<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/nba-rumors-pelicans-looming-as-another-potential-jonathan-kuminga-suitor');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Pelicans ‘looming’ as another potential Jonathan Kuminga suitor');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Jonathan-Kuminga.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Pelicans ‘looming’ as another potential Jonathan Kuminga suitor</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-30T13:44:33-07:00">June 30th, 1:44pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-30T14:20:10-07:00">June 30th, 2:20pm</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/nba/pelicans-news-new-orleans-trade-1st-round-picks-hawks-derik-queen">Pelicans are trying to improve their roster</a> this offseason, and they could be <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/the-absolute-latest-nba-free-agency?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=167190832&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">looking for a specific player</a> to make them better, according to The Stein Line.</p><p>“Jonathan Kuminga’s restricted free agency, by contrast, is expected to be a slowing-moving process in Golden State,” the Stein Line wrote. “It did not appear, as of lunchtime Monday, that the Warriors or Kuminga’s representation had a specific resolution in mind for the 22-year-old forward’s immediate future.</p><p>“The bottom line is that Kuminga is a restricted free agent after the team extended the $7.9 million qualifying offer to him on Saturday, and Golden State does have some control over his future. Kuminga, as expected, won’t be accepting this qualifying offer and will meet with other teams interested in him, in addition to the Warriors, during the free agency period,” Siegel wrote.</p><p>The Pelicans would be an interesting fit for Kuminga, as they’ve made some changes over the past week. First, they made a trade to acquire Jordan Poole from the Washington Wizards, and he should be a nice addition next to the likes of Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, and Herb Jones.</p><p>In the draft, they selected Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen, and they could be solid contributors on the team in their first year. Adding Kuminga would bring more talent to the team, but it most likely will depend on the price.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Pelicans ‘looming’ as another potential Jonathan Kuminga suitor

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-rumors-new-orleans-huge-fans-intriguing-7-foot-draft-prospect');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans rumors: New Orleans ‘huge fans’ of intriguing 7-foot draft prospect');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Khaman-Maluach.jpg"><figcaption>David Banks-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Pelicans rumors: New Orleans ‘huge fans’ of intriguing 7-foot draft prospect</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-23T16:17:40-07:00">June 23rd, 4:17pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-23T16:17:40-07:00">June 23rd, 4:17pm</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/nba/new-orleans-pelicans-perfect-outcome-no-7-pick-2025-nba-draft">Pelicans have the No. 7 pick</a> in the NBA Draft, and they could be looking at an array of talent with the selection. This draft offers some intriguing prospects in the lottery, and it would be hard to go wrong so early, especially with where the Pelicans are picking. As of now, it looks like they may be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/2025-nba-mock-draft-4-0-latest-intel-kevin-durant-trade" rel="noopener">interested in a center</a>, and Duke’s Khaman Maluach has come up, according to Brett Siegel of Clutch Points.</p><p>“Where Maluach ends up is one of the biggest questions before the NBA Draft, given the vast interest existing from teams with top-10 picks,” Siegel wrote. “The Pelicans are said to be ‘huge fans’ of Maluach’s two-way potential, as one source stated, which makes sense given his length and athleticism that can coincide with Missi.</p><p>“There has also been smoke about [Derik] Queen being the Pelicans’ ultimate target, which is why he is in play with this seventh pick. What the Pelicans ultimately decide to do will greatly impact decisions made by the Nets and Toronto Raptors.</p><p>The Pelicans got some great center play from Yves Missi last season, but they definitely want to build depth in that area. A quality center alongside Zion Williamson could also be key in helping his game as well.</p><h2><b>Pelicans have their eyes on a few prospects</b></h2><p>The Pelicans have interest in a few players at the No. 7 pick, but the real question is will they be available when it’s time for them to draft. If they are, who will the Pelicans choose?</p><p>“The four prospects that come up the most in conversations around the league surrounding the Pelicans are Maluach, Queen, [Jeremiah] Fears, and [Ace] Bailey. While some have said the Pelicans aren’t wanting to move up for Bailey, multiple league sources have confirmed that multiple members of the front office are keen on the star potential that Bailey possesses.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/76ers-rumors-the-daryl-morey-reason-ace-bailey-is-still-in-play-with-third-pick">Bailey seemed to be a lock</a> for the Philadelphia 76ers with the No. 3 pick, but over the past week, he declined to work out for them, which makes things a lot interesting on where he could go. The 76ers could still select him, but there have been rumors that he can drop now. If that’s the case and he’s still there at No. 7, the Pelicans may draft him.</p><p>Fears is another player that could fit well with the Pelicans, and he’s an interesting prospect they may decide to look at as well.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans rumors: New Orleans ‘huge fans’ of intriguing 7-foot draft prospect

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-rumors-new-orleans-targeting-specific-star-draft-prospect-with-trade-up');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans rumors: New Orleans targeting specific star draft prospect with trade up');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Rutgers-guard-Ace-Bailey-1.jpg"><figcaption>John Jones-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Pelicans rumors: New Orleans targeting specific star draft prospect with trade up</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-13T12:45:01-07:00">June 13th, 12:45pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-13T12:45:01-07:00">June 13th, 12:45pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New Orleans Pelicans hired a new executive vice president ahead of the 2025 offseason. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-hire-joe-dumars-after-firing-david-griffin">Joe Dumars joins a regime that features Bryson Graham as the general manager</a> after years in the league offices. The new-look front office’s first big challenge is the 2025 NBA Draft.</p><p>The Pelicans received the seventh pick in the lottery, and one mock draft has them making a trade centered around <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/nba-rumors-pelicans-insider-calls-out-herb-jones-to-76ers-trade-speculation">Herb Jones for the Philadelphia 76ers’ pick at No. 3</a>. The team has their sights set on Rutgers guard Ace Bailey.</p><p>New Orleans went 21-61 last season to secure a top 10 pick. However, the Pelicans were ravaged by injuries, leaving fans wondering what their true ceiling is. With a potentially chaotic summer looming, bringing in the right player in the draft is a must for Dumars.</p><p>According to Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor, New Orleans <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/nba-mock-draft-40-the-latest-first-round-projections-plus-a-trade-that-could-shake-up-the-lottery-140311550.html" rel="noopener">is trying everything it can</a> to jump up the board. They want to pick Bailey, and O’Connor created a trade that would send Jones and picks to Philadelphia.</p><p>“League sources continue to cite the Pelicans as a team aggressively looking to move up in the draft, with most front-office executives believing Bailey is the target of new general manager Joe Dumars,” O’Connor said. “That’s why we’re mocking a trade here for this week’s mock, with Herb Jones and a low-value first in 2026 via the Pacers to move up four spots. Is there a chance Ace would make it all the way to the seventh pick? Sure. But unlikely, and this would assure the Pelicans get their man. Bailey is a ridiculous shot-making machine, capable of splashing contested jumpers from every spot on the floor and with the swagger of a throwback bucket-getter. But his shooting inconsistencies, plus his raw edges as a shot creator and defender, need sanding down to turn him into a full-on star.”</p><p>When compared to other prospects, Bailey is one of the biggest projects in this year’s draft class. However, the 6-foot-10 guard also has one of the highest ceilings. Dumars has less than two weeks to make a deal with Philadelphia and move up the board. If he and New Orleans can pull the deal off, Bailey would be a great addition.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans rumors: New Orleans targeting specific star draft prospect with trade up

