New Orleans Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans are reportedly so determined to trade Eric Bledsoe that they'll move back in the draft to get it done. 

Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report reported the Pelicans "have generated traction" in talks that would see them send Bledsoe and the No. 10 pick in Thursday's draft to Memphis in exchange for the No. 17 selection. Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium confirmed the talks, saying the Grizzlies have explored moving up in the draft.

It's a trade that, frankly, would not make a great amount of sense for either side. 

The Grizzlies have cap flexibility coming into this summer, but that's not going to last very long. Jaren Jackson Jr. is due for an extension that will kick in next offseason, and Ja Morant's deal will come a year after. While the contracts of Jonas Valanciunas and Kyle Anderson come off the books in 2022, those are two very solid role players the Grizzlies may want to retain.

Adding Bledsoe essentially strips the Grizzlies of their financial flexibility this offseason, in what could be their final window of flexibility for the foreseeable future.

Memphis would be better served taking a page out of the Atlanta Hawks' book and spend free agency focusing on impact veterans who can improve the roster for a deeper playoff run.

The Pelicans trading Bledsoe and moving back in the draft would feel like an incredibly desperate maneuver. Only $3.9 million of Bledsoe's 2022-23 salary is guaranteed. New Orleans could eat that money for next season and not have to trade out of the lottery to make it happen.

The Pelicans aren't a team that's a player away from championship contention, and it's hard to fathom how moving back seven spots helps their future or their present. 

If the New Orleans Pelicans are going to get into the Kyle Lowry free-agent market, they'll need to shed some salary. And two veteran players in particular could fit that bill. 

According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, "Steven Adams and Eric Bledsoe were two guys that some executives I had spoken to around the league felt could be tradable guys for New Orleans. If you're going to try to offer Lowry the type of money he's looking for in free agency, they have to move one of those guys."

No surprises there. William Guillory and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic reported earlier in the week that "sources say there's an expectation that at least one of them [Adams and Bledsoe] will be on the move this offseason, with hopes of adding more depth to the roster. It's unclear how much New Orleans would be willing to give up to make sure a trade happens involving either one of them."

For the 2021-22 season, the Pelicans currently have $94.4 million in salary, per Spotrac, putting them below the $112.4 million salary cap for the upcoming season but without the needed cash to sign Lowry. There's also the $4.4 million cap hold that comes with the No. 10 overall pick to account for.

Plus, Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart are each restricted free agents. The Pelicans will have to clear out cap space to bring back either player, let alone both, unless they are fine going into the luxury tax.

And if the Pelicans want to get into the Lowry sweepstakes, they'll likely need to have closer to $30 million in cap space. That's where finding a trade suitor for Bledsoe (owed $18.1 million next year), Adams ($17.1 million) or both comes into play. 

Moving off Adams would also open up more playing time for a young player like Jaxson Hayes, while Bledsoe would be somewhat redundant with Lowry as the starting point guard. The question is whether the Pelicans will be able to shed those contracts. 

They could always call up the Oklahoma City Thunder and try to attach draft picks to either player in exchange for the Thunder taking those players into cap space. The Thunder have shown a willingness to stockpile every conceivable future draft pick known to man, after all. 

Take away cap holds, and the Thunder currently have $62.4 million in active salaries for next season, leaving them with immense cap space. They'll almost assuredly use that as an asset to take on salaries in exchange for future draft picks, because they are hellbent on answering the question: Can you ever have too much draft capital?

All of this is contingent, of course, on whether Lowry will have interest in New Orleans.

It seems likely that any number of contenders in need of point guard help—think the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks, etc.—will make a run at him. He could also simply choose to return to the Toronto Raptors.

Put another way: Are the Pelicans good enough to entice Lowry over some more playoff-tested teams?

Maybe. Zion Williamson is a superstar. Brandon Ingram continues to grow into stardom himself. That's a nice one-two punch. 

It's also a one-two who are 21 and 23 years old, respectively. They're on a pretty different timeline than the 35-year-old Lowry. One would imagine the veteran point guard will take that into account. 

After a disastrous 2020-21 NBA season, the New Orleans Pelicans could look to unload veterans Eric Bledsoe and Steven Adams, according to William Guillory and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic.

