<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-definitive-injury-timeline-practice-return');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans’ Zion Williamson gets definitive injury timeline for practice return');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Pelicans-news-Zion-Williamson-gets-definitive-injury-timeline-for-practice-return.jpg"></figure><h1>Pelicans’ Zion Williamson gets definitive injury timeline for practice return</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-24T11:13:51-08:00">December 24th, 11:13am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-24T11:47:00-08:00">December 24th, 11:47am</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>New Orleans Pelicans star forward Zion Williamson <a href="https://www.nba.com/pelicans/news/new-orleans-pelicans-medical-updates-roster-december-24-2024" rel="noopener">has begun the return-to-play conditioning phase</a> of his rehab process and is expected to return to full practice next week at the start of 2025, the team announced on Tuesday.</p><p>At this time, Williamson is still week-to-week moving forward and won’t be fully cleared until the team can evaluate his progress during practice.</p><p>Williamson has not played for New Orleans since<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-alarming-injury-timeline"> suffering a hamstring injury</a> on Nov. 6 in the team’s 131-122 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Since then, the Pelicans have posted a 2-19 record without Zion on the court.</p><p>Whether or not Williamson would be able to return before the All-Star break in February has been a key talking point around the league given his extensive injury history in New Orleans. As he has continued to progress and heal from his hamstring injury, the Pelicans have remained optimistic about the star’s chances of rejoining the team shortly after the start of the new year.</p><p>With Williamson expected to return to practice in the coming week, it appears likely that he will make his return to real-game action sometime in January. Zion still faces some roadblocks and obstacles in order to be fully cleared and take the floor with the Pelicans once more.</p><p>At the same time, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-zion-williamson-trade-value-pelicans-harsh-reality">Williamson’s future in New Orleans is a major question mark</a> heading into the new year. This is especially true with the Feb. 6 trade deal inching closer and the Pelicans holding a 5-25 record, the worst in the Western Conference.</p><h2>Latest Zion Williamson trade rumors</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Zion-watching-his-team-from-the-bench.jpg"><figcaption>Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>New Orleans is going to be open for business ahead of the trade deadline. With their chances of making the playoffs slim to none, the Pelicans are open to hearing all trade offers that come their way, including those involving Williamson and fellow star forward Brandon Ingram.</p><p>It is worth noting that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-brandon-ingram-out-indefinitely-low-left-ankle-sprain">Ingram is currently recovering from an ankle injury</a> and remains in the early treatment period of his recovery process. He will be re-examined in approximately two weeks.</p><p>Given his injury history with the team and uncertainty of remaining on the court, Williamson is going to see his name in plenty of trade rumors over the next several weeks. There are no immediate trade conversations being held for Zion at this very moment, but a clean bill of health and his return to the court in actual games will result in there being a level of interest around the league in the former first-overall pick.</p><p>After all, the 24-year-old has certain non-guaranteed and guaranteed clauses in his contract, making the $197 million deal he currently owns voidable in certain instances. Regardless of if he is traded or not this season, there are certainly major question marks surrounding Zion’s future with the Pelicans past the 2024-25 season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans’ Zion Williamson gets definitive injury timeline for practice return

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

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

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-sighting-fans-wondering-what-his-deal-is');   ga('set', 'title', 'Zion Williamson sighting has Pelicans fans wondering what his deal is');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Zion-Williamson-sighting-has-fans-wondering-what-his-deal-is.jpg"></figure><h1>Zion Williamson sighting has Pelicans fans wondering what his deal is</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-19T10:23:05-08:00">December 19th, 10:23am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-19T10:23:05-08:00">December 19th, 10:23am</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University senior from Atlanta on track to graduate with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New Orleans Pelicans are eagerly awaiting the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-evp-david-griffin-stand-pat-despite-zion-williamson-brandon-ingram-injuries">return of Zion Williamson</a>, who has been out of the lineup for several weeks now with a hamstring injury. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-fighting-teams-schedule-cooper-flagg-ace-bailey-vj-edgecombe">The Pelicans have suffered mightily</a> as a result of all their injuries, currently sitting dead last in the Western Conference at 5-22 and with trade rumors starting to swirl.</p><p>Prior to Thursday evening’s road game vs the Houston Rockets, video emerged showing Williamson putting in some resistance band work during the team’s shootaround in the morning, per Will Guillory of The Athletic.</p><p>https://x.com/WillGuillory/status/1869789743174824360</p><p>However, fans on X, formerly Twitter, <a href="https://x.com/WillGuillory/status/1869789743174824360" rel="noopener">weren’t quite sure</a> what to make of the footage they saw.</p><p>“Learning how to walk again!!!” wrote one fan, referencing a previous bizarre report about the Pelicans reportedly teaching Williamson how to walk correctly.</p><p>Other users were projecting that a return to the lineup could be on the horizon for the Pelicans star.</p><p>“He’s gotta be getting close,” one fan speculated.</p><p>As of now, there is still no timetable for Williamson’s return to the lineup, but the Pelicans could certainly use all of the help they can get at the current juncture.</p><p>After pushing all of their chips to the center of the table this offseason by trading several assets to the Atlanta Hawks for Dejounte Murray, New Orleans has seen its season completely derailed by injuries so far this year, and even though the season’s just over a quarter of the way through, they may have already dug themselves a hole that is too deep to overcome.</p><p>Still, if Williamson is able to return at some point soon, it’s a possibility that the team could finally start to string some wins together and make a run for the playoffs.</p><p>In any case, the Pelicans and Rockets are slated to tip off at 8:00 PM ET from Houston.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Zion Williamson sighting has Pelicans fans wondering what his deal is

