<!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', '/why-pelicans-already-have-larry-nance-jr-replacement');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Pelicans already have Larry Nance Jr.’s replacement');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Why-Pelicans-already-have-Larry-Nance-Jr.s-replacement.jpg"></figure><h1>Why Pelicans already have Larry Nance Jr.’s replacement</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-24T12:47:32-07:00">September 24th, 12:47pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-24T12:48:08-07:00">September 24th, 12:48pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a New Orleans Pelicans beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New Orleans Pelicans have had Zion Williamson in the building since the 2019 NBA Draft but are still looking for an identity. A crucial part of that process has involved finding the right big men to fit around the All-Star in the rotations. Larry Nance Jr. looked the part over the last two seasons but had to be sacrificed so the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-dejounte-murray-upgrade-depends-perspective">Pelicans could acquire Dejounte Murray.</a> Thankfully, a late summer Pelicans training camp might have unearthed a diamond in the rough replacement in Karlo Matkovic.</p><p>Injury setbacks derailed the first trip to Las Vegas but never phased the 23-year-old’s resolve to make the New Orleans roster. Matkovic, the 52nd overall pick in 2022, has shown significant growth and potential since being<a href="https://x.com/DoingItDodson/status/1540023856295026688" rel="noopener"> draft-and-stashed</a> by New Orleans. The progression from European competitions to G-League action was undeniable for anyone keeping track.</p><p>It was easy to see the Croatian becoming a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/karlo-matkovic-answering-pelicans-closing-center-question">valuable, mismatch-creating asset for the Pelicans</a> after the 6-11 big man dominated the 2024 NBA Summer League runs for long stretches. Dennis Scott was <a href="https://twitter.com/PelsFilmRoom/status/1813435983926378793" rel="noopener">scouting the excited reactions</a> of Willie Green amid a 10-12 shooting showcase.</p><p>“If you didn’t know about him before this game, you know about him now…Willie Green is over there taking notes saying I see how I can use him, I see how he can help us win ball games.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Another big-time lob for Matkovic!</p><p>He's got 23 points on 10-12 shooting… watch the final minutes on NBA TV 👀 <a href="https://t.co/FhtRybIcYZ">https://t.co/FhtRybIcYZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/On41UyrwJh">pic.twitter.com/On41UyrwJh</a></p><p>— NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1813428625401655640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Nance Jr.’s contributions should not be diminished. The respected veteran was a locker room leader who could be counted on to do the dirty work when available. Nance Jr. ($11.2m) averaged 5.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game last season. Still, Matkovic ($1.4m) should be able to match that production with more upside and at a cheaper salary cap hit.</p><p>Matkovic averaged 15.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game across all competitions with Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia) last season. He was putting up approximately 17 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in 31 minutes per game with the Squadron. Then came the sensational Summer League showcase and a three-year guaranteed NBA deal.</p><h2><b>Karlo Matkovic is money found for Pelicans</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Karlo-Matkovic-on-a-scale-that-says-255-pounds.-On-another-scale-is-a-pot-of-gold-with-a-9-million-price-tag.-The-article-mentions-Karlo-being-worth-his-weight-in-gold.jpg"></figure><p>Tracking Matkovic took more time and patience than money but it is paying off now. Several reports of an impressive Matkovic came out of the team’s voluntary, player-led training camp in California. It’s something some have <a href="https://twitter.com/DoingItDodson/status/1796241469247811688" rel="noopener">seen coming for a while</a>, especially the Nance Jr. replacement part.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Multiple sources within Org have said/replied during our conversations that Karlo is more of a Larry 4 replacement instead of a JV 5.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pelicans?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pelicans</a> <a href="https://t.co/I6t58vYIVx">https://t.co/I6t58vYIVx</a></p><p>— Dodson, Chris Dodson (@DoingItDodson) <a href="https://twitter.com/DoingItDodson/status/1796241469247811688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The same scouting department that bet on Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, Naji Marshall, and Jose Alvarado approved of Matkovic. His per-100 possession stats lend more evidence to the argument that Matkovic should play 10-12 meaningful minutes per night. He can be used in the same actions, has better height, is deceptively athletic, and again, comes at a big discount. The front office saved almost $10 million in this move and might have upgraded at the position.</p><p>Slightly lower stat totals should not dissuade Green from giving Matkovic room to grow. Fans should expect to see a lot of Matkovic around town even if there are a few DNP-CDs on the scorecard. He is too cheap to be of much use in the trade market but could be worth his weight in gold to head coach Willie Green. At 255 pounds, that is about $9 million give or take.</p><p>So, yes, the Pelicans could be getting top-dollar MLE money production from a near-minimum draft and stash curiosity. Even the toughest critics have to admit that is good business from EVP David Griffin’s Pelicans.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Pelicans already have Larry Nance Jr.’s replacement

