Category: New Orleans Pelicans Blog

Pelicans blog – New Orleans Pelicans basketball blog

Zion Williamson will reportedly at least be around the Pelicans again soon

It’s unclear if Pelicans forward will play at all this season, but at least he will reportedly soon be around the team again. Via the New Orleans Times-Picayune:

While Zion Williamson remains sidelined indefinitely from a right foot injury he suffered last summer, he is expected to rejoin the New Orleans Pelicans next week, sources told The Times-Picayune | New Orleans Advocate.

Williamson has spent the majority of the past two months in Portland, Oregon, with a few members of his inner circle. In early January, the team announced that he would be away from the team while he recovered from right foot surgery.

Williamson has yet to play a game this season after fracturing the fifth metatarsal in his right foot. He was supposed to go through a full practice in December, but he began experiencing soreness in his right foot, and he has remained sidelined.

Full Article

New Orleans Pelicans sign forward Alize Johnson to 10-day contract

The New Orleans Pelicans have signed forward Alize Johnson to a 10-day contract.

Johnson, 6’7”, 212, has appeared in 68 career games (one start) across four seasons with Indiana, Brooklyn, Chicago, and Washington, recording averages of 2.5 points and 3.0 rebounds in 7.5 minutes per contest while shooting .493 from the field. Johnson has appeared in 19 games this season with the Bulls and Wizards, averaging 1.7 points and 2.5 rebounds in 7.3 minutes per game.

A native of Williamsport, Pa., Johnson was selected 50th overall in the 2018 NBA Draft out of Missouri State where he averaged 14.9 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 2.4 assists across two seasons.

Johnson will wear #24 with the Pelicans.

New Orleans’s roster now stands at 17 players, including two two-way players.

NBA trade sends CJ McCollum from Trail Blazers to Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans have acquired CJ McCollum, Larry Nance Jr., and Tony Snell in a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers.

In exchange, New Orleans sent Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Josh Hart, Didi Louzada, Tomáš Satoranský, a protected 2022 first round draft pick, and two future second round draft picks to the Blazers.

“On behalf of the Trail Blazers organization, I want to thank CJ McCollum for the integral role he has played in the success of the franchise over the last nine seasons and for his countless acts of service to the Portland community,” said Trail Blazers Interim General Manager Joe Cronin. “CJ has cemented himself in Trail Blazers history with his elite skill level and memorable moments on the court as well as with the work ethic, professionalism and generosity he displays behind the scenes.”

“I also want to thank Larry Nance Jr., Tony Snell and Cody Zeller for their contributions to the organization and community this season,” Cronin continued. “We wish all four players success moving forward.”

McCollum, 6-3, 190, has appeared in 36 games (all starts) for Portland this season, averaging 20.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 35.2 minutes per game while shooting .436 from the field and .384 from deep. Drafted tenth overall by Portland in the 2013 NBA Draft out of Lehigh, the nine-year NBA veteran has appeared in 564 career games (467 starts) with the Blazers, averaging 19.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 31.5 minutes per game while shooting .453 from the field and .396 from deep. McCollum has also appeared in 57 career playoff games (47 starts) throughout his career, averaging 20.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 35.1 minutes per contest.

Nance Jr., 6-7, 245, has appeared in 37 games (11 starts) for Portland this season, averaging 6.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 23.2 minutes per game. Drafted 27th overall in the 2015 NBA Draft out of Wyoming, Nance Jr. has appeared in 387 career games (134 starts) with Portland, Cleveland, and the Los Angeles Lakers, averaging 8.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 24.1 minutes per game.

Snell, 6-6, 213, has appeared in 38 games (10 starts) for Portland this season, averaging 2.6 points and 1.9 rebounds in 14.4 minutes per game. Drafted 20th overall in the 2013 NBA Draft out of New Mexico, Snell has appeared in 586 career games (308 starts) with Portland, Atlanta, Detroit, Milwaukee, and Chicago, averaging 6.1 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 21.9 minutes per game. Snell has also appeared in 47 career playoff games (8 starts) throughout his career, averaging 2.9 points and 1.1 rebounds in 12.7 minutes per contest.

Alexander-Walker, 6-5, 205, whose draft rights were originally acquired by the Pelicans from the Atlanta Hawks via trade on July 7, 2019, has appeared in 50 games (19 starts) for the Pelicans this season, averaging 12.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 26.3 minutes per game. In three seasons with New Orleans, Alexander-Walker appeared in 143 games (33 starts), averaging 9.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 20.4 minutes per game.

Hart, 6-5, 215, who was originally acquired by the Pelicans from the Los Angeles Lakers in a three-team trade on July 6, 2019, appeared in 41 games (40 starts) for New Orleans this season, averaging 13.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 33.5 minutes per game. Hart has appeared in 283 career games (105 starts) with New Orleans and the Los Angeles Lakers, holding averages of 9.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 27.0 minutes per game.