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-insider-predicts-zion-williamson-trade-value-if-moved');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Insider predicts Zion Williamson’s trade value if moved');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Pelicans-news-Zion-Williamson-makes-official-agency-decision.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Insider predicts Zion Williamson’s trade value if moved</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-16T14:00:12-08:00">December 16th, 2:00pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-16T14:00:12-08:00">December 16th, 2:00pm</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Zion <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-hamstring-injury-update-timeline">Williamson is still sidelined</a> for the New Orleans Pelicans as he’s suffering from a hamstring injury. Injuries have the story of Williamson’s career, and now rumors have started to float around on what his trade value could look like if the Pelicans <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/42878124/nba-trade-deadline-2025-10-players-watch-feb-6" rel="noopener">decided to move on from him</a>, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.</p><p>“As Charania reported last week, the Pelicans have no desire to waive Williamson despite an injury-marred career,” Marks wrote. “Williamson has played more than 60 games in two of his first five seasons and is currently out because of a left hamstring strain.</p><p>“Should New Orleans explore the trade market for Williamson and build around Ingram? The question is valid, especially if the Pelicans are tired of regularly seeing Williamson’s name on the injury report. The realization comes with New Orleans needing Williamson to be available if it wants to maximize his value on the court or in a trade.</p><p>“If they do move him, the Pelicans can acquire expiring contracts and perhaps a future first-round pick. New Orleans can outright release Williamson this summer with no financial obligation.”</p><p>When Williamson is healthy, he’s one of the more dominant players in the league, but it’s hard to get him on the floor due to injuries. If the Pelicans do want to go their separate ways, it will be interesting to see what his trade value looks like.</p><h2>Zion Williamson dealing with hamstring injury</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Williamson-on-the-sidelines.jpg"><figcaption>Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-leaves-cavaliers-game-with-potential-injury">Zion Williamson hasn’t played since Nov. 6</a> due to a left hamstring strain, and at the beginning of December, he received an update on his return. The Pelicans announced on Dec. 4 that Williamson was <a href="https://www.nba.com/pelicans/news/new-orleans-pelicans-medical-updates-december-4-2024" rel="noopener">progressing well through rehabilitation</a> and will be re-examined by the team’s medical personnel in approximately two weeks, which should be right around the corner.</p><p>Williamson hasn’t been the only player on the Pelicans that have dealt with injuries this season, but the team is slowly starting to get healthy. Due to the injuries, the Pelicans have found themselves at the bottom of the Western Conference with a 5-22 record.</p><p>The Pelicans have a lot of talent on the roster, but there’s still a question of how it will come together when everybody is back playing. There have been talks that Williamson and Brandom Ingram can’t play together, while Dejounte Murray and CJ McCollum might not be the best fit with each other as well. Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones have been solid as three-and-D players, and don’t need the ball as much to be effective.</p><p>Once Williamson returns, the Pelicans’ chemistry will truly be put to the test.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pelicans-news-evp-david-griffin-stand-pat-despite-zion-williamson-brandon-ingram-injuries');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Pelicans might stand pat amid Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram injuries');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/0Why-Pelicans-might-stand-pat-despite-Zion-Williamson-Brandon-Ingram-injuries0.jpg"></figure><h1>Why Pelicans might stand pat amid Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram injuries</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-08T13:00:59-08:00">December 8th, 1:00pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-09T15:23:08-08:00">December 9th, 3:23pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a Memphis Grizzlies beat reporter for ClutchPoints who has also covered the New Orleans Pelicans. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New Orleans Pelicans are playing for pride now that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-brandon-ingram-out-indefinitely-low-left-ankle-sprain">Brandon Ingram has joined Zion Williamson on the out indefinitely</a> part of the injury report. Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, and Trey Murphy III are too good to tank. Even with Herb Jones back in action, it’s hard to imagine the Pelicans (5-19) will make the NBA Play-In Tournament at this rate. However, standing pat through the NBA Trade Deadline despite Williamson and Ingram’s injuries might be the best path forward, especially in this market.</p><p>Finding a new home for Ingram has been a challenge for most of the 2024 calendar year. A new ankle injury only makes those phone calls more difficult. How many contenders will want to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-player-traded-veteran-nba-deadline">alleviate the Pelicans of  CJ McCollum</a>‘s $30 million cap hit for another season (2025-26)? Williamson’s quagmire of a contract has no remaining guaranteed money but will be a topic of discussion with his new representation. Three years of control give EVP David Griffin some wiggle room, but how many of those options lead to the NBA Playoffs next season?</p><p>The Pelicans have a leg up on a decent draft pick, very little leverage to use in winning a trade, and internal beliefs that this squad is a contender. Well, when healthy. Why not stand pat, select the best player available, and see what happens? Perhaps Brandon Ingram <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/jake-fischer-latest-on-brandon-ingram">returns on a short-term deal</a> or is replaced with two decent rotational pieces and another draft asset. Either way, any coach on the sidelines could work with that depth chart, even if Zion Williamson was unavailable.</p><h2>Pelicans planning future rotations</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Zion-Williamson-Pelicans.jpg"><figcaption>Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Murray and Murphy III will have even more opportunities to develop an on-court chemistry. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-yves-missi-making-case-centerpiece-willie-green-starting-lineup">Yves Missi as the Pelicans starting center</a> should be a settled debate at this point of the season. Jones will get to show the rookie big man how NBA First-Team All-Defense work gets done for another 50 games, give or take.</p><p>Missi, Jones, Murphy III, McCollum, and Murray. Willie Green’s starting lineup is set, barring a new injury, of course. All five have spent time on the sidelines this season already. Brandon Boston slotting into the spark plug sixth-man role until Jose Alvarado returns gives the Pelicans a competitive rotation capable of stealing a few wins before Christmas.</p><p>Young frontcourt reserves Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (24), Karlo Matkovic (23), and Trey Jemison (25) have shown promise. Daniel Theis (32) and Javonte Green (31) are the two obvious trade options to duck under the luxury tax. Losing Alvarado (26), who will likely be requested as a deal sweetener, will hurt. Boston (23), Antonio Reeves (24), and Jordan Hawkins (22) will have to pick up the slack.</p><p>It might just be mop-up duty for the reserves once Zion Williamson and a 2025 NBA Draft top-five talent are leading New Orleans. So, stand pat. Sell off a few parts to duck the luxury tax and the worry about paying a bill next season. Williamson’s future will have more clarity after a January return, and CJ McCollum’s expiring will be easier to move in the summer.</p><p>The worst outcome for the organization would be getting fleeced in a deal after forcing the issue in a depressed market. Doing relatively nothing will get panned, but some, sure, but it would be very easy to sell the better days ahead to ownership. Winning over the skeptical Smoothie King Center fans would be an entirely different proposition.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Pelicans might stand pat amid Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram injuries

