at least 20 points per game in each of the last five seasons.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: 2 dark-horse Brandon Ingram trade possibilities

<!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-lakers-spurs-among-trae-youngs-preferred-trade-destinations');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Lakers, Spurs among Trae Young’s preferred trade destinations');   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/2024/06/Lakers-Spurs-among-Trae-Youngs-preferred-trade-destinations.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Lakers, Spurs among Trae Young’s preferred trade destinations</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-06-28T10:14:07-07:00">June 28th, 10:14am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-06-28T12:48:38-07:00">June 28th, 12:48pm</time><address><a>Joshua Valdez</a>Joshua Valdez started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper before becoming an associate editor for ClutchPoints. He is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. When Joshua is not either watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or working on a screenplay.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Atlanta Hawks are starting their new era, but does that mean they’ll show the door to their old guard? <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-trae-youngs-1-emoji-post-jj-redick-hire-has-lakers-fans-thinking-trade">Star guard Trae Young</a> is still just 25, but the squad is rumored to be looking to build around the kids.</p><p>Young is eyeing the New Orleans Pelicans, Los Angeles Lakers, and San Antonio Spurs <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/brandon-ingram-expected-to-become-available-for-trade-as-wing-market-comes-into-focus-150152771.html" rel="noopener">as potential destinations</a>, via Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer.</p><p>“The Hawks are certainly expected to now gauge trade possibilities for Murray, All-Star guard Trae Young, Clint Capela and the rest of their rostered players who aren’t named Jalen Johnson and Zaccharie Risacher, sources said,” Fischer explained. “Young does have the Pelicans in mind of preferred possible next teams, league sources told Yahoo Sports, in addition to the Spurs and Lakers, but Young’s fit has never made much sense for a New Orleans situation that currently features C.J. McCollum in its backcourt.”</p><p>With the Pelicans reportedly looking to deal Brandon Ingram, the two squads could feasibly work out a deal centering around him and Young. However, as Fischer pointed out, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/3-reasons-pelicans-must-pursue-trae-young-before-other-options">Young teaming up</a> with McCollum and oft-injured Zion Williamson isn’t as exciting as a potential Spurs or Lakers move would be.</p><p>How likely is it that Young finds himself in the Lone Star State or Tinseltown this summer?</p><h2><b>The Hawks would be hard-pressed to get a good enough return from the Lakers</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Trae-Young-fakes-out-Pelicans.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Young teaming up with LeBron James and Anthony Davis would give Los Angeles <a href="https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nba/trae-young-next-team-odds" rel="noopener">a realistic shot at a title</a>, via FOX Sports’ Colin Cowherd.</p><p>“Trae Young with LeBron James — I’m here for it,” Cowherd said. “I do think he would work here. It would be something [Anthony Davis] would like because Trae Young could space the floor. It would be harder to collapse. It’s very easy for teams to collapse on Anthony Davis because the Lakers don’t have anyone that can shoot the 3. Trae Young is an elite 3-ball, a true point guard and a playmaker. LeBron wouldn’t have to be the overwhelming playmaker every time down the floor. Trae Young can do that and LeBron can play off the ball and conserve some energy.”</p><p>Young would provide the type of backcourt punch that the Lakers wanted from Russell Westbrook when they traded for him in 2021. The difference is that Young is a far superior shooter, and could primarily operate on the perimeter while James and Davis attack the rim.</p><p>“He is exactly what the doctor ordered,” Cowherd continued. “This is exactly the guy that JJ Redick wants to work with. He would be good with Trae Young.”</p><p>However, Los Angeles might not have enough assets to fetch Young in a deal. The organization owns just one first-round pick over the next three years and doesn’t have any rising players with star potential. A combination of Austin Reaves, a bench player, and a boatload of future draft picks could be enough, but there are no guarantees.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Spurs have four first-rounders next year alone, along with two each year between 2025-27. That, along with a player or two, is more than enough to fetch Young and pair him with the league’s most exciting second-year star Victor Wembanyama.</p><p>Regardless, it’s looking more and more like Young’s days in Atlanta are numbered.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

New Orleans
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New OrleansPelicans RUMORS

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