New Orleans Pelicans

What could have been for the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Pelicans made what was seen as the clear-cut, obvious move at the time and selected Duke star Zion Williamson with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2019 NBA draft, but they reportedly wanted to pair him with Ja Morant.

Christian Clark of NOLA.com reported the Pelicans "offered multiple packages that included the No. 4 pick to move up two slots" in an effort to draft Morant, who was a former AAU teammate of Williamson's, as well.

Alas, the Grizzlies decided to keep the pick and draft Morant, which set them on their current trajectory as a legitimate contender in the Western Conference.

That No. 4 pick ended up being Virginia's De'Andre Hunter. The Los Angeles Lakers technically made the selection, but he was included in the Anthony Davis trade and eventually moved to the Atlanta Hawks in a subsequent move.

It is easy to look back at drafts with the benefit of hindsight and criticize individual picks, but Williamson was the No. 1 choice that year for a reason. The high-flier was dominant at Duke with the ability to overpower defenders on the blocks, get out in transition and control the glass as part of a skill set that surely figured to translate to the next level.

And he has been dominant in the NBA as well with career averages of 25.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists behind 60.4 percent shooting from the field.

However, injuries have been a problem. Williamson didn't make his debut until late January of his rookie season and played just 24 games. He was more durable in his second season at 61 games, but he is yet to take the floor in 2021-22.

Morant, on the other hand, appeared in 67 games as a rookie and 63 games in his second season. He has also been among the best players in the league this season while making a jump as a scorer and playmaker with averages of 26.4 points, 6.8 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals.

The result is a 40-18 record and the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference standings for the Grizzlies, while the Pelicans are a half-game back of the No. 10 seed and final spot in the play-in tournament.

The idea of Morant throwing lobs to Williamson as teammates at the NBA level is an intriguing one, but Memphis has ended up the biggest beneficiary of that draft to this point. Meanwhile, New Orleans hopes Williamson can return to the court and maintain the form he showed when he played.

CJ McCollum went from the undersized kid who helped lead Lehigh to a stunning upset of Duke in the NCAA men's basketball tournament to a legitimate NBA star during his eight-plus seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, so it comes as no surprise he had plenty to say about his time with the team that selected him in the first round of the 2013 NBA draft.

McCollum discussed his time with the Trail Blazers in a letter for The Players' Tribune and included sections about his relationship with Damian Lillard, how much he appreciates the organization and thanking the fans for their support.

"As crazy and cold-hearted as this business can be sometimes, in this case everything was truly transparent and honest," he wrote. "That's how strong my bond with the Blazers organization is. We knew that this chapter, as beautiful as it’s been, was coming to an end."

He also recognized how much Portland means to him:

This is not just business. Portland is home. You don't spend nine years in a place like this without it having a deep impact on you. I'm not talking about basketball. I'm talking about your soul. I wasn't even sure how to say goodbye to everybody. That night after the trade went down, I went to our practice facility to get all my shoes and my orthotics and everything from my locker, and none of the guys were there. It was kind of surreal, because I wasn't sure how quickly they'd have anything wrapped up, but when I walked in, they already had my nametag taken down from my locker and everything. Our equipment managers already had my stuff laid out and folded perfectly for me in front of my stall. (Thanks Eric and Cory, I'll miss you guys).

His time with the Trail Blazers ended when they traded him to the New Orleans Pelicans ahead of Thursday's trade deadline.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Portland sent McCollum, Larry Nance and Tony Snell to the Pelicans for Josh Hart, Tomas Satoransky, Nickeil Walker-Alexander, Didi Louzada, a 2022 protected first-round pick and two second-round picks.

