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The New Orleans Pelicans have waived guards Rawle Alkins and Tony Carr, forward Jarrod Uthoff and center Ike Anigbogu.
NBA preseason ends today, and the regular season begins Tuesday. Teams around the league will be trimming down their rosters over these next few days.
The Pelicans roster is now at 16, including Will Magnay and Naji Marshall, who are signed to two-way contracts.
The New Orleans Pelicans have signed free agent Naji Marshall to a two-way contract.
Marshall, listed at 6-foot-7, 220 lbs., most recently played college basketball for Xavier (OH) University. After averaging 16.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game in the 2019-20 season, he was named to the All-Big East First Team.
Signing a two-way contract with the Pelicans means Marshall will mostly play for the Pelicans’ G League affiliate team, the Erie BayHawks this season.
The Pelicans’ training camp roster now stands at 20 players.
The New Orleans Pelicans have signed guard Rawle Alkins.
Alkins, listed at 6-foot-5, 225 lbs., most recently played overseas in Portugal for FC Porto.
A new York native, Alkins played college hoops for the Arizona Wildcats, went undrafted in 2018, and in the 2018-19 NBA season was with the Chicago Bulls. But he mostly played in the G League for their affiliate team, the Windy City Bulls, for whom he averaged 11.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.
The New Orleans Pelicans have signed center Ike Anigbogu, guard Tony Carr and forward Jarrod Uthoff. Additionally, the team has signed center Will Magnay to a two-way contract.
Anigbogu, 6-9, 252, most recently played for the Erie BayHawks, appearing in six games last season, averaging 9.5 points and 4.8 rebounds. Selected by the Indiana Pacers with the 47th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, the UCLA product appeared in 14 games for the Pacers between 2017-19, and 41 games for their G League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
Carr, 6-5, 200, was originally selected with the 51st overall pick by New Orleans in the 2018 NBA Draft. The Penn State product began his professional career overseas, suiting up for Auxilium Torino and Pallacanestro Cantù in Italy, and Parma Basket of Russia, before returning to the United States to finish the 2019-20 season with the Erie BayHawks of the NBA G League, appearing in 13 games, and averaging 10.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists.
Uthoff, 6-9, 220, most recently appeared in three games with the Washington Wizards during the NBA restart in Orlando, averaging 5.0 points while shooting .600 from deep. Undrafted in 2016 out of the University of Iowa, Uthoff has appeared in 16 career NBA games with Dallas, Memphis and Washington, averaging 3.7 points and 1.8 rebounds, and has also appeared in 121 G League games with Raptors 905, Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Texas Legends and the Memphis Hustle, earning First-Team All-G League honors with the Hustle in 2020 after averaging 19.0 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.4 steals in 34 contests.
Magnay, 6-10, 234, most recently played for the Brisbane Bullets of Australia’s National Basketball League, earning the NBL’s Most Improved Player Award in 2020. Undrafted in 2017, Magnay played one year of collegiate basketball at the University of Tulsa.
Per NBA rules, teams are permitted to sign two players to two-way contracts in addition to the 15-man regular season roster. Magnay and will provide services primarily to the team’s NBA G League affiliate – the Erie BayHawks.
The New Orleans Pelicans and center Steven Adams have agreed to a multi-year contract extension.
Per multiple reports, it’s a two-year, $35 million extension through the 2022-23 season.
Adams, 7-0, 265, who was acquired by New Orleans in a four-team trade involving Denver, Milwaukee and Oklahoma City, has spent his entire seven-year career with the Thunder, appearing in 530 career regular season games, holding averages of 9.8 points on .589 shooting from the field, 7.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.0 blocks. The New Zealand native appeared in 63 games in 2019-20, averaging 10.9 points on .592 shooting from the floor, 9.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 blocks. Selected 12th overall out of the University of Pittsburgh in the 2013 NBA Draft, Adams ranks fifth all-time in OKC/Seattle franchise history in blocks (531) and first in field goal percentage.
The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the team has completed a four-team trade with the Denver Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Pelicans have acquired Steven Adams (via Oklahoma City) and Eric Bledsoe (via Milwaukee), as well as two future first round draft picks from Milwaukee and the right to swap two additional future first round picks with the Bucks.
In exchange, the Bucks have acquired Jrue Holiday and the draft rights to Sam Merrill, the 60th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft (via New Orleans).
Also, the Nuggets have acquired the draft rights to R.J. Hampton, the 24th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft (via Milwaukee).