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/nba-rumors-pelicans-insider-calls-out-herb-jones-to-76ers-trade-speculation');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Pelicans insider calls out ‘BS’ Herb Jones-to-76ers trade speculation');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Herbert-Jones-of-the-New-Orleans-Pelicans.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Pelicans insider calls out ‘BS’ Herb Jones-to-76ers trade speculation</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-13T12:10:13-07:00">June 13th, 12:10pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-13T12:10:13-07:00">June 13th, 12:10pm</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 insider Fletcher Mackel has pushed back against a <a href="https://x.com/FletcherWDSU/status/1933271020921892916" rel="noopener">recent trade rumor</a> involving defensive standout Herb Jones. The speculation suggested that Jones could be included in a package to help the Pelicans move up to the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-rumors-prime-candidate-vj-edgecombe-emerges-no-3-draft-possibilities">No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft</a>, potentially via a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers.</p><p>On Thursday, Mackel refuted the report, writing on X (formerly known as Twitter) that he was told by an NBA source that the rumor was “BS.”</p><p>“I’m told from NBA source that rumors and speculation of Herb Jones being traded to Philadelphia 76ers as part of NOLA moving up to No. 3 in the draft are ‘BS’ and that that talk is probably coming from Sixers who are trying to up the price for 3rd overall pick,” Mackel posted.</p><h2><b>Pelicans unlikely to move Herb Jones without significant trade offer</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Herb-Jones-crowds-Trae-Young.jpg"><figcaption>Larry Robinson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>He added further context on Friday, clarifying that while no Pelicans player is considered untouchable under newly-hired executive vice president Joe Dumars, it would take a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/sources-pelicans-not-completely-shutting-door-herb-jones-trey-murphy-iii-trades-nba">significant offer to move a player like Jones</a>.</p><p>“NO ONE on Pelicans untouchable. Joe Dumars receiving calls about many players, could trade anyone. But…it would take ‘wow’ offer to move Herb/Trey,” Mackel wrote, referencing both Jones and forward Trey Murphy III.</p><p>Jones, 26, has emerged as a cornerstone of the Pelicans’ defense over the past four seasons. In 2024-25, he averaged 10.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.9 steals per game while shooting 43.6% from the field and 30.6% from three-point range. He played 32.4 minutes per game across 20 appearances. Jones is under contract through the 2026-27 season, set to make $13.9 million next year and $14.8 million in the final year of his deal.</p><p>The Pelicans are undergoing a major organizational shift following a 21-61 campaign — the second-worst record in franchise history. The front office has already seen significant turnover, with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-hire-joe-dumars-after-firing-david-griffin">Dumars replacing David Griffin</a> and initiating a broad internal overhaul.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/new-orleans-pelicans-perfect-outcome-no-7-pick-2025-nba-draft">New Orleans currently holds the No. 7 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft</a>, scheduled for June 25–26 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The event will be televised on ABC and ESPN. While speculation continues to swirl around the draft and possible trade targets, the latest report suggests that moving Herb Jones is unlikely unless a substantial offer is made.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Pelicans insider calls out ‘BS’ Herb Jones-to-76ers trade speculation

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-rumors-zion-williamson-trade-offers-to-feature-bad-contracts-no-picks');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans rumors: Zion Williamson trade offers to feature ‘bad contracts, no picks’');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Zion-Williamson-on-March-17-2025.jpg"><figcaption>Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Pelicans rumors: Zion Williamson trade offers to feature ‘bad contracts, no picks’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-03T08:05:35-07:00">June 3rd, 8:05am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-03T08:05:35-07:00">June 3rd, 8:05am</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-rumors-zion-williamson-trey-murphy-iii-no-longer-untouchable">New Orleans Pelicans reportedly have no untouchables</a> on their team in regards to possible trades this offseason, the one name that has been centered around rumors has been Zion Williamson. With the recent <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-accused-rape-recent-la-court-filing">Los Angeles court filing that accuses the Pelicans forward of rape</a>, there’s no doubt that there could be teams looking the other way in acquiring him.</p><p>However, Shamit Dua of The N.O. podcast would give insight into how the rest of the league looks at the Williamson situation. Saying if a team were to offer a package for Williamson, New Orleans would get back<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfUX0WuSu0A&amp;t=1909s" rel="noopener"> “really bad contracts and likely no picks,”</a> giving an example with the Miami Heat.</p><p>“I’ve just been texting random executives across the league,” Dua said. “I was like, this is straight off asking people, like, would anyone touch Zion with a 10-foot pole? And there seems to be this general idea of like you kind of saw it with with like Derrick Rose and Kristaps Porzingis that like there will be teams that do not necessarily care about the reputation provided they have enough general information to know that this is going to get settled out of court and the allegations won’t stick.”</p><p>“There will be teams who do not care, but those teams who do not care need to be sufficiently desperate, one, and two, they’re not going to give you anything of value,” Dua continued. “So you’re going to get really bad contracts and likely no picks. But if you do get a pick, it’s a late pick. So an example would be Andrew Wiggins and Duncan Robinson for Zion and some small salary just to kind of make it even.”</p><h2><b>No Pelicans, including Zion Williamson, are untouchable</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Zion-Williamson-on-March-19-2025.jpg"><figcaption>Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/nba-rumors-celtics-urged-wild-jaylen-brown-zion-williamson-trade">rumors of the Pelicans trading Williamson</a> will be ongoing throughout the summer, the question is if some teams want to have a player on the roster with allegations like rape. But as Dua said, there will be teams that “do not care,” but could get a relatively good deal out of him with the bad contracts and lack of picks as mentioned.</p><p>If there’s one thing for sure, the former first-overall pick <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/nba-mock-draft-30-top-prospects-returned-to-college-but-plenty-of-talent-remains-heres-our-latest-look-at-every-pick-160546750.html" rel="noopener">is not untouchable</a>, or anybody on New Orleans for that matter, as said by Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports.</p><p>“There are no untouchables in New Orleans. League sources say the Pelicans are gauging the market for everyone on their roster,” O’Connor reports. “They very well could end up keeping their core pieces, but it appears the Pelicans are looking into taking different paths this summer, depending on what opportunities become available.”</p><p>The Pelicans are looking to improve after finishing with a 21-61 record, which put them 14th in the West.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans rumors: Zion Williamson trade offers to feature ‘bad contracts, no picks’