<!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', '/lakers-news-larry-nance-jr-chimes-in-la-coaching-search-after-missing-out-dan-hurley');   ga('set', 'title', 'Larry Nance Jr. chimes in on Lakers’ coaching search after missing out on Dan Hurley');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Larry-Nance-Jr.-chimes-in-on-LA-coaching-search-after-missing-out-on-Dan-Hurley.jpg"></figure><h1>Larry Nance Jr. chimes in on Lakers’ coaching search after missing out on Dan Hurley</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-06-13T10:59:11-07:00">June 13th, 10:59am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-06-13T12:13:50-07:00">June 13th, 12:13pm</time><address><a>Joshua Valdez</a>Joshua Valdez started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper before becoming an associate editor for ClutchPoints. He is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. When Joshua is not either watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or working on a screenplay.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Lakers are in the midst of one of their roughest off-seasons in recent memory. After striking out on UConn boss Dan Hurley to fill their head coaching vacancy, the team may turn to NBA retiree <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-jj-redick-in-line-become-lakers-coach-after-dan-hurley-debacle-on-1-condition">JJ Redick, who’s never coached</a> at any level.</p><p>New Orleans Pelicans forward and former Laker Larry Nance Jr. <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1801300414068850839" rel="noopener">weighed in on</a> the NBA’s hottest non-Finals storyline, via FanDuel TV’s <i>Run It Back</i>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“I think a first time head coach is not the answer… You probably need an established coach."</p><p>Larry Nance Jr. shares his thoughts on the Lakers head coaching search 👀</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/RunItBackFDTV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RunItBackFDTV</a>)<a href="https://t.co/6WqDDAhbe1">pic.twitter.com/6WqDDAhbe1</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1801300414068850839?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“Personally, I think a first-time head coach is not the answer,” Nance said. “The LA market is really hard if you’ve never dealt with something like that before. If you miss a shot, you’re the next fill-in-the-blank. If you miss a shot, you should’ve never picked up a basketball in your life. It’s tough, I think you’d probably need an established coach, but I can’t necessarily put a name out there for that. You need someone with some clout.”</p><p>While Nance has a valid point, there aren’t many former or current head coaches left to pick from. Pelicans assistant James Borrego, who led the Charlotte Hornets for four years, is the only name left in the rumor mill that’s held the big chair before. However, he’s also been rumored to be a frontrunner for the Cleveland Cavaliers’ head coaching gig. If Los Angeles doesn’t land him, their pick will <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-brian-windhorst-jj-redick-lebron-james-interview">most likely be Redick</a>, Celtics assistant Sam Cassell, or Nuggets assistant David Adelman, none of whom have been the head honcho before.</p><p>Nance was also asked if he thought LeBron James would be a good player-coach.</p><p>“I’m gonna say no, because a lot of times, the very best have a hard time teaching others how to do something because it comes naturally to them,” Nance continued. “There are certain times a coach will have to explain something. ‘Bron, I’m not saying he’s done this before, but there are certain times he’ll have to explain something, and it’s like ‘I just don’t understand how you don’t get that. Why can’t you just take the ball, take two dribbles and dunk on their bigs, like just do it.’ You need someone that wasn’t the greatest player ever. Somebody with experience…I actually thought Vogel was really good for them when they had him, but you know…”</p><p>Is Nance right, or would the Lake Show be fine with a first-time locker room leader?</p><h2><b>Nance is on the money, and the Lakers should listen</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Pelicans-Larry-Nance-Jr.jpg"><figcaption>© Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>While Nance couldn’t think of a name off the top of his head, Borrego is the best candidate according to his criteria. Luckily for Los Angeles, he appears to <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/lakers-coaching-search-james-borrego-considered-a-leading-candidate-after-dan-hurley-passed-per-report/" rel="noopener">still be considering the job</a>, via CBS Sports. The 46-year-old interviewed twice for the position.</p><p>Even if the Lakers don’t land Borrego, they’d still be better off with Cassell or Adelman than Redick. Having years of assistant experience is a reasonable way to work up to a high-pressure head coaching job. Playing in the league and then working for ESPN, however, is not. Los Angeles will risk losing its credibility as an organization if they hire someone completely unqualified.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Larry Nance Jr. chimes in on Lakers’ coaching search after missing out on Dan Hurley

