New Orleans Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans and head coach Stan Van Gundy agreed to part ways Wednesday, team sources confirmed to Bleacher Report. The decision comes after just one season in which Van Gundy's coaching and communication style never seemed to find its footing with Pelicans players and staffers, sources said. 

Whomever executive vice president David Griffin hires next will likely be someone he feels he can better collaborate with than Van Gundy. Van Gundy's preference to play veterans such as Eric Bledsoe often ran contrary to Griffin's hopes of playing the first-round picks his staff has selected in Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Kira Lewis Jr. and Jaxson Hayes, sources said. 

Griffin, sources said, is a front-office mind who wants input in his coach's rotations and lineup configurations, such as Zion Williamson's optimal position. Griffin's front office emphasized moving Williamson from the frontcourt into more of a lead ball-handler. 

Multiple Pelicans staffers believe that adjustment, as well as letting Van Gundy go, was in part due to continuing efforts by Griffin to win favor with Williamson, such as his public statement about adverse officiating toward his team's star that drew a $50,000 fine. Brandon Ingram is also believed to have soured on Van Gundy throughout the season, sources told B/R. 

It appears Van Gundy was not the Pelicans' first choice for this position a year ago. When New Orleans dismissed Alvin Gentry following the Pelicans' stint in the Orlando bubble, the front office had hopes of landing then-Clippers assistant Tyronn Lue as the franchise's next head coach. Lue, of course, coached Cleveland's 2015-16 championship team while Griffin served as general manager.

Lue did interview for the position, but there was a widespread belief around the NBA that Lue preferred the Houston Rockets' opening—before James Harden requested a trade—or the Philadelphia 76ers' vacancy if he did not return to the Clippers and become elevated to Los Angeles' head coach. 

All the while, Van Gundy was serving as a color commentator for TNT's broadcasts from Orlando. The veteran coach garnered significant attention with his thoughtful in-game analysis, mixed with an unwavering Twitter presence that specifically supported Black Lives Matter and social justice efforts. 

With a clear goal to make the playoffs behind Williamson, the Pelicans shifted focus onto Van Gundy, rather than a first-time head coach, sources said. Van Gundy was suddenly billed as a hire who could altogether win the press conference, relate to players and use his previous experience to lead New Orleans into the postseason. 

Van Gundy was officially hired on October 21, just over a month before players were allowed to report to team facilities for individual workouts. Perhaps that shortened offseason limited Van Gundy in organically building relationships with Pelicans figures, ranging from governor Gayle Benson to star players like Williamson and Ingram. Van Gundy only had a two-week training camp and frequently lamented the lack of practice time, sources said, that came under the league's reduced calendar this season. 

Nonetheless, Van Gundy's traditional basketball ideologies and old-school mentality have been described as an "oil-and-water" fit in New Orleans' culture. Where previous coaches and other Pelicans staffers have made clear efforts to cultivate a rapport with Benson, Van Gundy never did so, sources said. 

A particular friction emerged within basketball operations this season on what playing style could maximize Williamson and the rest of New Orleans' roster. The Pelicans were not a slow team by any stretch, finishing the year 10th in pace at 100.5. But Van Gundy's tendency to run more methodical, diagrammed half-court sets ran counter to Gentry's whirring offense, one that pushed New Orleans back into the 2020 playoff picture with the Pelicans rattling off 106.1 possessions per contest from Feb. 1 until the season shut down. 

Yet finding a coach who was different from Gentry was a priority for New Orleans, sources said. Van Gundy places a greater tactical emphasis on defense. Griffin also chose to trade for Steven Adams and sign the center to a contract extension, which would have an impact on any coach's preferred style of play.

The Pelicans sought to create a more rugged outfit that could truly contend for the postseason, but there was initial skepticism around the NBA that Adams' impact on that end of the floor would be worth muddying a runaway offense where Williamson and Ingram wreaked havoc in transition, especially with a point guard like Lonzo Ball so willing to throw ahead into the open court. As New Orleans drifted in and out of postseason contention, it became clear to Pelicans officials and players that Van Gundy's style was not a match for the Pelicans' young core. 

Griffin now seems to face an increasing amount of pressure to successfully find Van Gundy's replacement. Current Pelicans assistants Fred Vinson and Teresa Weatherspoon are both considered by league sources as serious candidates, but various figures around the NBA questioned the readiness of either to fully assume a head coaching post. Milwaukee Bucks assistant Charles Lee, viewed by many as a premier rising head coaching prospect, is expected to draw particular interest for this position as well.

With Washington also parting ways with Scott Brooks on Wednesday, there are now six head coaching vacancies across the league—and perhaps more to come as the postseason continues to unfold. Griffin now needs to make such a critical hire in an increasingly crowded market, and this decision could have seismic ripple effects on the Pelicans franchise and the years to come in New Orleans.