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-rumors-zion-williamson-trey-murphy-iii-no-longer-untouchable');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans rumors: Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III no longer untouchable');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_1601.jpeg"><figcaption>Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Pelicans rumors: Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III no longer untouchable</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-30T18:16:49-07:00">May 30th, 6:16pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-30T18:16:49-07:00">May 30th, 6:16pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David Yapkowitz is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a credentialed reporter based in Los Angeles who covers the NBA/WNBA, NCAA/NCAAW and boys/girls high school basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New Orleans Pelicans shook up their front office this year when they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-hire-joe-dumars-after-firing-david-griffin">fired David Griffin and hired Joe Dumars</a> as the new president of basketball operations. With the offseason approaching and the NBA Draft less than one month away, questions continue to surround the Pelicans in terms of what direction they will take this offseason. If rumors are to be believed, Pelicans stars Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy III could be available via trade.</p><p>It’s not definitive at all that the Pelicans would make Zion Williamson or Trey Murphy available via trade, but the latest rumors say that <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/draft/mock/?view=default&amp;board=0&amp;filter=round%3Aall&amp;utm_content=bufferfe862&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter.com&amp;utm_campaign=buffer">nobody on the roster is untouchable</a>, as per Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports.</p><p>“There are no untouchables in New Orleans. League sources say the Pelicans are gauging the market for everyone on their roster,” O’Connor reports. “They very well could end up keeping their core pieces, but it appears the Pelicans are looking into taking different paths this summer depending on what opportunities become available.”</p><p>The Pelicans had a disappointing 2024-25 season that saw them <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/raptors-news-pelicans-trade-brandon-ingram-nba-deadline">trade Brandon Ingram to the Toronto Raptors</a> at the deadline. They finished the season at 21-61 and missed the playoffs for the fifth time in the past eight seasons. Despite having a good shot at the No. 1 overall pick in the draft by virtue of having the fourth-worst record in the NBA, they were bumped out of the top five and will draft at No. 7.</p><p>Part of what’s made the past few seasons disappointing for the Pelicans is they could never stay healthy. During this season alone, most of their top players, including Williamson, Ingram, Murphy, Dejounte Murray and Herb Jones all missed significant time due to injury. In Murray and Jones’ cases, they both suffered season-ending injuries.</p><p>This is a major offseason for the Pelicans as they are faced with the decision of either still trying to salvage this current core, or blowing it up and entering a rebuild.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans rumors: Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III no longer untouchable

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/nba-rumors-bucks-star-ideal-zion-williamson-pelicans-partner');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Bucks star named ‘ideal’ Zion Williamson Pelicans partner');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Bucks-star-ideal-Zion-Williamson-Pelicans.jpg"><figcaption>© Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Bucks star named ‘ideal’ Zion Williamson Pelicans partner</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-26T11:54:47-07:00">May 26th, 11:54am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-26T11:54:47-07:00">May 26th, 11:54am</time><address><a>Preston Byers</a>Preston Byers is an experienced writer and journalist who currently serves as an associate editor for ClutchPoints and as a staff writer at The Vindicator and Tribune Chronicle, where he covers sports in the Mahoning Valley. Previously, Preston worked as an associate editor for Dot Esports and a site expert for FanSided's Union and Blue.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/nba-rumors-why-pelicans-team-monitor-giannis-antetokounmpo-trade">Milwaukee Bucks and New Orleans Pelicans</a> are both in interesting positions as they enter the 2025 offseason. For Milwaukee, the future is completely unknown as it awaits to see if Giannis Antetokounmpo will be traded. New Orleans, meanwhile, would appear to be in a rebuild, but the question marks <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/players/adc009ff/zion-williamson">around Zion Williamson</a> remain.</p><p>Williamson, the oft-injured superstar who has been much criticized for his weight, work ethic, and general off-the-court issues, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-rumors-zion-williamson-lottery-decision-means-trade-talks">stunningly represented the Pelicans during the NBA Draft lottery</a> earlier this month. The move was reportedly a sign that New Orleans, despite reports indicating otherwise earlier in the offseason, plans to stick with Williamson for the time being as its cornerstone player.</p><p>If the Pelicans choose to do so, they will need to reshape the roster to give Williamson the help required to make the playoffs in a highly competitive Western Conference. And, according to ESPN’s Kevin Pelton, the Pelicans<a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45320766/nba-free-agent-rankings-futures-lebron-turner-more-stars" rel="noopener"> might look toward</a> Milwaukee to add reinforcements.</p><p>The Bucks will be without Damian Lillard for most, if not all, of the 2025-26 season as a result of a torn Achilles tendon. That, combined with another first-round playoff exit, has Antetokounmpo considering leaving Milwaukee 12 years after being drafted by the Bucks.</p><p>Whether he does or not, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/nba-rumors-exec-makes-lakers-quip-about-bucks-star-not-giannis">Brook Lopez, who joined Antetokounmpo</a> and the Bucks back in 2018, could be on his way out of Milwaukee and, potentially, into New Orleans.</p><p>“Having turned 37 in April, Lopez has slowed as a rim protector, a factor in the Bucks taking him out of the starting lineup for the first time since March 2022 during Game 5 of their first-round loss to the Pacers,” Pelton wrote. “But his 31.8 MPG in the regular season were his most in nearly a decade, and Lopez missed just two games all season while shooting his usual 37% from 3-point range. If Milwaukee moves on for financial reasons, Lopez should have a strong midlevel market. Scouts anticipate some regression from Lopez but still see a capable starting center in most matchups.</p><p>Possible fits: If the Pelicans are trying to win now and committed to Zion Williamson — two big ifs — Lopez would be an ideal frontcourt partner and take pressure to perform off developing centers Yves Missi and Karlo Matkovic. The Warriors could try to bring the former Stanford big man back to the Bay Area, either via sign-and-trade or opening up their nontaxpayer midlevel.”</p><p>Entering the offseason, the Pelicans’ frontcourt includes the likes of Williamson, Missi, Matkovic, Herb Jones, Kelly Olynyk, and Trey Murphy III. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Mo Bamba are both unrestricted free agents.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Bucks star named ‘ideal’ Zion Williamson Pelicans partner