McCollum will now join Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram in New Orleans, which he said helped take away the hurt of being traded:

I wanted to go to New Orleans. That's the thing that really takes away the sting. Just purely as a pure hooper, I'm so excited to get to go play with Zion and B.I. and Valanciunas and all those young guys. I really feel like I bring a lot to the table in terms of professionalism and preparation, because in nine years I've seen everything in this league. I've gotten DNPs, I've dropped 50, I've been doubted, I've been hyped, I've been in Game 7s, I've hit game winners, I've missed game winners. When you're young in this league, you don't know what you don’t know — take it from an old head who used to walk around the mall all day. There's a lot of wisdom I think I can bring to the table in New Orleans and I'm really excited just as a human being to be moving to the city to catch some football games at the Superdome. (My son is still being raised a Browns fan, though, I'm sorry.)

While Williamson is yet to play a game this season, the idea of McCollum playing alongside him and Ingram is certainly an intriguing one for a Pelicans team looking to contend in the Western Conference. 

That is plenty of firepower that could be on the floor together if the 10th-seeded Pelicans reach the playoffs.          

The New Orleans Pelicans just acquired Larry Nance Jr. as part of the trade that also landed them CJ McCollum, but they will have to wait for the forward to make his debut.

ESPN's Andrew Lopez reported Nance will undergo surgery on his right knee on Friday and is expected to miss up to six weeks. He hasn't appeared in a game since Jan. 5.

The Los Angeles Lakers selected Nance with the 27th overall pick of the 2015 NBA draft. He played just over two seasons in L.A. before being traded alongside Jordan Clarkson to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye and a first-round draft selection.

The Wyoming product was with the Cavs through the 2020-21 season. He alternated between starting and coming off the bench during his time in Cleveland before joining Portland in an August 2021 three-team trade also involving the Chicago Bulls.

The 29-year-old is averaging 6.9 points on 51.5 percent shooting, 5.6 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 23.2 minutes per game. 

Nance suited up for the Blazers' first 37 games before he was sidelined beginning Jan. 7 with right knee inflammation.

The Portland Trail Blazers reportedly continued their fire sale Tuesday, trading guard CJ McCollum to the New Orleans Pelicans.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Blazers received Josh Hart, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Tomas Satoransky, Didi Louzada and the Pelicans' protected first-round pick in 2022.

The Blazers will receive the pick if it lands between Nos. 5 and 14, otherwise it will be a future first-rounder.

Wojnarowski added that the Pelicans will receive Larry Nance Jr. and Tony Snell along with McCollum.

McCollum, who has long been the Blazers' No. 2 offensive contributor behind Damian Lillard, is signed through the 2023-24 season after agreeing to a three-year, $100 million contract extension in 2019.

With McCollum set to enter the fold, the Pelicans' roster is made up of the following players:

PG: Devonte' Graham / Jose Alvarado / Kira Lewis Jr. (INJ)

SG: CJ McCollum / Tony Snell / Trey Murphy III

SF: Brandon Ingram / Garrett Temple / Naji Marshall

PF: Zion Williamson (INJ) / Larry Nance Jr. (INJ) / Herbert Jones / Gary Clark

C: Jonas Valanciunas / Jaxson Hayes / Willy Hernangomez

The Blazers' lineup looks like this after bringing in a ton of depth in the form of Hart, Alexander-Walker and Satoransky:

PG: Damian Lillard (INJ) / Eric Bledsoe / Dennis Smith Jr. / Tomas Satoransky

SG: Anfernee Simons / Nickeil Alexander-Walker / Keon Johnson / Keljin Blevins

SF: Nassir Little (INJ) / Ben McLemore / CJ Elleby / Trendon Watford / Didi Louzada

PF: Josh Hart / Justise Winslow / Greg Brown III

C: Jusuf Nurkic / Cody Zeller (INJ)

Portland will have to waive or trade a player to complete the trade, as Kevin Smith noted:

Portland will still need to waive a player to complete this trade. Or send another minimum salary player elsewhere.

Blazers have a lot of minimum salary guys they can pick from to open the roster spot necessary to complete the deal.

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) February 8, 2022

Per Spotrac, the Pelicans now have a total salary cap number of $143,482,611 after the trade, while the Blazers' cap number is at $116,334,701.