Jake Fischer covers the NBA for Bleacher Report and is the author of Built to Lose: How the NBA's Tanking Era Changed the League Forever.

Stan Van Gundy's relationship with Brandon Ingram may have played a role in his ouster as the New Orleans Pelicans head coach.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Andrew Lopez first reported the Pelicans were firing Van Gundy.

Christian Clark of NOLA.com provided some more context, reporting the 61-year-old's dynamic with Ingram was "strained for a majority of the season."

NOLA.com's Scott Kushner reported in May "there was tension between Van Gundy and his players during the season." Kushner also referenced comments from The Athletic's Sam Amick, who had said the players were "not vibing with the coach."

Persisting with a partnership that simply wasn't working obviously would've been a mistake, but firing Van Gundy after one year doesn't exactly reflect well upon the Pelicans.

Trading Anthony Davis was one of the first acts of executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin, so he doesn't deserve any blame for New Orleans' failure to surround Davis with a strong supporting cast. Griffin does, however, have to operate in the face of underlying concerns the same thing will happen with Zion Williamson, though.

Stability is critical toward the development of a young roster, and that doesn't come when a franchise is moving on to a third coach in as many seasons.

Clark described Van Gundy as the "polar opposite" from his predecessor, Alvin Gentry, and Ingram seemed to acknowledge as much in his exit interview following the end of the Pels' season.

This is our first year together. He has a different coaching style that I’m used to seeing from most. But I was able to learn a lot of things from him this year and learn what he’s all about. ... Our relationship will be even better because of this year, because of what we went through with COVID. I don’t know if we’ll have another year like this with what we went through with COVID. Him trying to get all his information in to make us a better team. Our communication will be really, really good for the good of our team next year.

Van Gundy obviously won't have the chance to build a better relationship with his players in 2021-22.

One would presume Griffin and New Orleans' front office will target a coach closer to the Gentry mold so as to avoid having to move in another direction yet again this time next year.

The New Orleans Pelicans will have a third head coach in three seasons after they moved on from Stan Van Gundy on Wednesday, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Andrew Lopez. 

According to Wojnarowski, potential replacements are expected to include Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Jason Kidd, Brooklyn Nets assistants Jacque Vaughn and Ime Udoka and Milwaukee Bucks assistant Charles Lee. 

Wojnarowski later added Pelicans assistant Fred Vinson will get "serious consideration" for the vacancy.

Marc Stein of the New York Times added Pelicans assistant Teresa Weatherspoon is also expected to be a candidate.

Kidd has been a popular head coaching candidate this offseason after spending the past two years as a Lakers assistant under Frank Vogel.

Damian Lillard publicly advocated for the Portland Trail Blazers to hire Kidd as Terry Stotts' replacement. Yet, Kidd withdrew his name from consideration for the job in part because he felt uncomfortable with the process after Lillard's comments. 

Vaughn served as interim head coach in Brooklyn for the final 10 games of the 2019-20 season after Kenny Atkinson left the organization. Udoka was an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs (2012-19) and Philadelphia 76ers (2019-20) before joining Steve Nash's staff with the Nets this season. 

After the Pelicans fired Alvin Gentry at the end of the 2019-20 season, their job was one of the most appealing in the NBA. Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson are two of the league's best young players. 

Williamson took a significant step forward in 2020-21 while playing for Van Gundy. The 20-year-old ranked eighth in the NBA in scoring average (27.0 points per game), eighth in field-goal percentage (61.1) and was named to the All-Star team. 

Poor play on the defensive end held New Orleans back, though, as it missed the playoffs and play-in tournament with a 31-41 record. 

There are still a lot of promising pieces in place for the Pelicans to turn things around quickly, but they need to find the right head coach to unlock their potential. 

The New Orleans Pelicans have fired head coach Stan Van Gundy, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Andrew Lopez.

Wojnarowski added Van Gundy's departure felt "inevitable" after meetings with executive vice president David Griffin.

The Pelicans missed the playoffs for the third straight season in 2020-21, finishing 11th in the Western Conference at 31-41.

According to Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer, assistant coaches Teresa Weatherspoon and Fred Vinson have emerged as candidates to succeed Van Gundy.

Wojnarowski provided more on New Orleans' coaching search:

The Pels' failure to even make the play-in tournament was disappointing but not entirely surprising.

Despite trading Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers, the franchise showed ambition ahead of the 2019-20 campaign by adding JJ Redick and Derrick Favors to a young roster headlined by Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball.

However, sending Jrue Holiday to the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2020 offseason for two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps seemed to signal a shift in short-term priorities, even though New Orleans also acquired Steven Adams to fortify its frontcourt

Regardless, the Pelicans weren't satisfied with what Van Gundy delivered.