Louzada, 6-5, 210, whose draft rights were originally acquired by the Pelicans from the Atlanta Hawks via trade on July 7, 2019, appeared in five games off the bench for the Pelicans over the last two seasons, averaging 1.6 points and 1.0 rebound in 12.6 minutes per game.

Satoranský, 6-7, 210, who was originally acquired by New Orleans from the Chicago Bulls on August 8, 2021, appeared in 32 games (three starts) for the Pelicans this season, averaging 2.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 15.0 minutes per game. Satoranský has appeared in 365 career games (172 starts) over six seasons with New Orleans, Chicago, and Washington, averaging 7.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in 22.4 minutes per game.

Pelicans sign Zylan Cheatham and Miye Oni to 10-day contracts

The New Orleans Pelicans have signed forward Zylan Cheatham and guard Miye Oni to 10-day contracts via the COVID hardship exception.

Cheatham, 6’7”, 220, has appeared in five career games with New Orleans and Utah, holding averages of 2.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in 11.2 minutes per contest. This season, Cheatham holds averages of 15.3 points and 12.0 rebounds in 12 G League games (10 starts) with the Salt Lake City Stars and the Pelicans’ G League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron.

Oni, 6’5”, 206, has appeared in 80 career games (one start) in three seasons with the Utah Jazz, recording averages of 1.8 points and 1.4 rebounds in 8.4 minutes per contest.

Cheatham will wear #45 and Oni will wear #18 with the Pelicans.

New Orleans’s roster now stands at 20 players, including two two-way players.

Pelicans sign Wenyen Gabriel to 10-day contract

The New Orleans Pelicans have signed forward Wenyen Gabriel to a 10-day contract via the COVID hardship exception.

Gabriel, 6’9”, 205, has appeared in 58 career games (one start) across three seasons with the LA Clippers, Brooklyn, New Orleans, Portland, and Sacramento, recording averages of 2.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in 9.0 minutes per contest while shooting .413 from the field. Gabriel has appeared in seven games this season with the Clippers and Nets, averaging 2.0 points and 2.1 rebounds in 6.7 minutes per game.

Most recently, Gabriel has appeared in 14 games (12 starts) for the Wisconsin Herd of the NBA G League this season, averaging 14.1 points on .464 percent shooting from the field and .350 percent shooting from three-point range, 8.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.7 steals and 2.1 blocks in 25.9 minutes per contest. He also spent two seasons (2018-20) with the Stockton Kings of the NBA G League.

A native of South Sudan, Gabriel went undrafted in the 2018 NBA Draft after playing two collegiate seasons (2016-18) at the University of Kentucky. In his final season as a sophomore, Gabriel averaged 6.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 23.1 minutes per game while leading the Wildcats in total rejections (40).

Gabriel will wear #32 with the Pelicans.

New Orleans’s roster now stands at 18 players, including two two-way players.

Pelicans guard Didi Louzada suffers knee injury

New Orleans Pelicans guard Didi Louzada has been diagnosed with a torn medial meniscus in his left knee.

The injury occurred during the second quarter of the G League Birmingham Squadron’s game against the South Bay Lakers on Friday, January 21.

A date for surgery has not yet been determined.

Louzada will be out indefinitely and his return-to-play status will be updated appropriately.

Pelicans sign Gary Clark to two-way contract, and waive Jared Harper

The New Orleans Pelicans have signed forward Gary Clark to a two-way contract.

In a related move, the Pelicans waived two-way player Jared Harper.

Clark, 6-6, 225, has appeared in eight games (one start) this season with New Orleans, averaging 3.6 points and 2.8 rebounds while shooting .474 from deep in 11.9 minutes per contest.

Harper, 6-0, 175, appeared in two games with the Pelicans after being signed to a two-way contract on December 21, averaging 3.5 points and 1.5 assists in 5.0 minutes per contest.

New Orleans’ roster now stands at 17 players, including two two-way players.

Latest health update on Pelicans forward Zion Williamson

The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that forward Zion Williamson will be continuing his rehabilitation away from the team at this time while remaining under the supervision of the Pelicans medical staff.

“Since we notified everyone on December 16 of his latest imaging, it was decided then by our medical team to dial his rehab back to only partial weight bearing activities. He continues along that path,” stated Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin. “We also agreed that in order to put Zion in the best position to succeed, he will rehab away from the team at this time so he can focus on the task at hand.”

“As you can imagine, this has been a very difficult process for me,” said Williamson. “I know there’s work to be done in my recovery before I can safely return to the court, but I will continue to put in the time necessary so I can get back on the floor with my team and represent Pelicans fans and the city of New Orleans at the highest level. Basketball means everything to me, and I am thankful for the Pelicans organization and everyone who has surrounded me with love and support throughout this journey – my family, friends, teammates, coaches, staff, fans, and everybody who has stood behind me and uplifted me when I needed it most.”