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-hamstring-injury-update-timeline');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans update Zion Williamson’s hamstring injury timeline');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/NOLA-updates-Zion-Williamsons-hamstring-injury-timeline.jpg"></figure><h1>Pelicans update Zion Williamson’s hamstring injury timeline</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-04T13:41:47-08:00">December 4th, 1:41pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-04T13:41:47-08:00">December 4th, 1:41pm</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Zion Williamson continues to battle hamstring issues. The New Orleans Pelicans star has not played since Nov. 6 due to a left hamstring strain, leaving his future with the organization very much in doubt due to the constant injury concerns surrounding the former All-Star. Still, the Pelicans have remained optimistic and believe Williamson will be back sooner than later.</p><p>While there is skepticism around the league as to when Zion will actually return from this hamstring injury, the Pelicans announced on Wednesday that the former No. 1 overall pick is <a href="https://www.nba.com/pelicans/news/new-orleans-pelicans-medical-updates-december-4-2024" rel="noopener">progressing well through rehabilitation</a> and will be re-examined by the team’s medical personnel in approximately two weeks.</p><p>No further updates were given from the team regarding when exactly Williamson could return to the floor, as this has been a hot topic of discussion across the NBA in recent weeks.</p><p>Injuries have plagued Zion throughout his tenure with the Pelicans, and this <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-disappointing-injury-return-update">hamstring has been a “chronic issue” for him,</a> according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Although the team said Williamson will be re-evaluated in two weeks, the common belief is that the star forward will be out through the holiday season and won’t return until sometime in 2025.</p><p>Aside from news and rumors surrounding his hamstring injury, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-official-agency-decision">Williamson has made headlines recently after switching agencies</a>. Williamson left CAA, the agency that represents other All-Star talents like Devin Booker, Jalen Brunson, and Donovan Mitchell, for veteran agent Bill Duffy of WME. Duffy represents Luka Doncic, Scottie Barnes, and Anthony Edwards, among others.</p><p>When Williamson ultimately returns, it will come at a pivotal time before the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 6. Talks of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-zion-williamson-trade-value-pelicans-harsh-reality">Pelicans possibly looking to move on from Zion</a> will intensify as this date draws near.</p><p>The Pelicans are currently 4-18 this season, the worst record in the Western Conference. Along with Zion being out due to a hamstring injury, New Orleans has also been without Brandon Ingram, Herb Jones, Jose Alvarado, and Jordan Hawkins for an extended period of time. CJ McCollum and DeJounte Murray recently returned from their adductor and hand injuries, respectively.</p><p>It is expected that Ingram and Jones will return for Thursday night’s game against the Phoenix Suns after participating in a full practice on Wednesday with the team.</p><p>Williamson continues to do his own individual rehab behind the scenes to work on getting back on the court with his team. The Pelicans will provide further updates on Williamson’s status and eventual return to play upon his re-evaluation in two weeks.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans update Zion Williamson’s hamstring injury timeline

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-official-agency-decision');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans’ Zion Williamson makes official agency decision');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Pelicans-news-Zion-Williamson-makes-official-agency-decision.jpg"></figure><h1>Pelicans’ Zion Williamson makes official agency decision</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-03T17:33:47-08:00">December 3rd, 5:33pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-03T17:34:20-08:00">December 3rd, 5:34pm</time><address><a>Michael Aaron Gomez</a>Michael Aaron Gomez is a creative writer and longtime NBA fan. He has been a fan of the Lakers since the three-peat but believes LeBron James is the greatest player of all time.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Change is coming to the New Orleans Pelicans. After <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-news-pelicans-brandon-ingram-intriguing-move-klutch-sports">Brandon Ingram moved to Klutch Sports</a>, his fellow injured star, Zion Williamson, has also parted ways with his old agency, CAA (Creative Artists Agency), in favor of veteran agent Bill Duffy of WME. This move came just under two seasons after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-securing-bag-5-year-max-extension-worth-231-million">Williamson signed his five-year, $197-million max contract</a>, which carries several health-related financial guarantees. However, this season alone the star forward has only played six games, jeopardizing the guaranteed money provided for in his contract, perhaps explaining why he chose another agency to help him navigate his deal.</p><p>“Zion Williamson changed agencies… He went to William Morris Endeavor,” reported NBA insider Shams Charania during his appearance on the Pat McAfee Show. “You make a move like that, I think everyone understands there’s some business that’s gonna be handled.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"Is he going to sign an extension or get traded?… When a player changes his agency in the last year of his deal, what are you trying to accomplish? His future is in greater focus now. I believe these talks will heat up between now and January."</p><p>— <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShamsCharania</a> on Ingram <a href="https://t.co/nhwsYB1LJf">pic.twitter.com/nhwsYB1LJf</a></p><p>— Pelicans Film Room (@PelsFilmRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/PelsFilmRoom/status/1864052410110373888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Pelicans face an uncertain future</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Zion-watching-his-team-from-the-bench.jpg"><figcaption>© Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Ingram’s move to Klutch has stoked rumors of a reunion with the Los Angeles Lakers, who drafted him No. 2 overall in 2017.</p><p>However, this move mostly came from the lack of agreement between the wing and the Pelicans about a possible new contract, opening the path for the team to trade him possibly this year.</p><p>On the other hand, the injured Zion Williamson’s future with the Pelicans has become foggier if only because of his availability issues, which have negated the fact that he’s a reliable presence on the court when he does play.</p><p>He has averaged 22.8 points and 8.0 rebounds in his six games played, but his injury absence–along with Brandon Ingram’s–has caused the Pelicans to fall to the basement of the Western Conference with a 4-18 record.</p><p>Moreover, per reports, Williamson is not close to a return, giving rise to concerns about his ability to meet the guarantees of his contract.</p><p>For instance, he only enjoys 50% guaranteed money for 2024-2025, as the full amount does not become guaranteed until January 7, 2025, via a report from TalkBasket.</p><p>Likewise, he doesn’t have guaranteed money for 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 “unless he <a href="https://www.talkbasket.net/189972-zion-williamson-leaves-caa-picks-wme-sports-bill-duffy-as-new-agent" rel="noopener">meets specific benchmarks</a>, such as playing a certain number of games or maintaining a certain weight and body fat percentage.”</p><h2><b>Issues with Zion</b></h2><p>In the past his weight has also raised concerns among analysts and fans, which suggested a lack of effort and desire to keep himself in shape, a la Shaquille O’Neal who largely played himself into shape after coming into camp overweight.</p><p>However, Zion did play a career-best 70 games last season, leading the Pelicans to the Play-In, though he went down to injury in their loss to the Lakers.</p><p>Also, other rumors suggested that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sources-how-zion-williamson-knicks-connection-impacted-agency-split">CAA’s failure to bring Zion Williamson to the Knicks</a> caused his frustration and departure, especially after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/timberwolves-finalizing-shocking-karl-anthony-towns-trade-with-knicks">NY traded for Karl-Anthony Towns</a>, Mikal Bridges, among others, depleting their stock of draft capital.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans’ Zion Williamson makes official agency decision