"Sources say there’s an expectation that at least one of them will be on the move this offseason," the report stated.

Bledsoe and Adams were each brought in last offseason to add experience and depth to a young roster looking to take the next step toward contention. The squad instead struggled to a 31-41 record while missing the playoffs for the third year in a row.  

The additions of Bledsoe and Adams didn't help New Orleans shore up its defense last season. The Pelicans finished 23rd in the NBA in defensive efficiency. 

Offensively, Bledsoe averaged only 12.2 points and 3.8 assists per game, both of which were his lowest marks since 2012-13. Adams' 7.6 points per game were his fewest since his rookie year in 2013-14.

The two veterans have two of the three highest cap figures on the team heading into 2021-22, per Spotrac. Only Brandon Ingram ($29.5 million) will make more than Bledsoe ($18.1 million) and Adams ($17.1 million) next year.

The Pelicans seemingly prefer to move forward with their young core, which features Ingram, Zion Williamson, Jaxson Hayes, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and more. However, they may struggle to find a trade partner for their underperforming veterans.

Vecenie went so far as to wonder whether the Pelicans would waive and stretch Bledsoe to open up cap space.

The free-agent market for Kyle Lowry could be robust, with one Western Conference team reportedly throwing its hat in the ring. 

Per NBA reporter Marc Stein, there is "rising buzz" that the New Orleans Pelicans are going to make a play for the six-time All-Star. 

There have been indications already that the Pelicans don't appear keen on breaking the bank to retain Lonzo Ball as a restricted free agent. 

Per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, New Orleans is "unlikely to match a significant offer sheet" for Ball. 

It's unclear how much would constitute a significant offer sheet, but The Athletic's John Hollinger suggested last week that Ball could end up getting an offer in the range of four years and $100 million. 

Ball is a limited offensive player, though he did have his best season on that end of the court in 2020-21. The 23-year-old averaged 14.6 points on 37.8 percent three-point shooting in 55 games. 

Durability has been an issue for Ball throughout his career. He's missed at least 17 games in three of the past four seasons. 

With Zion Williamson heading into his third season in 2021-22, the Pelicans would presumably like to see some positive progress. They have gone 61-83 over the past two seasons and haven't made the playoffs since 2017-18. 

Lowry could be the most sought-after player this offseason, assuming Chris Paul either opts in to the final year of his current deal or opts out with the intent to re-sign with the Phoenix Suns. 

Leading up to the trade deadline in March, ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported (h/t RealGM.com) Lowry was connected to the Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat in talks with the Toronto Raptors. 

All three of those teams could presumably still have interest in Lowry this offseason. The Lakers and Sixers would likely have to work out a sign-and-trade with Toronto to make it work under the salary cap. 

Lowry averaged 17.2 points and 7.3 assists per game in 46 starts for the Raptors last season. He also shot 39.6 percent from behind the arc.   

Willie Green helped lead the Phoenix Suns to the NBA Finals this season as an assistant coach and will reportedly get his first crack at being a head coach.

Per ESPN's Andrew Lopez and Adrian Wojnarowski, the New Orleans Pelicans are "nearing completion on a deal that will make him the team's next head coach."

It is expected the deal will be finalized this week, perhaps following the NBA Finals.

The Pelicans cast a wide net in their search for a head coach this year, for good reason. This is a crucial moment for the franchise after it fired Alvin Gentry a year ago and then fired Stan Van Gundy at the end of the 2020-21 season.

For an organization trying to build around a young core, including a budding superstar in Zion Williamson and a 23-year-old one-time All-Star in Brandon Ingram, having three head coaches in three seasons isn't a good sign of stability.

Per Shams Charania, Joe Vardon and William Guillory of The Athletic, things have gotten to the point in New Orleans that some members of Williamson's family have "voiced displeasure with the organization" and want him "on another team."

There has been no indication that Williamson himself is looking to leave the Pelicans, but recent history has shown that players can change their tune quickly if they become unhappy in a situation.

Green has spent the past five seasons as an assistant. He began his coaching career on Steve Kerr's staff with the Golden State Warriors in 2016. The 39-year-old spent three years with the organization, winning two titles in 2016-17 and 2017-18, before moving on to the Suns. 