The team fell from 21st in defensive rating (111.8) to 23rd (113.3), per NBA.com, the opposite of what many expected given Van Gundy's profile as a defensive-minded coach.

NOLA.com's Scott Kushner reported in May a level of "tension" lingered between Van Gundy and his players. Kushner also pointed to comments from The Athletic's Sam Amick, who said the roster was "not vibing with the coach."

The Pelicans will be an attractive vacancy for prospective candidates.

Ball is due to hit restricted free agency, but Williamson and Ingram represent a dynamic tandem around which to build a contender. Williamson made his first All-Star appearance this season and averaged 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. Ingram matched his scoring average (23.8) from 2019-20 in the first season of his five-year, $158.3 million extension.

Their contributions haven't translated into winning, though, and Van Gundy's quick ouster will raise questions. Although executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin didn't oversee the Davis era, it's impossible to separate Wednesday's news from the lack of success the Pelicans enjoyed in previous years.

Fans in the Big Easy are aware of how stagnation can alienate a franchise cornerstone.

New Orleans doesn't yet need to worry about losing Ingram or Williamson, but the front office can't whiff this badly on another head-coaching hire.

Lonzo Ball and LeBron James may no longer be teammates, but the future Hall of Famer provided some long-lasting guidance to the New Orleans Pelicans during their one year together on the Los Angeles Lakers.

During an appearance on Uninterrupted's Who's Interviewing Who?, Ball recounted a conversation he had with James in the locker room. LeBron told him to "keep the main thing the main thing."

The 17-time All-Star was generally referencing how maintaining the right priorities can be invaluable for an NBA star. By focusing on your play and drowning out the outside noise, a lot of the factors away from the court can take care of themselves.

Ball said he'd like to impart the same point upon younger players rising through the ranks.

Perhaps that advice helps explain why the 23-year-old put together his best individual season in 2020-21. He set career highs in scoring average (14.6 points per game), field-goal percentage (41.4) and three-point percentage (37.8).

As the New Orleans Pelicans prepare to make several key roster decisions this offseason, the status of pending restricted free agent Josh Hart is one of them. 

Per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, Hart "would like a fresh start" in 2021-22 after spending the past two seasons with the Pelicans. 

The Pelicans enter this summer needing to decide if they are going to sign Hart and Lonzo Ball, who is also due to become a restricted free agent, to long-term contracts. 

Per David Fisher of The Bird Writes, New Orleans can afford to re-sign both players to lucrative deals and remain under the salary cap if it wants to:

Coming off a disappointing 31-41 record in 2020-21 and missing the postseason for the third straight year, the Pelicans might want to explore various options to upgrade their roster. 

Zion Williamson will be eligible to sign a long-term extension in the summer of 2022. Brandon Ingram received a max extension worth $158 million over five years last offseason. 

Hart was part of New Orleans' return from the Los Angeles Lakers in the Anthony Davis trade. The 26-year-old has had modest success with the organization, averaging 9.7 points on 42.9 percent shooting and 7.2 rebounds per game in 112 appearances. 

The relationship between New Orleans Pelicans head coach Stan Van Gundy and the rest of the team reportedly isn't ideal after a disappointing 31-41 season.

Sam Amick of The Athletic reported on KHTK radio (via Scott Kushner of NOLA.com) there was tension between Gundy and his players during the season. 

"In New Orleans, the players are not vibing with the coach," Amick said. "There's issues there."

Van Gundy was hired last offseason to replace Alvin Gentry after the Pelicans fell short of the playoffs last year. There were high expectations with an experienced coach who has brought three different teams to the postseason, leading the Orlando Magic to the NBA finals in 2009.

The roster also features some of the best young talent in the NBA between Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball, while the additions of Eric Bledsoe and Steven Adams would provide veteran leadership and defensive ability. It was enough to at least make the playoffs and potentially do damage in the Western Conference.

Unfortunately, New Orleans struggled on both ends and displayed inconsistent effort on the way to finishing 23rd in the NBA in defensive efficiency.

Van Gundy's hard-nosed attitude wasn't enough to get the most out of the talent on the roster and it creates questions about his future with the team despite three more years on his contract.

There is still a lot to work with, especially after Williamson moved to point guard. With averages of 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game in his second season, the 2019 No. 1 overall draft pick can clearly be a key player for a playoff contender. 

The challenge will be for the coach to get on the same page with the players in 2021-22 and beyond.

The Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks are reportedly among the teams with interest in New Orleans Pelicans point guard Lonzo Ball, who'll be a restricted free agent during the 2021 NBA offseason.

"The Bulls: there's a lot of interest there," ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said Tuesday on The Woj Pod. "That deal could have happened at the trade deadline."

Woj added:

"I think Ball and Chicago will be an interesting one to watch, and it will be interesting to see what New Orleans does and how they want to structure their payroll, how far they're willing to go on matching an offer sheet. Do they want to match it at all? But I think Lonzo will get a pretty good number. I think whether it's Chicago, whether it's New York, and some other places with younger point guards who might want to bring in a little more of a veteran."