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-disappointing-injury-return-update');   ga('set', 'title', 'Zion Williamson given disappointing injury return update');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Zion-Williamsons-trade-value-slaps-Pelicans-with-harsh-reality.jpg"></figure><h1>Zion Williamson given disappointing injury return update</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-03T13:00:45-08:00">December 3rd, 1:00pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-03T13:00:45-08:00">December 3rd, 1:00pm</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 2024-25 season has not been kind to the New Orleans Pelicans in terms on injury woes. They’ve been short-handed all season as key players have missed time due to injuries, and it’s been a huge factor in their disappointing start to the season. But while some players have begun to trickle back into the lineup, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-injury-update-shams">Pelicans star Zion Williamson remains out with a hamstring injury</a>.</p><p>Williamson is the team’s star and no matter how healthy they are, they aren’t going anywhere without him in the lineup.</p><p>During a recent episode of The PatMcAfee Show, ESPN’s NBA insider Shams Charania <a href="https://x.com/patmcafeeshow/status/1864034379686727690?s=46" rel="noopener">gave an injury update</a> on what the timeline for Zion Williamson’s return to the Pelicans’ lineup looks like.</p><p>“Zion Williamson has been out for about a month and he’s not close to coming back,” Charania said. “That hamstring has been a chronic issue for him.”</p><p>Charania reported that Williamson did participate in very light court activities during the Pelicans’ recent road trip to New York, but that it’s going to a slow progression and the team just doesn’t have a definitive timeline for his possible return to the lineup.</p><p>The former No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Williamson has dealt with multiple injury issues during his career so far. He was limited to only 24 games during his rookie season and has only played more than 60 games twice in his six-year career. He missed the entirety of the 2021-22 season with a foot injury.</p><p>He came into this season in shape and ready to play but just suffered some unfortunate luck with this hamstring issue.</p><p>In the six games that Williamson was able to play in, he averaged 22.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.2 blocked shots with splits of 45.2 percent shooting from the field, 33.3 percent shooting from the three-point line and 66.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Zion Williamson given disappointing injury return update

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pelicans-news-jrue-holiday-zion-williamson-harsh-advice-turning-career-around');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jrue Holiday hits Zion Williamson with harsh advice on turning career around');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Pelicans-news-Jrue-Holiday-hits-Zion-Williamson-with-harsh-advice-on-turning-career-around.jpg"></figure><h1>Jrue Holiday hits Zion Williamson with harsh advice on turning career around</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-02T13:01:16-08:00">December 2nd, 1:01pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-02T15:31:42-08:00">December 2nd, 3:31pm</time><address><a>Matt De Lima</a>Matt De Lima is an Associate Editor for NFL and college football at ClutchPoints. He has been covering sports for over 12 years at sites like Sports Illustrated, The Game Day, and countless others. Born and raised in California, he is a graduate of Virginia Tech and a diehard Hokies fan who now resides in southern Maryland.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Celtics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Jrue Holiday has established himself as one of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-news-jrue-holiday-reveals-how-he-became-a-lethal-defender">NBA’s toughest defenders</a>. For the last four seasons, he’s been among the top vote-getters for the Defensive Player of the Year award, peaking at No. 6 last year. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that while on Podcast P with Paul George, Holiday’s advice for New Orleans Pelicans superstar Zion Williamson is that he needs to <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jrue-holiday-on-advice-for-zion-williamson-team-usa/id1675161522?i=1000678893941" rel="noopener">step up his game</a> on the defensive end among other things.</p><p>“I think Zion is one of the most gifted players I’ve ever seen. Athletic ability, how he can get to the rim by people, and I feel like sometimes it’s about fit, and maybe I don’t know if they have to adjust the fit to him down there or maybe slide out and have a different fit with somebody else. But I feel like he needs a change in some kind of way because he is promising, bro.</p><p>“At least when I had him as a rookie, it was amazing; that’s just what he was capable of. They talk about the weight gain and doing all that, but I’ve seen him at 280, 290 still above the rim.”</p><p>Holiday continued by discussing how he would influence Williamson if he were his coach.</p><p>“For one, for him, I’d have him play a little more defense. That’s not a knock on him. I think that would make him the talent that he is. It would elevate his game. Offensively I think he’s got it; I think he does what he’s supposed to do.</p><p>“I think his play for other people is that he gets to the rim and gets to the free-throw line, but I think for me, if he challenged himself defensively and his teammates saw that, I feel like they would follow.”</p><p>Now in his sixth season, Williamson has only played six games this year. The latest NBA rumors are swirling that Williamson will be traded ahead of the deadline.</p><h2><b>Pelicans need to blow it all up</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Pelicans-Zion-Williamson-defending-against-Celtics-Jrue-Holiday.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>At 4-17, it’s time for the New Orleans Pelicans to hit the reset button. As injuries have derailed Williamson’s career, so will they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-zion-williamson-trade-value-pelicans-harsh-reality">limit the power forward’s trade value</a>, per Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype.</p><p>In Brett Siegel’s latest <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-power-rankings-24-25-week-6-magic-rockets-soar-surprise-success-stories">NBA Power Rankings</a>, he has New Orleans down one slot to No. 29.</p><p>“The New Orleans Pelicans have lost eight-straight games. Even with Dejounte Murray and CJ McCollum back, the Pelicans don’t look to be a threat because they look like a team whose souls have been snatched from their bodies.</p><p>“Ultimately, the Pelicans look unamused and lack the intensity needed to win in this league. At 4-17, it isn’t impossible for them to turn things around and become a play-in team in the Western Conference, but the Pelicans don’t seem to want to fight anymore.”</p><p>The Pelicans are in Atlanta to face the Hawks on Monday at 7:30 p.m. EST.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jrue Holiday hits Zion Williamson with harsh advice on turning career around