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-rumors-all-defensive-star-herb-jones-pinpointed-valuable-trade-target');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans rumors: The All-Defensive star pinpointed as valuable trade target');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Herbert-Jones-of-the-New-Orleans-Pelicans.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Pelicans rumors: The All-Defensive star pinpointed as valuable trade target</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-23T12:17:21-07:00">May 23rd, 12:17pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-23T12:17:21-07:00">May 23rd, 12:17pm</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a>Benedetto Vitale is an avid sports writer who is an expert at covering the NFL, college football, NBA, and UFC. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2016 with a film degree but has since dedicated his career to sports writing.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With the season over for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/nba-rumors-celtics-urged-wild-jaylen-brown-zion-williamson-trade">the New Orleans Pelicans, rumors are the club could make some trades</a> this offseason with Joe Dumars running the show now. Buzz is growing that All-Defensive star, Herb Jones, could be a valuable target in the trade market.</p><p>Brett Siegel reports that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/celtics-offseason-trade-intel-after-jayson-tatum-injury-siegels-scoop">numerous teams could be offering</a> the Pelicans some sort of trade package for the 26-year-old forward. It’s said that Dumars plans to build a roster around star Zion Williamson, and Jones could be a key piece for New Orleans to maximize value. This comes despite Jones dealing with a labrum tear this offseason.</p><p>“Rival teams are once again pinpointing Herb Jones as a high-level offseason target from the New Orleans Pelicans, sources said. David Griffin, who was a huge fan of Jones’ two-way potential, is no longer running things in NOLA, as Joe Dumars has inherited a roster he will need to make decisions about, starting with which players to have around Zion Williamson. Jones is currently rehabbing from a labrum tear in his right shoulder, yet a lot of uncertainty surrounds his future with the Pelicans under Dumar’s leadership.”</p><p>Herb Jones is coming off another solid campaign, showing off his defensive skills and potential to become a legitimate two-way player in the NBA. The Pelicans’ forward finished off the regular season averaging 10.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.9 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game. He also shot 43.6% from the field and 30.6% from beyond the arc.</p><p>New Orleans owns the No. 7 pick overall of the 2025 NBA Draft. It gives the team an opportunity to add an exciting prospect to the roster for next season. Considering the Pelicans finished the 2024-25 regular season with a 21-61 record, it’s possible the front office makes drastic moves to the roster to build for the future.</p><p>That’s likely why Jones’ name continues to swirl in the rumor mill. Nothing is for certain just yet, but with the NBA Draft kicking off on June 25, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-rumors-zion-williamson-lottery-decision-means-trade-talks">Pelicans certainly could make big moves</a> in the coming weeks.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans rumors: The All-Defensive star pinpointed as valuable trade target

<!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/boston-celtics/nba-rumors-celtics-urged-wild-jaylen-brown-zion-williamson-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Celtics urged to pull off wild Jaylen Brown-Zion Williamson trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Brown-and-Williamson.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Celtics urged to pull off wild Jaylen Brown-Zion Williamson trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-21T14:41:11-07:00">May 21st, 2:41pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-21T16:50:58-07:00">May 21st, 4:50pm</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">Boston Celtics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Recently, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-brad-stevens-hits-boston-with-reality-knicks-loss">Boston Celtics’ 2024-25 season came to an end</a> with a crushing Game 6 loss to the New York Knicks. While the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-brad-stevens-reveals-amazing-turnaround-time-jayson-tatum-surgery">Jayson Tatum injury</a> sustained in Game 4 may have sealed the deal for the Celtics, the team was already on the verge of going down 3-1 by the time that incident occurred.</p><p>Now the Celtics are faced with an offseason that has more questions than answers, particularly as the team navigates a potential 2025-26 season with Tatum sidelined.</p><p>Recently, NBA insider Wes Goldberg of The Ringer toyed with some ideas of how the Celtics could simultaneously decrease their roster payroll this offseason while also positioning themselves to be back in contention once Tatum returns, and he included a <a href="https://www.theringer.com/2025/05/19/nba/boston-celtics-nba-trade-rumors-jayson-tatum-injury" rel="noopener">wild trade idea</a> in the discussion.</p><p>Goldberg proposed that the Celtics “trade (Jaylen) Brown to New Orleans for Zion Williamson, a 2026 pick swap with Milwaukee, and a Pelicans 2029 first, then waive Williamson before his July 15 guarantee date,” per The Ringer.</p><p>Goldberg noted that the trade “would save the Celtics the whole of Brown’s contract, drop them under the luxury tax, and give them valuable assets to retool the roster.”</p><h2><b>Trading Jaylen Brown is a wild idea for the Celtics</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Celtics-insider-trade-starters-ignite-rebuild.jpg"><figcaption>© David Butler II- Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Trading away the 2024 Finals MVP for what would essentially amount to a salary dump with some draft considerations attached would probably not be most Celtics fans’ idea of a good offseason for the organization.</p><p>However, the Celtics will undoubtedly be looking to shed salary this summer, and they may not be able to get off the contracts of Jrue Holiday or Kristaps Porzingis without sending away major future assets, which could open the door for them to potentially take calls on Jaylen Brown.</p><p>Still, with the Eastern Conference as weak as it is, it’s hard to imagine Boston completely throwing in the towel on the 2025-26 season, even if Tatum misses most or all of it.</p><p>Whatever ends up happening, the Celtics will likely look vastly different in a couple of months than the team that won the 2024 NBA championship.</p><p>The NBA trade market will open back up once the Finals conclude in June.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Celtics urged to pull off wild Jaylen Brown-Zion Williamson trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-rumors-zion-williamson-lottery-decision-means-trade-talks');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans rumors: What Zion Williamson lottery decision means for trade talks');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Pelicans-Zion-Williamson-lottery-decision-trade-talks.jpg"><figcaption>© Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Pelicans rumors: What Zion Williamson lottery decision means for trade talks</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-18T12:57:19-07:00">May 18th, 12:57pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-18T12:57:19-07:00">May 18th, 12:57pm</time><address><a>Preston Byers</a>Preston Byers is an experienced writer and journalist who currently serves as an associate editor for ClutchPoints and as a staff writer at The Vindicator and Tribune Chronicle, where he covers sports in the Mahoning Valley. Previously, Preston worked as an associate editor for Dot Esports and a site expert for FanSided's Union and Blue.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New Orleans Pelicans have a big decision to make in regards <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/players/adc009ff/zion-williamson">to Zion Williamson</a> this offseason, but a recent development may indicate the Pelicans plan on keeping the oft-injured forward.</p><p>While some believed <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-joe-dumars-pondering-four-plans-action-per-reports-zion-williamson">Williamson would be traded</a> following Joe Dumars’ hiring, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-rumors-zion-williamson-lottery-intriguing-trade-observation">Williamson was quite surprisingly the Pelicans’ representative</a> at the NBA Draft lottery drawing, which NBA insider Marc Stein reported that Williamson’s presence is a sign of what direction the new-look Pelicans front office plans to take the team in.</p><p>“It didn’t lead to anything more than New Orleans scoring the seventh overall pick, but league sources insist that it was a significant development,” Stein <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/sunday-best-all-the-latest-nba-trade-419?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=163854803&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">wrote on</a> The Stein Line of the Pelicans selecting Williamson to represent them.</p><p>“Amid no shortage of speculation about the Pelicans deciding to outright shop Williamson for the first time after six frustration-filled seasons, sources say that the lottery assignment was indeed intended to convey the message that New Orleans’ new front office, now headed by Louisiana native Joe Dumars, wants to try again to make things work with Williamson as the team’s centerpiece.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-brutal-injury-timeline-means-playoff-disaster">Williamson’s NBA career has largely been dominated by his numerous injuries</a> <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/nba-rumors-zion-williamson-off-court-drama-has-pelicans-dismayed">and off-the-court troubles</a>. Since being drafted first overall by the Pelicans in 2019, Williamson has played 214 games and missed 268, in addition to all 10 playoff games.</p><p>For most of his career, there have been questions about Williamson’s work ethic and his ability to stay in shape. The injuries have only emboldened his loudest critics, who argue his weight, which was rumored to be north of 300 pounds at one point, has been a factor in the frequency and severity of injuries.</p><p>When he is on the court, however, Williamson has proven to be extremely valuable and effective.</p><p>After an injury-shortened rookie season, Williamson earned his first All-Star honor in 2021 amid a season in which he averaged 27.0 points per game, as well as 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists. For his career, he averages 24.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists on 58.9% shooting from the field.</p><p>Williamson has not been able to remain available long or consistently enough, though. In four of his six seasons in the NBA, he has played 30 or fewer games, including this past season when he missed 30 of the Pelicans’ first 36 games and missed the final 12 games of the season.</p><p>As part of his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/players/adc009ff/zion-williamson/contract">five-year, $197.2 million extension,</a> Williamson is slated to earn $39.4 million next season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans rumors: What Zion Williamson lottery decision means for trade talks