This season has been a disappointing one for the Pels, who are just 21-32, but if the season were to end today, they would be part of the Western Conference postseason play-in tournament, as they are in 10th place.

New Orleans is just a half-game up on the Blazers, but Portland seems to be stripping down its roster and trading off its top assets aside from Lillard.

Prior to the McCollum trade, the Blazers already dealt Norman Powell and Robert Covington to the Los Angeles Clippers last week for Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson and a 2025 second-round draft pick.

The Pelicans have missed the playoffs in each of the past three seasons, last making it in 2017-18, which was Anthony Davis' second-to-last season with the franchise.

A quick turnaround was expected after the Davis trade, as the Pels landed Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Hart and draft picks in the deal, plus they won the lottery for the No. 1 pick and took Zion Williamson 2019.

Ingram was an All-Star for the first time two seasons ago and has developed into a quality offensive player, but Ball and Hart are both gone, and Williamson hasn't played at all this season because of a foot injury.

Still, it is hard to not be excited about the Pelicans' future now that McCollum is part of a core that already included Williamson, Ingram and Jonas Valanciunas, among others.

While the 30-year-old McCollum has never been selected to an All-Star Game, he has averaged at least 20 points and 2.0 three-pointers made per game in six consecutive seasons and is on pace to make it seven.

In 36 games this season, McCollum is averaging 20.5 points, 4.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 3.1 three-pointers made per contest, while shooting 43.6 percent from the field and 38.4 percent from beyond the arc.

McCollum gives the Pelicans another dynamic offensive player in addition to Ingram, not to mention the shooting ability of Devonte' Graham, Garrett Temple and others.

It is unclear if Williamson will play at all next season, but assuming he is healthy for the 2022-23 campaign, the Pelicans will be able to deploy a starting lineup of Valanciunas, Zion, Ingram, McCollum and Graham, which should make them strong playoff contenders in the West.

As for the Blazers, they seem to be entering into something of a rebuild, or at least a retooling around Lillard.

Lillard, who is a six-time All-Star, has been on the shelf with an abdominal injury and it is unclear when or if he will return this season.

One positive during his absence is that Anfernee Simons has enjoyed a career year, averaging 15.8 points per game. With McCollum gone, Simons should continue to shine and could be Lillard's new backcourt running mate moving forward.

While the Blazers are still in the playoff mix, it is difficult to envision them making it this season after trading McCollum, especially if Lillard doesn't return.

More than anything, the Blazers seem to be looking toward the future, as Jusuf Nurkic, Ben McLemore, Dennis Smith Jr., Cody Zeller and Snell are set to come off the books during the offseason, which could potentially make some room for new additions.

The New Orleans Pelicans have reportedly finalized a deal to add a big-time scorer to the lineup in CJ McCollum.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Tuesday that McCollum was dealt to New Orleans Pelicans, with Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN adding the Portland Trail Blazers received Josh Hart, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Tomas Satoransky, Didi Louzada and draft pick compensation in return.

Wojnarowski added Portland will also send Larry Nance Jr. and Tony Snell to New Orleans as part of the deal.

Full trade, per sources:
Blazers: Josh Hart, Tomas Satoransky, Nickeil Walker-Alexander, Didi Louzada, 2022 protected first-round pick, two second-round picks.
Pelicans: CJ McCollum, Larry Nance, Tony Snell.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 8, 2022

Wojnarowski added the Blazers will receive the Pelicans' 2022 first-round pick that will convey if it lands between No. 5 and 14 in the draft order. If it doesn't convey, it will head to Portland in "the future."

McCollum missed more than a month earlier this season with a collapsed lung, but he returned in mid-January to once again be a go-to option offensively. Through 36 games, he is averaging 20.5 points and 4.5 assists per game.

Injuries were also a problem for McCollum in 2020-21, as a broken foot limited him to only 47 games. He was still as good as ever when healthy, setting new career highs with 23.1 points and 4.7 assists per game while shooting 40.2 percent from deep.