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-zion-williamson-trade-value-pelicans-harsh-reality');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Zion Williamson’s trade value slaps Pelicans with harsh reality');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Zion-Williamsons-trade-value-slaps-Pelicans-with-harsh-reality.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Zion Williamson’s trade value slaps Pelicans with harsh reality</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-02T09:43:10-08:00">December 2nd, 9:43am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-03T12:32:26-08:00">December 3rd, 12:32pm</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New Orleans <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-cj-mccollum-dejounte-murray-deliver-must-win-injury-statement-raptors">Pelicans season is off to a terrible start</a>, mostly due to the number of injuries they’ve had to deal with to their star players. With the season not going as planned and players on the shelf, the thought of trades has come up. One of the players that may have some value is Zion Williamson, but it’s <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/top-nba-trade-candidates-for-the-2024-25-season/" rel="noopener">not as high</a> as people would expect, according to HoopsHype.</p><p>“Yet, as always, the success of the Pelicans hinges on the health of Williamson, who another NBA executive told HoopsHype he’d only consider trading one first-round pick to acquire due to his consistent durability concerns,” HoopsHype wrote.</p><p>Williamson is currently out indefinitely for the Pelicans because of a hamstring injury, and the team hasn’t been very successful when he’s not playing. On the other hand, when he’s healthy, they’re a completely different team. The Pelicans will most likely not trade Williamson, and with how his market looks, it doesn’t seem like they’ll get what they want.</p><h2>Will Pelicans make changes at the trade deadline?</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Zion-Williamson.jpg"><figcaption>Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>With the Pelicans wanting to stay under the luxury tax, they’re going to have to make a move at the trade deadline. There are a few options on the team that could be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-face-frozen-brandon-ingram-trade-market-lauri-markkanen-deal">trade candidates, including Brandon Ingram</a> and CJ McCollum.</p><p>Trade rumors were swirling during the offseason with Ingram, and when he hits free agency, he’ll be looking for a max contract. If the Pelicans don’t plan on signing him to an extension, the best bet they have is to trade him for some pieces. It’s also a feeling that the Pelicans could move on from Ingram because of the fit on the court with he and Williamson.</p><p>As far as McCollum, the Pelicans see him as a veteran in the locker room, but his fit with Dejounte Murray also raises questions.</p><p>An NBA executive said about McCollum and Ingram: “New Orleans should move McCollum, and they’ll likely move Ingram for another proven player,” according to HoopsHype.</p><p>The Pelicans have a lot to work with if they want to make moves at the deadline, but they could also wait until the team gets healthy and see if they can make a run. The only question is when will everybody be healthy at the same time for the team, and how will they look all on the court together, especially if fit has already been a conversation with some of their key players.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pelicans-news-willie-green-facing-calamity-close-out-2024-zion-williamson-january-injury-timeline');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Pelicans face calamity to close out 2024 given Zion Williamson’s ‘January’ timeline');   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/2024/11/Why-Pelicans-face-calamity-to-close-out-2024-given-Zion-Williamsons-January-timeline.jpg"></figure><h1>Why Pelicans face calamity to close out 2024 given Zion Williamson’s ‘January’ timeline</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-28T12:17:16-08:00">November 28th, 12:17pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-28T12:21:06-08:00">November 28th, 12:21pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a Memphis Grizzlies beat reporter for ClutchPoints who has also covered the New Orleans Pelicans. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-dejounte-murray-apologizes-to-fans-with-embarrassed-rant">New Orleans Pelicans got embarrassed in Dejounte Murray’s return</a> versus the Toronto Raptors, leading to a cascade of boos from the Smoothie King Center fans. The most loyal among the Big Easy basketball community have been needing something to celebrate ever since Jrue Holiday hovered over a floored Portland Trail Blazers player in the NBA Playoffs. Unfortunately, Willie Green’s group is facing calamity to close out 2024 given Zion Williamson’s ‘January’ timeline.</p><p>Murray was<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6JuCztE6j0&amp;t=329s" rel="noopener"> tired of hearing excuses</a> after just one game back with the team.</p><p>“It’s not really about the loss, [but] how we lost in front of our fans,” Murray explained. “Like, even the fans booing, I mean, what would you do if you were a fan paying your money? You want to come to watch a competitive basketball game, especially from your home team. So, they have all the right to say what they want and feel how they feel. They deserve a better game…This game was embarrassing. You don’t want these bad habits to build.”</p><p>Now the Pelicans will spend Thanksgiving Day doing the first leg of travel to start a three-game road trip. An NBA Cup game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Black Friday tips off the weekend, which ends in a Sunday (December 1) afternoon Madison Square Garden date with the New York Knicks. Zion Williamson’s desire to perform in basketball’s mecca will have to wait though.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Zion-Williamson-Pelicans-3.jpg"><figcaption>Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>New Orleans will meet up with the Atlanta Hawks (Dec. 2) less than 24 hours after departing the Big Apple. Coming home to face the Phoenix Suns (Dec. 5) and Oklahoma City Thunder (Dec. 8) will be no picnic for the Pelicans. The flight to see the scrappy San Antonio Spurs (Dec. 9) should be relatively quiet as the players catch some shut-eye.</p><p>However, Green’s seat might be getting warm as the coaching staff runs over scouting reports on Victor Wembanyama. Jetting over and being a problem for the scorching-hot Houston Rockets (Dec. 19) will require most of the team to suit up instead of remaining on the injury report with load management/rest designations. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-cj-mccollum-first-game-back-injury-cut-corners-defense-shots-not-falling-pacers">Pelicans will be past counting moral victories</a> at this point.</p><p>The Pelicans were gifted coal from the NBA’s schedule-makers as New Orleans has a five-game homestand to wrap up 2024. Fans are already booing and it is hard for any moneyline better to see a win given the current roster’s chemistry. The Knicks (Dec. 21), Denver Nuggets (Dec. 22), Rockets (Dec. 26), Grizzlies (Dec. 27), and Los Angeles Clippers (Dec. 30) hit the Big Easy before New Year’s Eve.</p><p>It’s hard to see the Pelicans being favored in more than five games before 2025’s first fireworks are shot off. New Orleans has only four wins all season. Willie Green will have to get more than expected out of a patchwork squad to avoid calamity in the Crescent City.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Pelicans face calamity to close out 2024 given Zion Williamson’s ‘January’ timeline