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/nba-rumors-why-pelicans-team-monitor-giannis-antetokounmpo-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Why Pelicans are ‘team to monitor’ for Giannis Antetokounmpo trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Giannis-Antetokounmpo-shooting.jpg"><figcaption>Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Why Pelicans are ‘team to monitor’ for Giannis Antetokounmpo trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-12T12:51:04-07:00">May 12th, 12:51pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-12T12:54:36-07:00">May 12th, 12:54pm</time><address><a>Quinn Allen</a>Quinn Allen is a Senior Associate Editor with ClutchPoints. He specializes mainly in soccer, basketball, and baseball. When Quinn isn't producing content for CP,  he's writing sports betting predictions for numerous sites across North America.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/bucks-rumors-giannis-antetokounmpo-open-exploring-trade-milwaukee">Giannis Antetokounmpo trade chatter is getting louder</a>, with the Milwaukee Bucks superstar reportedly open to a future outside of Wisconsin. The Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs are two potential suitors for the two-time MVP, but the New Orleans Pelicans could also get involved.</p><p>Before Pels fans get excited, it’s not because they could actually land The Greek Freak. NOLA owns the Bucks’ first-round picks in the next three drafts, which means they<a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/this-week-in-can-only-wish-you-a?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=163408278&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener"> could be a participant</a> in a multi-team trade for Giannis.</p><p>Via Marc Stein:</p><p>“Houston and San Antonio are obviously incredibly well-positioned to make a trade run at the two-time MVP. Oklahoma City certainly could be an extremely viable trade partner if the Thunder decided to divert from their famously patient team-building approach to join the fray.</p><p>Utah is another team with a variety of trade assets that never gets mentioned in these hypotheticals. New Orleans is a team to monitor, too, as a potential participant in an eventual multi-team Antetokounmpo trade construction because the Pelicans have control of the Bucks’ first-round pick in the next three drafts,” Stein wrote on his Substack.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/pelicans-news-failed-zion-williamson-season-leads-to-sweeping-changes-in-new-orleans">The Pelicans are coming off a terrible season</a> where they missed the playoffs by a mile. There have been rumors about a potential Antetokounmpo-Zion Williamson trade, but that’s nothing more than just noise at this point.</p><p>NBA insider Brian Windhorst also linked New Orleans to Giannis on Monday morning’s episode of “The Get Up”:</p><p>“The New Orleans Pelicans control the next three drafts for the Milwaukee Bucks,” Windhorst said. “If you’re going to do a deal with the Bucks, and you want to open the door for them to do a rebuild, you may have to go to New Orleans, try to get the Milwaukee stuff out of New Orleans and try to offer it back to the Bucks.</p><p>“Of course, the Pelicans could make their own offer, but I suspect that what they’re going to try to do is a three-team trade.”</p><p>Keep an eye on NOLA in any possible Giannis blockbuster.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Why Pelicans are ‘team to monitor’ for Giannis Antetokounmpo trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-rumors-zion-williamson-lottery-intriguing-trade-observation');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans rumors: Zion Williamson’s lottery role makes for intriguing trade observation');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Zion-Williamson.jpg"><figcaption>Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Pelicans rumors: Zion Williamson’s lottery role makes for intriguing trade observation</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-12T12:47:19-07:00">May 12th, 12:47pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-12T12:47:19-07:00">May 12th, 12:47pm</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is a Senior Editor and College Sports Lead at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>While much of the focus in the NBA is still on the eight remaining teams in the playoffs, teams that missed out on the postseason take center stage on <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/why-spurs-feel-good-cooper-flagg-chances-nba-draft-lottery">Monday night at the NBA Draft Lottery</a>. This year, the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes will change the direction of the league for years to come. The New Orleans Pelicans have the fourth-best lottery odds, with a 12.5% chance to land the top pick in the draft.</p><p>It remains to be seen what direction the Pelicans want to go in this offseason after a frustrating year riddled with injuries. One avenue that has been floated is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-rumors-rockets-intrigued-by-giannis-trade-over-kevin-durant-zion-williamson">possibly trading star forward Zion Williamson</a>, who has been very productive on the floor but cannot seem to stay healthy.</p><p>However, Williamson is going to be representing the Pelicans at the lottery, which could cast some doubt on the <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/this-week-in-can-only-wish-you-a?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=163408278&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">idea that he could be traded</a> according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line.</p><p>“It was announced Monday that Zion Williamson will be the Pelicans’ on-stage representative in Monday night’s draft lottery,” Stein wrote. “One source close to the process concurred with my instant reaction to this news: That’s not the sort of role you ask a star player to take on if you’re looking to trade him.”</p><p>The Pelicans will be hoping that Williamson brings them some luck on Monday night and that New Orleans can land either Flagg, the likely No. 1 pick, or Rutgers star Dylan Harper, who is expected to go No. 2 overall. At the moment, that may be the Pelicans’ best chance of contending again soon in the Western Conference, and they are right at the top of the lottery board entering the event.</p><p>If New Orleans can pair one of those stars with Williamson and the former Duke star can finally stay healthy for an entire season, the Pelicans have a chance top thrust themselves back into contention in the Western Conference in 2025-26.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans rumors: Zion Williamson’s lottery role makes for intriguing trade observation