<!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', '/4-low-key-moves-pelicans-cash-in-larry-nance-jr');   ga('set', 'title', '4 low-key Pelicans trades to cash in on Larry Nance Jr.');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/4-moves-for-Pelicans-to-cash-in-on-Larry-Nance-Jr.jpg"></figure><h1>4 low-key Pelicans trades to cash in on Larry Nance Jr.</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-05-20T15:41:18-07:00">May 20th, 3:41pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-05-20T15:41:18-07:00">May 20th, 3:41pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a New Orleans Pelicans beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Smart front offices find ways to squeeze every drop of value out of every single asset that passes through the building. It is the only way for small-market teams allergic to the luxury tax to stay competitive. The New Orleans Pelicans are getting squeezed out of the Western Conference’s top-six conversation by the day though. That’s why EVP David Griffin has got to start exploring every opportunity to cash in on Larry Nance Jr. this offseason.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-trade-proposal-land-jarrett-allen-jonas-valanciunas-replacement">Pelicans could get their new</a> center sorted out with the Nets. However, Nicolas Claxton has to agree to a contract extension that starts under $20 million in the first season for this scenario to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/5-dyson-daniels-trades-pelicans-must-consider-this-offseason">work without including Dyson Daniels.</a> Nance Jr. and E.J. Liddell work financially if Claxton is at $18.5 million for three or four years with 8% raises year-over-year.</p><p>Deni Avdija (Washington Wizards) would be a nice 23-year-old replacement for Brandon Ingram. However, that deal would require significant draft capital from New Orleans. That’s a deal breaker for Avdija. Likewise, the Los Angeles Lakers are not giving up on Austin Reaves, though they’d at least have to say ‘no’ to a deal including Nance Jr. and their draft picks back.</p><p>So what are the other options for getting a return out of the Nance Jr. investment?</p><h2>Knicks need new blood</h2><p><b>Mitchell Robinson</b> seems to be more surplus than requirement in New York following Isaiah Hartenstein’s NBA Playoffs breakout performance. Julius Randle is already entrenched with the Madison Square Garden crowds and is under contract for another three seasons.</p><p>Robinson is the odd man out and the Pelicans should be in the bidding wars. He averaged 5.6 points and 8.5 rebounds in 31 regular-season games before suffering a season-ending ankle injury that <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/40140749/knicks-mitchell-robinson-ankle-surgery-sources-say">eventually required surgery</a>.</p><h2>Cashing in with the Cavaliers</h2><p><b>Evan Mobley</b> is going to need a new contract. However, Nance Jr. and Mobley can currently be swapped straight up financially. The draft compensation is where the Pelicans have to draw the line. Cleveland will have to balance any inquiries with Mobley’s emotions as the two sides try to hash out a near-max-level contract extension.</p><h2>Making waves with the Magic</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Larry-Nance-Jr.-looks-on-in-despair-as-the-Pelicans-are-swept-out-of-the-NBA-Playoffs.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p><b>Wendell Carter Jr.</b> did well against the twin tower pairing of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley in the NBA Playoffs. Unfortunately, he will also be undergoing hand surgery this summer as well.</p><p>Carter Jr. was a target at the last trade deadline and the Magic are still likely to make some big roster-shuffling moves over the next few months. Carter Jr.’s value remains steady, and so does a deal involving Nance Jr.</p><h2>Slick talks with the 76ers</h2><p>The Philadelphia 76ers did not fare well when Joel Embiid took a rest during the NBA Playoffs. The 76ers were played off the court when the former NBA MVP took a seat. However, that cannot all be blamed on <b>Paul Reed</b>, right? The 26-year-old played all 82 games to help Philadelphia limp into the postseason.</p><p>Reed averaged a respectable 7.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.0 blocks, and 0.8 steals this season. He shot 54% from the field, 36.8% from three-point range, and hit 71.8% from the free throw line.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

4 low-key Pelicans trades to cash in on Larry Nance Jr.