<!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-demarcus-cousins-blasts-new-orleans-for-big-zion-williamson-mistake');   ga('set', 'title', 'Did Pelicans make a big ‘mistake’ with Zion Williamson?');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/DeMarcus-Cousins-blasts-New-Orleans-for-big-Zion-Williamson-mistake.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>Did Pelicans make a big ‘mistake’ with Zion Williamson?</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-27T12:18:52-08:00">November 27th, 12:18pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-27T13:23:30-08:00">November 27th, 1:23pm</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Former NBA player <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-demarcus-cousins-flames-new-orleans-handling-zion-williamson">DeMarcus Cousins has openly criticized the New Orleans Pelicans</a>‘ decision to draft Zion Williamson, suggesting that the team’s choice may have been a fundamental mistake given the city’s culture and its potential impact on Williamson’s health and development. Cousins’ remarks have reignited questions about whether Williamson’s immense potential can outweigh the challenges that have defined his tenure in New Orleans.</p><p>“I thought it was a bad decision,” Cousins <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1861832419122487601" rel="noopener">said during a recent appearance</a> on FanDuel’s Run It Back. “Let’s rewind all the way back – when this guy was getting drafted and we knew he was going to New Orleans and it was a weight concern, that was bad then. New Orleans isn’t some place that just gives health. That’s a place you go to gain 10 pounds, you go out there, drink, and have a good time. That’s what the culture of New Orleans is. So to put that kid into that situation and expect him to thrive in it, that was the first mistake.”</p><p>The Pelicans selected Williamson with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, touting him as a generational talent capable of transforming the franchise. While his moments of brilliance have been undeniable, Williamson’s career has been defined more by absences than accolades. Injuries have forced him to miss over 207 games in just five seasons, and his most recent setback — a left hamstring strain — has sidelined him indefinitely.</p><h2><b>Zion Williamson’s struggles and Pelicans’ missteps fuel growing doubts</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Zion-Williamson-1-looks-on-from-the-bench-against-the-Orlando-Magic-.jpg"><figcaption>© Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>This season, Williamson is averaging 22.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game, solid numbers for most players but far from the dominance expected from someone once heralded as the NBA’s next superstar. His availability remains a persistent issue, further straining a Pelicans roster riddled with injuries and failing to build on last year’s postseason appearance, which ended in a sweep by the Oklahoma City Thunder.</p><p>At 4-14, the Pelicans are in free fall, and questions surrounding the team’s decision to draft Williamson loom larger with each passing game. Cousins’ comments underscore a growing sentiment: while Williamson has immense talent, New Orleans may not have been the right environment for him to flourish. The city’s culture, known for its vibrant nightlife and indulgent cuisine, presents unique challenges for an athlete already facing scrutiny over weight and conditioning.</p><p>Critics argue that the Pelicans, knowing Williamson’s potential hurdles, should have built a stronger support system or reconsidered their pick altogether. Cousins’ remarks reflect that sentiment, suggesting the franchise failed to set Williamson up for sustained success.</p><h2><b>DeMarcus Cousins, Tim MacMahon question New Orleans’ future direction</b></h2><p>Adding to the debate, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon recently suggested that the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-insider-makes-case-cutting-zion-williamson-best-option">Pelicans should consider cutting ties with Zion Williamson</a>. Williamson breached a non-guaranteed clause for the final three years of his five-year, $197.2 million contract extension by playing in only 29 games during the 2022-23 season. The clause was designed to protect the Pelicans in case of extended absences, and MacMahon believes that Williamson’s inability to stay healthy could justify moving on from the former top pick.</p><p>While some fans remain hopeful that Williamson can overcome these challenges, others see his tenure as indicative of a larger organizational failure. Cousins’ critique and MacMahon’s suggestion highlight the pressure facing both Williamson and the Pelicans to justify their investment, as the team struggles to find stability in an increasingly competitive Western Conference.</p><p>With Williamson’s future clouded by injuries, contract concerns, and inconsistencies, the question lingers: was drafting Zion Williamson the transformative move the Pelicans envisioned, or has it ultimately been a costly mistake?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Did Pelicans make a big ‘mistake’ with Zion Williamson?