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-rumors-mike-dantoni-part-of-joe-dumars-purge');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans rumors: Mike D’Antoni part of Joe Dumars’ purge');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Mike-DAntoni-part-of-Joe-Dumars-purge.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>Pelicans rumors: Mike D’Antoni part of Joe Dumars’ purge</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-29T15:16:30-07:00">April 29th, 3:16pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-29T15:16:30-07:00">April 29th, 3:16pm</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 <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-joe-dumars-shuts-down-rumored-zion-williamson-trade-mandate">New Orleans Pelicans are continuing their organizational overhaul</a> following the hiring of Hall of Famer Joe Dumars as their new head of basketball operations. According to a report by HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, longtime NBA coach and Pelicans coaching advisor Mike D’Antoni is among those not expected to be retained as Dumars reshapes the front office and staff structure.</p><p>D’Antoni, who joined the Pelicans in 2021 as a coaching advisor, will <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/nba-intel-atlanta-hawks-phoenix-suns-new-orleans-pelicans-sacramento-kings-nba-draft/" rel="noopener">reportedly not return</a> as part of Dumars’ sweeping changes. The 73-year-old, known for his innovative offensive schemes and past success as head coach of the Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets, has served in an advisory role since stepping away from head coaching duties. His departure marks another notable exit in what has become a significant transition period for the franchise.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-new-orleans-fires-2-execs-as-part-of-joe-dumars-takeover">move follows the recent dismissals of several key front office personnel</a>, including former vice president Swin Cash, senior advisors Gar Forman and Todd Quinter, and analytics lead Chico Averbuck. All were associated with the regime of former executive vice president David Griffin, who was let go earlier this month after a disappointing 21-61 season — the second-worst record in franchise history.</p><h2><b>As Joe Dumars restructures staff, Pelicans likely to move on from Mike D’Antoni but keep key holdovers</b></h2><p>Despite the wide-ranging staff shakeup, not all holdovers are being removed. According to Scotto, head coach Willie Green is expected to be retained. Green, who led the team to playoff appearances in 2022 and 2024, continues to maintain support within the organization. He has compiled a 148-180 record over three seasons at the helm and helped guide the team through incremental progress before a collapse in the 2024-25 campaign.</p><p>General manager Bryson Graham is also expected to remain in his role. Graham has been with the franchise since the 2010-11 season and has earned praise for his contributions to player development and drafting. He played a key role in building the Pelicans’ current core, which includes Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, and Herb Jones.</p><p>Dumars, who most recently worked in the NBA league office and is best known for constructing the 2004 championship Detroit Pistons, has quickly begun implementing changes to reorient the Pelicans’ future. With multiple executive departures and D’Antoni’s exit, the franchise is signaling a clear break from its previous direction under Griffin.</p><p>The coming months will be pivotal as Dumars continues evaluating the remaining staff and charts a path forward for a Pelicans team looking to return to playoff relevance.</p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans rumors: Mike D’Antoni part of Joe Dumars’ purge

<!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/milwaukee-bucks/nba-rumors-bucks-named-potential-sleeper-in-zion-williamson-trade-with-pelicans');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Bucks named potential sleeper in Zion Williamson trade with Pelicans');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Zion-Williamson-1-looks-to-pass-the-ball-against-Milwaukee-Bucks-forward-Giannis-Antetokounmpo-34.jpg"><figcaption>© Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Bucks named potential sleeper in Zion Williamson trade with Pelicans</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-25T09:39:05-07:00">April 25th, 9:39am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-25T09:39:05-07:00">April 25th, 9:39am</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">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/milwaukee-bucks/bucks-news-giannis-antetokounmpo-warns-pacers-poking-him-despite-series-hole">Milwaukee Bucks may be facing more than just playoff elimination as they trail 0-2 to the Indiana Pacers</a> in their first-round series. While Game 3 in Milwaukee on Friday night offers a chance at redemption, attention has already started shifting toward the team’s long-term future — particularly in light of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/milwaukee-bucks/bucks-news-reward-gm-despite-giannis-trade-rumors-playoff-struggles">growing speculation surrounding superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo’s potential departure</a> this offseason.</p><p>At the same time, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-new-orleans-fires-2-execs-as-part-of-joe-dumars-takeover">New Orleans Pelicans have entered a transitional phase of their own</a>. The recent dismissal of executive vice president David Griffin and the hiring of Hall of Famer Joe Dumars as the team’s new head of basketball operations have sparked fresh uncertainty around the franchise’s direction. One of the most significant storylines to emerge in recent weeks involves the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/ranking-5-best-zion-williamson-trade-destinations-if-pelicans-blow-it-up">future of 24-year-old forward Zion Williamson</a>.</p><p>According to NBA insider Brett Siegel, Dumars has spoken directly with Williamson since assuming control of the front office and characterized those conversations as “exceptional.” However, Siegel also reported that the current state of the relationship between Williamson and the Pelicans organization remains “unknown.” League sources expect New Orleans to explore the trade market for the former No. 1 overall pick, gauging what kind of return his unique talent and contract might generate.</p><h2>Bucks linked to Zion Williamson as Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future and Pelicans’ direction remain uncertain</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Giannis-Antetokounmpo-34-drives-against-New-Orleans-Pelicans-forward-Zion-Williamson-1.jpg"><figcaption>© Michael McLoone-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Siegel’s report named the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/giannis-antetokounmpo-trade-speculation-bucks-future-in-doubt-siegel-scoop">Bucks as a potential sleeper in any Zion Williamson sweepstakes</a>. Milwaukee reportedly held a level of interest in Williamson prior to this season’s trade deadline. It remains unclear whether that interest persists following their midseason move to acquire Kyle Kuzma in exchange for Khris Middleton.</p><p>Should Antetokounmpo request a trade this summer — or should Milwaukee seek to proactively reshape its core — adding Williamson could mark a high-risk, high-reward pivot. The 6-foot-6 forward is still under contract through the 2027-28 season as part of a five-year, $197.2 million deal. Despite his injury history, Williamson’s upside remains immense. He averaged 24.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.2 steals per game on 56.7% shooting in just 30 appearances this past season.</p><p>Health concerns remain the primary caveat. Williamson has missed more than 258 games over his first five seasons in the league, sitting out over half of New Orleans’ total contests since being drafted in 2019. His ongoing struggles with availability have complicated the Pelicans’ efforts to build a stable playoff contender around him.</p><p>Milwaukee’s interest may hinge on its postseason outcome and Antetokounmpo’s internal outlook. If the Bucks fall short again, the franchise could be forced to explore new directions. Whether that involves building around Williamson or using him as a bridge in a larger retool remains to be seen.</p><p>As Dumars begins shaping the Pelicans’ next chapter, Williamson’s future will be one of the league’s most closely watched offseason developments — and the Bucks could quietly position themselves as one of the most intriguing landing spots.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Bucks named potential sleeper in Zion Williamson trade with Pelicans