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pelicans-news-larry-nance-jr-bringing-nfl-draft-energy-to-nba-playoffs');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans’ Larry Nance Jr. bringing NFL Draft energy to NBA Playoffs');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Larry-Nance-Jr-1.jpg"><figcaption>4/23/24</figcaption></figure><h1>Pelicans’ Larry Nance Jr. bringing NFL Draft energy to NBA Playoffs</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-04-23T18:08:34-07:00">April 23rd, 6:08pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-04-23T18:08:34-07:00">April 23rd, 6:08pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a New Orleans Pelicans beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>There will be a lot of scouting tape getting watched this weekend in the Crescent City. Whether a fan or a front office employee, there is plenty of film to comb over this April. The New Orleans Pelicans and Oklahoma City Thunder’s first-round <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/tag/nba-playoffs">NBA Playoffs</a> series will overlap with the 2024 NFL Draft. The best part for Willie Green is at least one Big Easy basketball player does not mind mixing a bit of football into the action on the hardwood.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-no-adjustments-needed-after-game-1-loss-thunder">Pelicans are making small adjustments</a> going into Game 2, the biggest of which might be getting used to the new level of physicality allowed. Brandon Ingram is preparing for Lu Dort’s dogged isolation defense. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander can expect less time with Herb Jones switched onto anyone else. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-zion-williamson-shares-injury-status-update-amid-playoff-series">Zion Williamson might return</a> sooner rather than later.</p><p>This Pelicans-Thunder, gladiator-style matchup is already electric and it’s just getting started. Larry Nance Jr. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy6wA562nIY" rel="noopener">couldn’t help but smile</a> when talking about the freedom to play purist basketball during a Game 1 loss to the Thunder.</p><p>“Oh! This is basketball,” Nance smirked, commenting on increased physicality of the postseason. “I think last game it took me a half to react, to figure out what are they going to call. What are they not going to call and let go? Then in the second half, it was football. And I loved it. Oh man, I loved it. But this is how basketball is supposed to be played I feel.</p><p>“Obviously, the minuscule contact type stuff with guys throwing their heads back are not getting called as much,” he continued. “Even from watching the (other NBA Playoffs games), every game going forward is really fun and competitive. I’m a fan of it. I wish we could keep it like this all year long.”</p><h2><b>Pelicans playing through pain to stop Shai Gilgeous-Alexander</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Larry-Nance-Jr.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Playing through contact is an easy adjustment. Stopping Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is an entirely different headache.</p><p>“Shai and OKC present a different challenge than most teams. Most star guys, most MVP candidates, when they are hunting a switch are probably going to want a big. As for Shai, he’s shown he’s targeting our guards,” Nance revealed. “That presents a different challenge than most teams. We’ve worked on different coverages. We’ve worked on different options but that’s what sets them apart from other teams and frustrates teams…I think it’s good that it’s a seven-game series and we get to a chance to react to some of the punches they’ve thrown.”</p><p>It’s 2nd-and-9 in football parlance for the Pelicans. Nance and company got a yard’s worth of a moral victory in a <a href="https://www.nba.com/game/nop-vs-okc-0042300141/box-score#box-score" rel="noopener">94-92</a> Game 1 defeat. New Orleans has to get a win in Game 2. Anything less means Green’s group will have their backs against the wall in Game 3. A loss there could lead to a lot of local fans punting on Game 4 at Smoothie King Center with Jazz Fest at full blare.</p><p>Still, Nance is not worried about any Willie Green-led locker room, especially not after losing a close game to the Western Conference’s top-seeded Thunder. The Pelicans will lean on the high-character traits that got them this far and let the cards fall where they may.</p><p>“It’s resiliency. Since Willie got here that’s been the story of this team. They started 1-12 and then it’s been a kind of steady improvement. There’s been ebbs and flows but it’s been steady improvement,” Nance said. “That’s the story of this year’s team. Yeah, we lost a tough one but…we’re not over-reacting. We feel good about the position we are in, giving up 94 points to a team on their home court should be enough for a win. We hit a few more shots we’ll be in a better position. We’re fine.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans’ Larry Nance Jr. bringing NFL Draft energy to NBA Playoffs