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pelicans-news-demarcus-cousins-flames-new-orleans-handling-zion-williamson');   ga('set', 'title', 'DeMarcus Cousins flames Pelicans for handling of Zion Williamson');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Pelicans-news-DeMarcus-Cousins-flames-New-Orleans-for-handling-of-Zion-Williamson.jpg"></figure><h1>DeMarcus Cousins flames Pelicans for handling of Zion Williamson</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-27T11:57:22-08:00">November 27th, 11:57am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-27T14:52:15-08:00">November 27th, 2:52pm</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University senior from Atlanta on track to graduate with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-cj-mccollum-first-game-back-injury-cut-corners-defense-shots-not-falling-pacers">New Orleans Pelicans have been bit by the injury bug</a> to open up the 2024-25 NBA season with several key players out of the lineup currently. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-downplays-severity-hamstring-injury-amid-recent-absence-injury">One of those players is Zion Williamson</a>, who doesn’t appear to be very close to a return since injuring his hamstring earlier in the month, although the team is expected to get Dejounte Murray back from a hand fracture this week.</p><p>One person who has experience with the Pelicans is DeMarcus Cousins, who was traded there from the Sacramento Kings at the 2018 trade deadline but unfortunately tore his Achilles shortly thereafter.</p><p>Recently, Cousins took to the Run It Back Show, presented by FanDuel TV, to <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1861832419122487601" rel="noopener">express his frustration</a> at how the Pelicans have handled the Williamson situation.</p><p>“Let’s rewind all the way back. When this guy was getting drafted, we knew he was going to New Orleans, and there was a weight concern. That was bad then,” said Cousins. “New Orleans isn’t some place that just gives health.</p><p>“That’s a place you go and you gain 10 pounds. You go out there, you drink, have a good time. That’s what the culture of New Orleans is, so to put that kid in that situation and expect him to thrive in it, that was the first mistake.”</p><p>It’s a bit unclear which aspect of the situation Cousins believes the Pelicans are actually at fault for.</p><h2><b>Can the Pelicans save their season?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Williamson-on-the-sidelines.jpg"><figcaption>Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Pelicans currently sit at 4-14, having seen Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray, Herb Jones, Williamson, and still others miss time so far this year.</p><p>New Orleans expected to be contenders in the vaunted Western Conference this year after acquiring Murray from the Atlanta Hawks in the offseason. However, as has been the case so often over the last few years, injuries appear to have derailed things before they even got off the ground.</p><p>That doesn’t mean there isn’t hope for the Pelicans to turn things around. Fans need look no further than the Milwaukee Bucks, who recently had their obituaries being prepared by most publications but have since rattled off five-straight wins to see just how quickly a team can change its fortunes in the NBA.</p><p>Still, the Pelicans have dug themselves quite a hole so far, and it will be very difficult to claw out of if Williamson is out of the lineup for too much longer.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