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-rumors-winning-cooper-flagg-sweepstakes-may-expedite-zion-williamson-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans rumors: Winning Cooper Flagg sweepstakes may expedite Zion Williamson trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Pelicans-Cooper-Flagg-sweepstakes-Zion-Williamson-trade.jpg"><figcaption>© Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Pelicans rumors: Winning Cooper Flagg sweepstakes may expedite Zion Williamson trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-21T10:42:06-07:00">April 21st, 10:42am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-21T10:42:06-07:00">April 21st, 10:42am</time><address><a>Preston Byers</a>Preston Byers is an experienced writer and journalist who currently serves as an associate editor for ClutchPoints and as a staff writer at The Vindicator and Tribune Chronicle, where he covers sports in the Mahoning Valley. Previously, Preston worked as an associate editor for Dot Esports and a site expert for FanSided's Union and Blue.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-did-joe-dumars-jab-zion-williamson-opening-statement">Zion Williamson era of the New Orleans Pelicans</a> appears to be coming to a close. And the new regime in New Orleans certainly hopes to be able begin the next era with another superstar from Duke: Cooper Flagg.</p><p>After another injury-riddled, disappointing season, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-david-griffin-fired-61-loss-debacle">Pelicans fired executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin</a> and replaced him with Louisiana native and former Detroit Pistons <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-hire-joe-dumars-after-firing-david-griffin">president Joe Dumars</a>. While change is certainly needed — the Pelicans (formerly the Hornets) have won just two playoff series in 23 years — the exact path forward for Dumars in his new job is unclear.</p><p>Williamson is undoubtedly, when healthy, the team’s best player and one of the toughest matchups for opposing NBA teams. However, Williamson has been decidedly unhealthy for most of his NBA career. In fact, he has missed 54 more regular-season games in his NBA career than he has played and has not been available for either of the postseason series New Orleans has played in since he was drafted first overall in 2019.</p><p>His troubling injury history, as well as reportedly poor health and lifestyle habits, have reportedly led the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/nba-rumors-pelicans-zion-williamson-trade-situation-this-summer">Pelicans to seriously consider moving on from Williamson</a> this offseason. But if the team cannot land a suitable replacement, namely, projected No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, then they may decide to keep Williamson than face the unknown without him.</p><p>“Early word out of New Orleans is that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-joe-dumars-pondering-four-plans-action-per-reports-zion-williamson">Dumars wants to evaluate his new situation</a> fully before deciding to outright shop Zion Williamson,” NBA reporters Marc Stein and Jake Fischer wrote for The Stein Line. “That said: Organizational exasperation with Williamson, as you can imagine, is plenty tangible after the former No. 1 overall pick failed for the fourth time in his six NBA seasons to surpass 30 games played.</p><p>“As such there is skepticism in some corners of the league that the Pelicans will actually persist with Williamson as their franchise centerpiece … especially if they are fortunate enough to come away with the No. 1 pick in the May draft lottery and the right to select Duke’s Cooper Flagg.”</p><p>Flagg, unless he suffers a catastrophic injury between now and draft, will undoubtedly become the latest Duke product to go No. 1, joining the likes of Orlando Magic star Paolo Banchero, Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, and Williamson.</p><p>Williamson made the choice clear for the Pelicans when they landed the first pick in the 2019 draft lottery. New Orleans, which has a 12.5% chance to select first in the 2025 draft, can only hope to have such an easy decision again.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans rumors: Winning Cooper Flagg sweepstakes may expedite Zion Williamson trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-rumors-willie-green-firing-shot-down-by-ownership-during-2024-25-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans rumors: Willie Green firing was shot down by ownership during 2024-25 season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/head-coach-Willie-Green-looks-on-against-the-Minnesota-Timberwolves.jpg"><figcaption>© Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Pelicans rumors: Willie Green firing was shot down by ownership during 2024-25 season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-16T13:07:20-07:00">April 16th, 1:07pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-16T13:07:20-07:00">April 16th, 1:07pm</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 <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/sources-pelicans-plans-replace-david-griffin-joe-dumars-zion-williamson">New Orleans Pelicans have begun their offseason with a significant leadership change</a>, announcing the dismissal of executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin on Monday. The team promptly <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-hire-joe-dumars-after-firing-david-griffin">named Hall of Famer Joe Dumars as his replacement</a>, signaling a new direction within the organization. However, a new report suggests that internal disagreements extended beyond the front office.</p><p>According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, Griffin had <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/nba-intel-pelicans-suns-kings-nuggets-and-76ers-front-office-and-coaching-changes/" rel="noopener">attempted</a> to fire head coach Willie Green earlier during the 2024-25 season but was overruled by ownership. League sources cited in the report indicate that Griffin pushed for the coaching change amid the team’s downward spiral but was met with resistance from the team’s top decision-makers.</p><h2><b>Pelicans’ steep decline puts spotlight on Zion Williamson and Willie Green’s future</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Willie-Green-left-and-forward-Zion-Williamson-right-look-on-during-the-second-half-of-the-game.jpg"><figcaption>© Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Pelicans entered the season with heightened expectations following a 49-win campaign in 2023-24 — their highest win total since 2017-18. That year ended in disappointment, however, as New Orleans was swept in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs by the Oklahoma City Thunder.</p><p>In the offseason, the Pelicans acquired guard Dejounte Murray to bolster their backcourt, further raising hopes for a deep playoff push. Instead, the team endured one of its worst seasons in franchise history, finishing with a 21-61 record—the second-worst since the franchise relocated to New Orleans in 2002.</p><p>Injuries played a major role in the Pelicans’ collapse, including another extended absence from star forward Zion Williamson. The former No. 1 overall pick has continued to struggle with availability, and his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/ranking-5-best-zion-williamson-trade-destinations-if-pelicans-blow-it-up">long-term future with the franchise has become the subject of growing speculation</a> following Griffin’s exit.</p><p>Green, who was hired as head coach in 2021, led the team to improved win totals in each of his first three seasons. New Orleans won 36 games in 2021-22, 42 in 2022-23, and 49 in 2023-24. The Pelicans made two playoff appearances during that stretch, including a competitive showing in the 2022 postseason.</p><h2><b>Joe Dumars inherits fractured structure as Pelicans weigh future of coaching staff</b></h2><p>Despite the franchise’s sharp regression this season, Green reportedly retained the support of ownership. That backing may have ultimately cost Griffin his job, as tension over the team’s direction grew.</p><p>Joe Dumars, who was previously involved in league operations at the NBA level and led the Detroit Pistons to a championship as an executive in 2004, now steps into a pivotal role with the Pelicans. His first major decision could involve evaluating Green’s future and determining whether the current coaching structure aligns with ownership’s vision.</p><p>As the Pelicans look to regroup after a disappointing campaign, questions remain about the direction of the franchise. Williamson’s availability, roster stability, and Green’s long-term status all loom large as Dumars begins his tenure.</p><p>The reported disagreement over Green’s potential firing underscores the broader dysfunction that may have been brewing within the organization. With Dumars now at the helm, the franchise faces a critical juncture in its attempt to rebuild credibility and return to postseason relevance.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans rumors: Willie Green firing was shot down by ownership during 2024-25 season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/nba-rumors-willie-green-linked-to-suns-with-pelicans-future-in-doubt');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Willie Green linked to Suns with Pelicans future in doubt');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Willie-Green.jpg"><figcaption>Benny Sieu-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Willie Green linked to Suns with Pelicans future in doubt</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-14T09:40:25-07:00">April 14th, 9:40am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-14T09:40:25-07:00">April 14th, 9:40am</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>With the New Orleans <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/pelicans-news-david-griffin-fired-61-loss-debacle">Pelicans recently firing David Griffin</a>, there is doubt surrounding the organization on what could be the next steps. Another domino that many are looking to fall is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/pelicans-rumors-david-griffin-willie-green-hot-seat">Willie Green and if he’ll be fired soon</a> as well. If that’s the case, there is already a team that could be looking to <a href="https://x.com/TheSteinLine/status/1911805441996206578" rel="noopener">use his services</a>, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.</p><p>“Yet links between Willie Green and the Suns have been circulating, league sources say, because of Green’s relationships with Mat Ishbia and Devin Booker,” Stein wrote on X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>Green was the lead assistant head coach for the Suns before becoming the head coach of the Pelicans. Since there is already a relationship, there’s a good chance that Green could be heading there if he’s fired. The Suns will be looking for a new coach anyway after firing Mike Budenholzer a day after the final game of the season.</p><p>The Suns will have some major changes coming during the offseason as well outside of firing Budenholzer. Kevin Durant could be looking to get traded, and the Suns seem willing to work with him on a new home. Bradley Beal is also another player in question, but as long as he has his no-trade clause, there’s a chance he won’t be going anywhere unless he likes the situation.</p><h2><b>Willie Green’s future with Pelicans in doubt</b></h2><p>The Pelicans had a lackluster season this year, and it all started with the injuries that they dealt with. Before the season even started they had injuries to their key players, and from there it trickled down to almost every starter on the team. To end the season, Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy III, and Herb Jones were out for the year, and Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum were the only two starters standing.</p><p>It wasn’t Green’s fault that the team ended up the way they did, but if the organization is going to blame somebody, it’s going to be the coach first. There’s no doubt that the Pelicans have the talent on the roster to compete, but Green barely had all of them on the court at the same time to win games.</p><p>In the event that the Pelicans do fire him and the Suns go after him, he may be stepping into another questionable situation, but it all depends on what they do in the offseason.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Willie Green linked to Suns with Pelicans future in doubt