Green will be tasked with turning the Pelicans around. New Orleans has missed the playoffs and hasn't finished higher than fourth in the Southwest Division in each of the past three seasons.

New Orleans Pelicans star Lonzo Ball's agent was noncommittal about the guard's plans for restricted free agency this offseason.

Rich Paul told Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes that Ball and his representatives are "open-minded" about the future.

"In free agency, we all understand what that is in this landscape of business," Paul said. "He's a really good young player with the ability to become a great player. And so I think there's a lot of interests there. We're, open-minded. The phone lines will definitely be open come free agency. At the end of the day, we'll look to make the best deal."

Hayes pressed Paul about whether a return to New Orleans is an option.

"We’re open-minded to the landscape of the league," Paul said.

His comments are mostly boilerplate stuff because you'd expect an agent to say his client is seeking the best deal possible. Paul's answer about the Pelicans might be somewhat telling, though.

The two sides failed to reach an agreement before the rookie extension deadline, which set Ball on a path to restricted free agency. That seemingly spoke to some reservations New Orleans had about his long-term value.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Tuesday the team is "unlikely to match a significant offer sheet" for the former No. 2 overall pick. 

Charania listed the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Clippers as potentially interested suitors, and NBA insider Marc Stein linked him to a possible reunion with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The dilemma with Ball is that he's coming off a career year. He averaged 14.6 points and 5.7 assists while shooting 41.4 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from beyond the arc.

But that's not exceptional production, which can make it difficult to justify a massive extension if you're Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin. This year's free-agent market is particularly robust for teams looking to add a point guard, too. 

The allure of signing Ball is obvious because he's a young playmaker and plus defender who has improved his shooting range. Any consternation from the Pelicans' perspective is equally understandable because the downside is Ball failing to get markedly better, thus hamstringing New Orleans' ability to continue building around Zion Williamson.

The New Orleans Pelicans reportedly aren't willing to pay point guard Lonzo Ball big money in restricted free agency this offseason.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Clippers both have interest in Ball, and the Pelicans are "unlikely to match a significant offer sheet" if he signs one.

Ball, 23, has spent the past two seasons with the Pels after being traded to New Orleans as part of the deal that sent Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers.

After struggling to establish himself offensively during his first three NBA seasons, Ball made some strides in that area last season.

He averaged a career-high 14.6 points and 3.1 three-pointers made per game, while also shooting a career-best 41.4 percent from the field, 37.8 percent from beyond the arc and 78.1 percent from the free-throw line.

Although some other numbers were down, he still contributed in other areas as well, averaging 5.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals.

While Ball seems to be on the ascent, letting him walk could open up more playing time for guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker next season and beyond.

Alexander-Walker, who was the No. 17 overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft, showed flashes last season, including a 37-point performance in January and a 30-point showing in the second-to-last game of the season.

Given Ball's improved shooting to go along with his passing and defensive capabilities, it stands to reason that he will generate a fair amount of interest on the restricted free-agent market.

The Bulls would perhaps be a somewhat unexpected landing spot with guards Zach LaVine and Coby White both under contract next season, although their reported interest could mean thought is being given to trading LaVine.

LaVine is coming off a career year, as he averaged 27.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists en route to his first All-Star nod, although he can become a free agent at the end of next season.

The Clippers' reported interest is less surprising given their uncertainty at the point guard position.

Reggie Jackson will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason after a great playoff performance, and while Patrick Beverley is set to return, he has become fairly one-dimensional and is most valuable for his defense.

Ball does a little bit of everything, which would seemingly make him a great complementary piece alongside Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

The Clippers have fallen short of the NBA Finals in each of the past two seasons after acquiring Leonard and George, but Ball could be the type of player who helps put them over the top since his skill set is a blend of Jackson and Beverley rolled into one player.

Willie Green is two wins away from a championship ring as an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns, and he may have a head coaching position waiting for him after the NBA Finals.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, "Green has emerged as the strong frontrunner and the New Orleans Pelicans' choice to become the franchise's next head coach."