DeMarcus Cousins flames Pelicans for handling of Zion Williamson

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pelicans-news-insider-makes-case-cutting-zion-williamson-best-option');   ga('set', 'title', 'Insider makes the case that cutting Zion Williamson is best option for 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/2024/11/Pelicans-news-Insider-makes-the-case-that-cutting-Zion-Williamson-is-best-option-for-Pelicans.jpg"></figure><h1>Insider makes the case that cutting Zion Williamson is best option for Pelicans</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-25T11:28:56-08:00">November 25th, 11:28am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-25T11:28:56-08:00">November 25th, 11:28am</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">New Orleans Pelicans</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the New Orleans Pelicans gear up for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-dejounte-murray-date-injury-return">Dejounte Murray’s return from his hand injury</a>, one NBA insider examined Zion Williamson’s career with the Pelicans from a long-term perspective. Williamson signed a five-year, $197.2 million contract extension with New Orleans in 2022. However, he broke a non-guaranteed clause for the final three years of his contract when he only played in 29 games in 2022-23. This could be the Pelicans’ way out of Zion business, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.</p><p>This season, Williamson is dealing with a hamstring injury and isn’t showing any signs of making a return. For these concerns and Zion’s injury history, MacMahon believes letting the two-time All-Star go is best for New Orleans when he <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfDNk-QzVxk&amp;t=3539s" rel="noopener">joined</a> Brian Windhorst &amp; The Hoop Collective.</p><p>“You just get out of the business of being dependent on a guy who is as undependable as anybody in the league, and it’s essentially a fresh start from a financial perspective,” MacMahon said. “Look, if it gets to that point, they probably are going to have a relatively high lottery pick coming in. It’s a complete fresh start.”</p><p>The Pelicans (4-13) have the worst record in the Western Conference. Williamson has been out since Nov. 6 with no timetable set for a potential return. Another option is seeking a deal without losing the star forward with nothing in return. Still, with three years, $126.5 million left on Zion’s contract, and his struggles to stay healthy, finding a trade won’t be easy.</p><p>“Now again, I 100% agree if you’re going to get out of the Zion business, it would be much better to be able to make a move and get reasonable value in the trade market, but for the same reason the Pelicans would even consider this, I don’t know maybe Zion’s such a talent that somebody says hey we’re going to take a chance on that because he is that kind of a talent, but I don’t know that you’re going to get a lot of teams that are eager to take on Zion with all the baggage that comes along with him on a max contract.</p><h2><b>Brandon Ingram follows Zion Williamson by leaving same agency</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Pelicans-forward-Brandon-Ingram.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Within 24 hours, Pelicans forwards <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-brandon-ingram-follows-zion-williamson-leaving-agency">Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram left Creative Arts Agency</a>. After Williamson’s departure on Saturday, Ingram <a href="https://x.com/willguillory/status/1860802923703251218" rel="noopener">left</a> the same agency on Sunday, per the Athletic’s Will Guillory and Kelly Iko.</p><p>With Murray’s return slated for Wednesday, Ingram and the Pelicans will face the Pacers on Monday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Insider makes the case that cutting Zion Williamson is best option for 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', '/pelicans-news-david-griffin-should-applaud-zion-williamson-brandon-ingram-agency-moves-caa-excel-fired');   ga('set', 'title', 'Sources: Why Pelicans should applaud Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram’s agency moves');   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/2024/11/Why-Pelicans-should-applaud-Zion-Williamson-Brandon-Ingrams-agency-moves.jpg"></figure><h1>Sources: Why Pelicans should applaud Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram’s agency moves</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-24T19:02:30-08:00">November 24th, 7:02pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-24T19:02:30-08:00">November 24th, 7:02pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a Memphis Grizzlies beat reporter for ClutchPoints who has also covered the New Orleans Pelicans. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-cj-mccollum-dejounte-murray-injury-updates-amid-darkness-losing-streak">New Orleans Pelicans have been bombarded</a> with bad news all season but <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-rehabbing-zion-williamson-trusts-willie-green-good-spirits">Willie Green has kept injecting fight</a> into the shorthanded rotations. Amid fan rumblings about losing streaks and ridiculously long injury reports, tenured veterans Brandon Ingram (Excel) and Zion Williamson (CAA) wanted blank slates that went beyond the Big Easy’s borders. However, it will be hard to shake several negative career narratives that will follow the duo until there are some series wins in the NBA Playoffs on their resumes.</p><p>Will Guillory (The Athletic) confirmed the news that Ingram was following Williamson’s lead less than 24 hours after Guillory and Joe Vardon (The Athletic) <a href="https://x.com/joevardon/status/1860140144453648729">got the initial scoop</a> on the All-Stars. It seems chaotic at the worst time. Still, there are many reasons why the Pelicans should applaud Williamson and Ingram’s decisions on their futures with CAA and Excel.</p><p>For Ingram and Williamson, the ending of those relationships marks <a href="https://x.com/DoingItDodson/status/1860434394831319267" rel="noopener">significant shifts in power balances</a> and control over their careers, individually. As an organization, it is a positive sign the All-Stars are willing to work with EVP David Griffin and GM Bryson Graham on finding solutions to their respective situations. Former representatives were making no progress and the duo did not have the cache to clean house in a way that Hall of Famers like LeBron James have been afforded.</p><p>Griffin knows that firsthand having dealt with James before landing in the Crescent City. Growing a team organically, and not forcing every issue as with the Cleveland Cavaliers was a talking point in the Executive Vice President’s introductory press conference after all. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-rehabbing-zion-williamson-trusts-willie-green-good-spirits">Green having the Pelicans’ locker room in good spirits</a> despite suffering through a 4-12 start to the season meant there was only one option left on the table.</p><p>Moving to a fresh perspective with new representation was the only control either player had in the situation.</p><h2><b>Pelicans sticking to initial philosophy</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Brandon-Ingram-Pelicans-2.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>First, it speaks to the culture and respect that there have been very few credible ‘leaked’ reports regarding Ingram and Williamson’s future with the Pelicans. Sure, speculation abounds during the offseason but no public tirades or high-pressure trade demands were dominating the airwaves. Just a constant trickle of information that largely suggests Williamson is working diligently to make good on his promises.</p><p>The Duke alum has been taking the game far more seriously since being embarrassed in Las Vegas last fall. LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers were not so gentle in showing Williamson how winning basketball looked. All was going well this season until those scans showed damage in Cleveland. But no one wanted those scans to show any damage, so some of the reactions were uncalled for at best.</p><p>What’s best for the Pelicans though? Williamson’s contract with the Pelicans is a complex one, filled with numerous out-clauses designed to protect the team. The injury-prone 24-year-old’s five-year, $197 million contract extension, signed in 2022, includes clauses that make the final three years of the deal non-guaranteed if he fails to meet certain benchmarks. The weight clauses and games played thresholds were mocked when made public, just one of many CAA missteps.</p><p>By parting ways with CAA, Zion Williamson has opened the door for the Pelicans to potentially renegotiate his contract. This could lead to a more team-friendly deal that better aligns with Williamson’s health and performance, ultimately benefiting both the player and the franchise. Ripping up the current deal, finding a middle ground financially, and easing luxury tax pressures would be an incredible result for Griffin.</p><p>As was pointed out rather sarcastically to ClutchPoints by a former agent, turning zero guaranteed dollars into over $150 million in secured cash would be a win for anyone in any body-dependant, activity-based industry.</p><p>Ingram’s expiring contract and pending unrestricted free agent status reached a stalemate this summer. A <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-face-frozen-brandon-ingram-trade-market-lauri-markkanen-deal">trade market never materialized for the Pelicans,</a> so they decided to ride things out to start the regular season. It’s a good thing Griffin and Graham were patient. Green has been playing G-League talent more than the Opening Night starting five since Halloween.</p><p>It’s not as scary as it sounds in all respects. The Pelicans have climbed out of more challenging situations with Green and Griffin in charge. Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram wound up watching most of that work from the sidelines. They could soon be keeping up with old friends from a new city.</p><h2><b>Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram trade options</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Pelicans-Brandon-Ingram-Zion-Williamson.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>With both Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram now free from their previous representatives, the Pelicans have a unique opportunity to start with a blank slate in negotiations. This fresh start allows the team to rework Williamson’s contract, negotiate a new deal for Ingram, or even explore trade offers for both players. Given the current state of the team and its need for a clear direction, this flexibility is invaluable.</p><p>So what are some straightforward, soft-reset trades that would allow the Pelicans to duck the luxury tax and accumulate draft assets? Griffin is going to have to work the phones for a third team, as there are few two-team frameworks that, well, work.</p><p>O.G. Anunoby would be the first offer from the New York Knicks. The Denver Nuggets could call dangling Jamal Murray or Michael Porter Jr. if things go south in the Mile High City. Desmond Bane (Memphis Grizzlies), DeAndre Ayton (Portland Trail Blazers), or Nicolas Claxton (Brooklyn Nets) match up on the salary cap sheet relatively well. Finding the draft assets to make a deal work would be the other part of the equation.</p><p>Regardless of who one believes, there is one thing everyone knows for sure. CAA and Excel will not have a seat at the table. Williamson and Ingram deemed them asleep at the wheel and found new negotiation drivers to crank up some activity.</p><p>Griffin can thank the All-Stars for that as well. At least now there is time to work before the NBA Trade Deadline pressure ramps up. As for the leverage? Williamson and Ingram have now signaled a desire to fire the old agents rather than publically demand a trade. Of course, those negative narratives leak into the agency group chats too.</p><p>As one NBA source said about <a href="https://twitter.com/DoingItDodson/status/1860434394831319267" rel="noopener">taking on a new client</a> like Williamson: “Lord, I’d take the money, but…whew.”</p><p>That is not Griffin’s nor the Pelicans’ problem. As another league source relayed to ClutchPoints: New Orleans “can work with (the recent news) and come out ahead of the curve all things considered.”</p><p>Griffin saw the benefit of bussing Anthony Davis out of town. Williamson and Ingram would bring in substantial hauls, or make history in the Big Easy when healthy. Only time will tell but there are escape routes for all parties. There are also reasons everyone might want to stick together if the price is right.</p><p>Therefore, to paraphrase several conversations, in this unpredictable business Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram’s decisions should be embraced as a new opportunity rather than another obstacle.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
22.7	8.0	5.3	1.2	0.7

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
22.7	8.0	5.3	1.2	0.7

Zion Williamson news

Zion
Williamson news