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pelicans-news-banned-jontay-porter-larry-nance-stray-betting');   ga('set', 'title', 'Banned Jontay Porter catches Larry Nance stray over hilarious Pelicans betting remarks');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Banned-Jontay-Porter-catches-Larry-Nance-stray-over-hilarious-New-Orleans-betting-remarks.jpg"></figure><h1>Banned Jontay Porter catches Larry Nance stray over hilarious Pelicans betting remarks</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-04-20T06:56:25-07:00">April 20th, 6:56am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-04-20T06:56:25-07:00">April 20th, 6:56am</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>After his New Orleans <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/kings-most-to-blame-in-shock-play-in-loss-to-zion-williamson-less-pelicans">Pelicans defeated the Sacramento Kings</a> in the NBA Play-In Tournament, guaranteeing them a spot in the playoffs, Larry Nance Jr. made a joke at the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raptors-news-jontay-porter-lifetime-ban-over-sports-betting-draws-strong-toronto-statement">expense of Jontay Porter</a>, a Toronto Raptors two-way player the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raptors-jontay-porter-hit-with-nba-banhammer-after-violating-gambling-rules">league banned for life</a> earlier this week for tipping off bettors who gambled on NBA games.</p><p>During the press conference following the Pelicans’ 105-98 home victory, Nance took a moment to say that he was “betting” on New Orleans — but <a href="https://twitter.com/PelsFilmRoom/status/1781546147229634615">just not like</a> Porter.</p><p>“Respectfully, I’m betting on the Pels. I’m not <i>betting</i>. No Jontay Porter. I’m not <i>betting. </i>I’m not betting on anything. I don’t own a betting app, none of that,” Nance said while laughing as the media room became filled with laughter as well.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Larry Nance: Respectfully, I'm bettin on the Pels. I'm not BETTING, no Jontay Porter. I'm not BETTING. I'm not betting on anything. I don't own a betting app, none of that. <a href="https://t.co/0HgTbyXOHr">pic.twitter.com/0HgTbyXOHr</a></p><p>— Pelicans Film Room (@PelsFilmRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/PelsFilmRoom/status/1781546147229634615?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Jontay Porter betting scandal, explained</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Former-NBA-player-Jontay-Porter.jpg"></figure><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/jontay-porters-banishment-receives-bold-charles-barkley-five-years-take">NBA banned Jontay Porter</a>, the younger brother of Denver Nuggets star Michael Porter Jr., for life on April 17 after it found that Porter had passed along information to those who bet on games in which he played. The allegations of gambling first popped up on March 25 when it was reported that the league was investigating Porter for suspicious betting activity on his player props.</p><p>The player prop market around Porter, a fringe NBA player who had spent most of his time in the G-League since going undrafted in 2019, proved to be far too active; DraftKings twice announced that Porter’s player props were the biggest winners of the day. The first time this happened was on Jan. 26, when a bettor placed a wager on the under for Porter’s made three-pointers, while the other was on March 20, just days before the report of the investigation. In both instances, Porter left the game after just a few minutes with a supposed injury or illness.</p><p>On Jan. 26 against the Los Angeles Clippers, a game in which there was a notable prop bet made on Porter, the Raptors reserve player claimed he had re-aggravated an injury with his eye and exited the game after fewer than five minutes played. Porter again exited a game early on March 20 against the Sacramento Kings; Porter claimed he was suffering from an illness and left the game after fewer than three minutes played.</p><p>A few weeks after it opened its investigation, the NBA announced it had decided to permanently ban Porter from ever playing or being involved in the league again. The NBA said it had found through the course of its investigation that Porter had been “disclosing confidential information to sports bettors, limiting his own participation in one or more games for betting purposes, and betting on NBA games.” Porter allegedly bet on at least a dozen NBA games and had wagered that the Raptors would lose in some instances.</p><p>Porter’s lifetime ban mirrors MLB’s punishment of Pete Rose, the league’s all-time hits leader who was found to have bet on baseball games in which he played and managed while a member of the Cincinnati Reds. Rose, a surefire Hall of Famer, was permanently banned from MLB in 1989 and two years later, barred from ever being voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Banned Jontay Porter catches Larry Nance stray over hilarious Pelicans betting remarks

Patrick Beverley

Fred VanVleet

Bol Bol

Jamal Murray

Larry Nance Jr.

Eric Bledsoe

Dejounte Murray

Patty Mills

Willie Cauley-Stein

Rudy Gay

Los Angeles Lakers

Cleveland Cavaliers

Portland Trail Blazers

New Orleans Pelicans

1 season

Career

2 seasons

3 seasons

https://twitter.com/Larrydn22/status/1653580520595288067/

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Why is Gnonto not playing for Leeds? 🤔

https://twitter.com/Larrydn22/status/1648508635155423232/

https://twitter.com/Larrydn22/status/1644533183906566144/

https://twitter.com/Larrydn22/status/1642365001708060673/

https://twitter.com/Larrydn22/status/1640186915357102081/

Caitlin Clark is ridiculous 🤦🏽‍♂️ 33-10-8 at the end of the 3rd… SHEEEEESHH

https://twitter.com/Larrydn22/status/1638379556296970240/

https://twitter.com/Larrydn22/status/1637632643545063425/

2023-24 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
5.7	5.0	1.9	0.3	1.0

2023-24 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
5.7	5.0	1.9	0.3	1.0

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