Wojnarowski's update comes after Fletcher Mackel of WDSU in New Orleans reported that Green is the "presumed next Pelicans head coach" with plenty of mutual interest.

Green played 12 seasons in the NBA from 2003-04 through 2014-15 for the Philadelphia 76ers, New Orleans Hornets, Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers and Orlando Magic. He averaged 8.3 points per game and connected on 34.6 percent of his three-pointers during his career as a shooting guard.

He has also found immediate success as an assistant coach.

The Detroit Mercy product was on Steve Kerr's staff starting with the 2016-17 campaign and helped lead the Golden State Warriors to two championships and another NBA Finals appearance. He has been in Phoenix for the past two years and is a key assistant for a Suns squad that is leading the Milwaukee Bucks 2-1 in this season's NBA Finals.

Green, who is just 39 years old, can command the respect of the locker room as someone who suited up as a player for more than a decade and won multiple championships as an assistant coach.

The New Orleans position is open after the Pelicans fired Stan Van Gundy in June following just one season.

They missed the playoffs with a 31-41 record and are looking to build a long-term winner with Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram as the cornerstone players.

Already boasting a roster of young talent and needing to take steps forward quickly, the New Orleans Pelicans are a team of interest with their first pick in the 2021 NBA draft. 

Per The Athletic's Zach Harper, there are people around the league expecting the Pelicans to trade the No. 10 overall pick "for some veteran help."

There could be increasing pressure mounting on the Pelicans' front office heading into the 2021-22 season.

New Orleans looked to be in an ideal position coming out of the Anthony Davis trade in July 2019. The franchise acquired promising young talents in that deal, including Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball, as well as three first-round draft picks. 

Prior to that deal, the Pelicans were able to select Zion Williamson with the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA draft. 

Harper did note it's unclear if the Pelicans could get an impact player with the 10th pick on its own, but "David Griffin is always active with these trades."

Despite having a talented nucleus to build around, the Pelicans have gone 61-83 over the past two seasons combined with no playoff appearances. They are still searching for a new head coach, their third in the past three seasons.    

The Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, New Orleans Pelicans and Oklahoma City Thunder are reportedly all "making overtures" to the Detroit Pistons about the cost of trading for the first overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft.

ESPN's Jonathan Givony reported Wednesday the talks are at an "early stage," but he noted the Pistons will be "active in exploring the possibility of trading down" heading toward the July 29 event.

Detroit general manager Troy Weaver said he was "ecstatic" about winning the draft lottery last month and explained they hadn't narrowed down the top prospect on their board despite Oklahoma State guard Cade Cunningham being the presumptive top choice.

"There's about four or five of 'em I felt that way about," Weaver told reporters. "Now we're No. 1, so we get to pick the best one we see fit to move us forward. That's the goal. Whoever we pick, that's the No. 1 goal—to continue to help us restore the Pistons and build this franchise back to where it once was."

He also confirmed a potential trade down would be part of the decision-making process.

"Yes, that's an option," Weaver said.

If the Pistons are intrigued by a handful of prospects atop the class, there's certainly a case to make for trading down and acquiring as many extra assets as possible while they try to rebuild a roster that struggled en route to a 20-52 record this season.

Among the teams linked to a possible deal, the Rockets (No. 2) and Cavs (No. 3) are close behind in the order and would still give Detroit an opportunity to select from the class' mostly consensus top four—USC center Evan Mobley, Gonzaga guard Jalen Suggs and G League guard Jalen Green.

The Thunder (No. 6) and Pelicans (No. 10) would likely have to include some young impact players or a large cache of future assets in order to jump all the way to the No. 1 spot. OKC also owns Nos. 16 and 18 in this year's first round.

That said, landing a true franchise cornerstone like Cunningham may be too good to pass up for Detroit in the end. Givony called him the "overwhelming favorite" to end up with the Pistons despite the team's interest in Mobley and Green.

The 6'8", 220-pound guard is an NBA-ready talent who averaged 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.3 threes and 1.6 steals while shooting 40.0 percent from beyond the arc in his only college season.

It's hard to imagine the Pistons passing on the Oklahoma State standout unless the offer includes another top-five pick in this year's draft and a king's ransom of other assets to seriously jump-start their rebuild.