Ball put together the best statistical campaign of his four-year career in 2020-21. He averaged 14.6 points, 5.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 3.1 threes and 1.5 steals while shooting 37.8 percent from three-point range in 55 games. His overall shooting efficiency (41.4 percent) still needs work, but he's made progress.

The question for New Orleans is whether it needs to shake up its core after falling short of expectations in the loaded Western Conference.

Ball's improvement paired with Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and Eric Bledsoe should have produced a better record than 31-41, especially since the roster featured plenty of depth, led by Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Josh Hart and Steven Adams.

Instead, the Pelicans missed the playoffs for the third straight year and have to at least consider revamping the roster. Letting Ball leave in free agency, or working out a sign-and-trade deal, is one way to create space.

The 23-year-old UCLA product said Monday he'd "love" to remain in New Orleans but stopped short of guaranteeing it'll happen.

"That's a conversation between me and my agent moving forward. But obviously I would love to be back," Ball told reporters. "I built a bond here with the coaches and the teammates who are here. I definitely wouldn't mind coming back at all."

The Pelicans allowed Williamson to take on more of a point forward role as the season went on, and getting the ball in your best player's hands as frequently as possible is generally a good rule, so the potential departure of Ball doesn't necessarily mean New Orleans would be in the market for a starting point guard.

That said, the 2017 second overall pick seemed like a nice fit alongside Williamson and Ingram since he didn't need the ball a lot to make an impact thanks to his well-rounded offensive skill set. He's also a solid defender with length who gives opposing point guards problems at that end of the floor.

So the only way to secure a definite upgrade would be using Ball's roster spot to acquire a bona fide superstar, and there's usually a limited number of those available each summer, if any.

It creates a dilemma for the Pelicans. The roster hasn't been good enough to climb the West standings, but there's no easy solution to the lack of wins so far in the Zion era.

Zion Williamson wants to keep the New Orleans Pelicans' young core together even though Lonzo Ball is a restricted free agent this offseason.

"It'd be dope," Williamson said of Ball staying with the Pelicans and playing alongside him and Brandon Ingram, per Jacob Rude of USA Today's Lonzo Wire. "I think me, Brandon and Zo, the three of us, we have a great relationship. I really would want Zo to come back and he knows that. But like I said, the reality of the situation is, Zo's a grown man so he's going to make the decision that's best for him. The only thing I can say is I hope he stays."

While New Orleans struggled with consistency on the way to a 31-41 record, it had success when Williamson and Ball were on the court together.

According to NBA.com, lineups that featured the pair finished the season with a plus-3.8 net rating. Lineups featuring Ball and Ingram were a plus-2.4, and the Pelicans had a plus-4.3 net rating with all three on the floor together.

Still, Ball figures to generate plenty of interest this offseason.

He is only 23 years old and shot a career-best 37.8 percent from three-point range during the 2020-21 campaign. His outside shot was among the biggest concerns when he entered the league as the No. 2 overall pick of the 2017 NBA draft, and it is now a relative strength to go along with his impressive passing.

The UCLA product also averaged a career-high 14.6 points per game and was more aggressive while seeking out his shot this season.

Rude noted the Pelicans will likely have to dip into luxury-tax territory for the first time in franchise history if they plan on keeping Ball and restricted free agent Josh Hart, but the former looks like a key building block for a team looking to build a long-term winner.

Plus, the most important building block wants him to stay.

Pending free agent Lonzo Ball told reporters Monday that he'd be open to returning to the New Orleans Pelicans next season.

"Obviously, I would love to be back," he said. "You know, I've built a good bond here with the coaches and the teammates that are here."

Ball, 23, will be a restricted free agent this summer, meaning the Pelicans could simply choose to match any offer sheet he signs and keep him on the team. The bigger question for New Orleans will be whether it thinks he fits into the organization's long-term plans alongside Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. 

Or whether the team would be willing to pay the high price to keep him.

The young point guard is coming off an excellent 2020-21 season, setting career highs in scoring (14.6 points per game), field-goal percentage (41.4) and three-point shooting (37.8 percent) while adding 4.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game. 

Always a strong defender and a threat in transition, Ball took solid strides as a half-court scorer this season. 

While his name made the rounds ahead of the NBA trade deadline on March 25, he stayed put. But SNY's Ian Begley reported in March that the New York Knicks would have "renewed interest" in landing Ball this offseason.

And Marc Berman of the New York Post reported that same month that the Knicks "would be heavily on Ball’s radar as a restricted free agent."

So the Knicks are a team to keep an eye on in the Ball sweepstakes. But if he remains in New Orleans, it sounds like a fate he'd happily accept.