The production was a continuation of his career as one of the most consistent offensive players in the NBA while working alongside Damian Lillard in an explosive Blazers backcourt.

The 30-year-old has averaged at least 20 points per game in every season since 2015-16, when he won the league's Most Improved Player award. His scoring average jumped 14 points that season from the previous year.

He has also been an efficient scorer throughout his career, making 39.6 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc while hitting 82.0 percent from the free-throw line.

Although Lillard has deservedly gotten more attention over the years, McCollum has also been important to Portland's success in the past few seasons as an elite scorer who can take over games. That was especially evident during the Blazers' run to the 2019 Western Conference Finals, when he averaged 24.7 points in 16 playoff games.

After failing to replicate that postseason run, Portland has decided to go with a different strategy by splitting up its backcourt. The team had already signaled its plans to rebuild by dealing away Norman Powell and Robert Covington last week.  

The Trail Blazers will now remove McCollum's contract, which has $69.1 million remaining in 2022-23 and 2023-24, from their books.

It will be a high price for the Pelicans to pay, but McCollum can make it count with his impact on the court.

New Orleans has not emerged as a playoff contender despite the talent on its roster. With Zion Williamson unavailable due to a foot injury, the Pelicans have had few reliable scoring options beyond Brandon Ingram.

McCollum will give his new team another high-level scorer to help compete with the top squads in the NBA and potentially move up the standings in the Western Conference.

The New Orleans Pelicans are reportedly "pretty active looking to buy" on the trade market and have made veteran guard Josh Hart available in talks, ESPN's Brian Windhorst said on his Hoop Collective podcast (h/t HoopsHype). 

Windhorst added that the Pelicans have held trade talks with the Atlanta Hawks regarding Kevin Huerter, the Portland Trail Blazers about CJ McCollum, the Houston Rockets regarding Eric Gordon and the Sacramento Kings about De'Aaron Fox. 

For most teams, a 20-32 record might be a good reason to be a seller before the trade deadline, not a buyer. But the Pelicans have two very good reasons to be buyers instead. 

Most prominently, surrounding Zion Williamson with as much talent as possible remains the organization's long-term goal. While the star forward has yet to play this season due to injury, he remains the face of the franchise, and keeping him happy and a competitive team around him is priority No. 1. 

But the Pelicans are also just a half-game back of the No. 10 seed and a shot at the play-in tournament for the playoffs. And the team ahead of them, the Portland Trail Blazers, appear to be sellers ahead of the deadline after sending Norm Powell and Robert Covington to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson and a 2025 second-rounder. 

So the Pelicans don't have much reason to throw in the proverbial towel. 

As for Hart, the 26-year-old is having a solid season, averaging career highs in points (13.4 PPG), assists (4.1 APG) and field-goal percentage (50.5 percent) to go along with 7.8 rebounds per contest. His 32.3 percent shooting from three, however, is just slightly below his career average (34.5 percent). 

Still, those are solid numbers for a player who has a non-guaranteed salary of $12.9 million next season and a player option for $12.9 million in the 2023-24 campaign. That makes Hart a logical piece for the Pelicans to dangle in trade talks as they look to upgrade their backcourt. 

Despite sitting in 11th place in the Western Conference standings, the New Orleans Pelicans are reportedly looking to be active prior to the Feb. 10 trade deadline.

On ESPN's This Just In (starts at 1:35 mark), Brian Windhorst noted the Pelicans are trying to trade "for a big-name guard," including CJ McCollum, De'Aaron Fox and Eric Gordon: 

There have been rumblings about New Orleans' plans ahead of the trade deadline, with the consensus being executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin wants to be a buyer. 

On the HoopsHype podcast, Michael Scotto said rival executives around the NBA believe that Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Jaxson Hayes could be "available for the right upgrade."

Scotto added the Pelicans "are more willing to listen on moving Alexander-Walker than in the past."