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-rumors-david-griffin-willie-green-hot-seat');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans rumors: David Griffin, Willie Green on hot seat');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Green-coaches.jpg"><figcaption>Benny Sieu-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Pelicans rumors: David Griffin, Willie Green on hot seat</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-13T10:41:11-07:00">April 13th, 10:41am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-13T10:41:11-07:00">April 13th, 10:41am</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>Things have not gone according to plan this year <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-offseason-michael-porter-jr-trade-proposal-amid-nuggets-makeover">for the New Orleans Pelicans</a>, who will finish well below the playoff line in the Western Conference standings. New Orleans has been dealt several devastating injury blows this year, including a ruptured Achilles <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-lebron-james-message-dejounte-murray-achilles-injury">for trade acquisition Dejounte Murray.</a></p><p>Recently, NBA insider Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports took to Marc Stein’s Substack account to report on how major changes <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/a-super-busy-nba-offseason-is-in?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=161231965&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">could be in store</a> for the Pelicans’ front office this summer.</p><p>“The weekend was dominated by buzz about the Pelicans and mounting uncertainty about the futures of lead executive David Griffin and head coach Willie Green after a 21-win season that was again derailed by numerous injuries,” reported Fischer.</p><p>He also noted that “there are some in New Orleans, league sources say, who are undeniably bracing for (Griffin’s) exit … with Green’s status also tenuous.”</p><p>Some in the Pelicans’ organization also weren’t thrilled with what David Griffin gave up in the Murray trade this summer, which “was only exacerbated by the rise of Dyson Daniels in Atlanta after the Pelicans included him in the Murray deal,” per Fischer.</p><h2><b>Tough times in New Orleans</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Griffin-smiles-while-answering-questions-.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Coming into this year, many viewed the Pelicans as a potential dark horse contender in the Western Conference. The team had addressed its biggest need by acquiring a primary ball handler in Murray, and on paper, New Orleans seemed to have one of the most talented starting fives in the entire NBA.</p><p>Fast forward six months, however, and almost nothing has gone according to plan for the Pelicans. Murray, CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, Zion Williamson and others have all missed extended periods of time due to injuries, and even when they were on the court, things weren’t exactly running smoothly.</p><p>The team also traded Brandon Ingram to the Toronto Raptors at the trade deadline after he had also been dealing with a prolonged injury absence.</p><p>Overall, if there was ever an organization looking to clean house over the summer, it would seem to be the Pelicans.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans rumors: David Griffin, Willie Green on hot seat

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

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

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

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