These trade rumblings come at a time when there remains great uncertainty about Zion Williamson's status this season.

Windhorst noted the Pelicans were supposed to provide an update on Williamson's surgically-repaired right foot last week, but they have yet to make any public statement. 

Among the potential trade options for New Orleans, Gordon would seem to be the easiest to get. He's the oldest of the trio (33) and plays for a Houston Rockets team that is in the early stages of a long-term rebuild. 

Scotto reported last month the Rockets are seeking a first-round pick for Gordon. The former Sixth Man of the Year winner is averaging 14.3 points per game on 42.0 percent three-point shooting in 44 games. 

B/R's Jake Fischer recently noted the emergence of Anfernee Simons could make it easier for the Blazers to move on from McCollum: 

The destination most often linked to McCollum has been New Orleans, who could sensibly deal Jonas Valanciunas and Josh Hart. That would give the Blazers a center replacement for Nurkic, a strong veteran contributor in Hart and sneak Portland under the tax. It would seem the Pelicans would be more willing to part with Tomas Satoranksy and Jaxson Hayes over Valanciunas, however.

McCollum is averaging 20.7 points, 4.5 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game in 34 starts this season. He's also shooting 40.1 percent from behind the arc on 8.0 attempts per game. 

Fox's name has come up frequently in trade rumors, most notably involving the Philadelphia 76ers and Ben Simmons. 

Per Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee, the Sacramento Kings were willing to discuss Fox in talks with the Indiana Pacers for Domantas Sabonis. 

Fox, 24, is in the first season of a five-year, $163 million contract he signed in November. He leads the Kings in scoring average (21.0 points per game). 

The Pelicans are 19-32 overall this season and have lost 11 of their past 18 games. They trail Portland by 1.5 games for the final spot in the play-in tournament.     

New Orleans Pelicans center Jaxson Hayes was charged with 12 misdemeanor counts after a July altercation with police in Los Angeles.

TMZ Sports reported Hayes was formally charged with inflicting corporal injury (domestic violence), destroying property, use of force, resisting a police officer, using force and violence against an LAPD member in addition to his other charges.

Police arrested Hayes in July after police responded to a call saying he was "acting erratically" toward his girlfriend. Hayes was allegedly combative with police on their arrival, refusing to allow them into his residence and pushing an officer, who sustained injuries to his arm.

An officer later tased Hayes, who said he could not breathe during his arrest. The LAPD has investigated the use of force against Hayes but has not released any findings to the public.

Hayes has not faced any discipline from the NBA for the arrest. 

The New Orleans Pelicans announced forward Brandon Ingram will miss Monday's game against the Indiana Pacers with a right ankle sprain.

Ingram has been a stabilizing force for the Pelicans amid a season where high expectations have faded because of Zion Williamson's long-term foot injury. The 2020 All-Star has averaged 22.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.2 assists across 36 appearances.

The 24-year-old North Carolina native has been forced out of the lineup because of minor injuries a few times during the campaign, including hip, ankle and Achilles ailments. He's played more than 62 games just once during his six-year NBA career.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker figures to rejoin the starting lineup whenever Ingram is sidelined. Garrett Temple and Tomas Satoransky are among the other options for increased playing time on the wing.

The Pelicans, who were expected to take a step forward this season, are instead trying to fight for a berth in the Western Conference play-in tournament. Being without Ingram for an extended period of time would deliver a major blow to those efforts.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram was ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder with left Achilles soreness, per insider Marc Stein.

Ingram had zero points and two rebounds before exiting.

He is averaging 23.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 26 games during the regular season.

Unfortunately for Ingram, injuries have plagued him throughout his career. He has appeared in more than 62 games in a season only once through his first five seasons, as he made 79 appearances as a rookie with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2016-17.

The Pelicans have been among the NBA's most disappointing teams this season, posting a 12-21 record while playing without Zion Williamson.

Losing Ingram will leave them without their two best players.