And the Thunder have acquired a future first round draft pick (via Denver), George Hill (via Milwaukee), Zylan Cheatham, Josh Gray, Darius Miller and Kenrich Williams (via New Orleans) as well as two second round draft picks from the Pelicans (2023 via Washington, 2024 via Charlotte).
“Jrue Holiday’s contributions to New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region, both on and off the floor, serve as shining examples to everyone in our Pelicans family,” stated Pelicans Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin. “They are a statement of what we want to represent and, frankly, what we have to live up to moving forward. He and his wife Lauren have worked tirelessly to affect the quality of life of those around them and we are honored to have been a part of their journey. We are also thankful for the positive impact that Darius, Kenrich, Josh and Zylan have had on our organization and we wish them nothing but success in their future efforts.”
Adams, 7-0, 265, has spent his entire seven-year career in Oklahoma City, appearing in 530 career regular season games with the Thunder, holding career averages of 9.8 points on .589 shooting from the field, 7.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.0 blocks. The New Zealand native appeared in 63 games in 2019-20, averaging 10.9 points on .592 shooting from the floor, 9.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 blocks. Selected 12th overall out of the University of Pittsburgh in the 2013 NBA Draft, Adams ranks fifth all-time in OKC/Seattle franchise history in blocks (531) and first in field goal percentage.
Bledsoe, 6-1, 214, appeared in 61 regular season games for Milwaukee last season, averaging 14.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 0.9 steals. Selected 18th overall out of the University of Kentucky in the 2010 NBA Draft, Bledsoe has appeared in 631 career regular season games with the LA Clippers, Phoenix and Milwaukee, holding averages of 14.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.4 steals. The Birmingham, Alabama native is coming off back-to-back seasons with NBA All-Defensive Team honors after being named to the First Team in 2019 and Second Team in 2020.
“Steven Adams and Eric Bledsoe are not only fiercely competitive and driven to succeed at the highest levels, they are proven winners with a team-first mentality,” Griffin added. “As we continue to build towards the sustainable success our ownership demands and our fans so richly deserve, we are grateful to be able to do so with such high-quality teammates and human beings.”
Holiday, who was originally acquired by New Orleans in 2013, has appeared in 415 regular season games in a Pelicans uniform, averaging 17.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.5 steals over the last seven seasons. Holiday leaves the franchise ranked fourth all-time in games played (415), minutes (13,913), and points (7,321), third in steals (638), second in assists (2,833) and the leader in three-point field goals made (628). While in New Orleans, Holiday helped lead the Pelicans to two playoff appearances in 2015 and 2018, was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team in 2018 and Second Team in 2019, and was the recipient of the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award this past season.
Cheatham, 6-5, 220, spent his rookie season as a two-way player for New Orleans after going undrafted out of Arizona State in 2019, appearing in four games with the Pelicans. Cheatham played in 34 games for the Erie BayHawks of the NBA G League last season, averaging 16.3 points on .530 shooting from the field, 11.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steals.
Gray, 6-0, 180, was a two-way player for New Orleans last season, appearing in two games with the Pelicans. The LSU product appeared in 37 games with the Erie BayHawks of the NBA G League, averaging 22.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 2.3 steals.
Miller, 6-6, 225, missed the 2019-20 season after recovering from a ruptured right Achilles tendon. The University of Kentucky product has appeared in 253 career regular season games, all with New Orleans, holding averages of 6.0 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists. In 2018-19, Miller appeared in 69 games, posting averages of 8.2 points (career-high), 1.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists. In addition to his NBA experience, Miller has also played overseas in Germany, where he won three consecutive German League championships with Brose Bamberg from 2015-17.
Williams, 6-6, 210, appeared in 85 games for New Orleans from 2018-20, averaging 4.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists. In 2019-20, the TCU product appeared in 39 games for the Pelicans, averaging 3.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists.
Merrill, 6-5, 205, completed a four-year collegiate career at Utah State, appearing in 131 career games, averaging 16.8 points while shooting .420 from three-point range, 3.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.0 steals. Most recently, Merrill appeared in 32 games during his 2019-20 senior campaign, averaging 19.7 points while shooting .410 from three-point range, 4.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists, while earning All-Mountain West First Team honors.
In the middle of two days of frenzied free agent signing agreements, a multi-team trade is materializing that will send Thunder center Steven Adams to the New Orleans Pelicans. Via the Oklahoman:
The reality of a rebuild had hit by Monday, but Steven Adams’ name remained at the top of the Thunder roster entering the weekend, giving comfort to those fans still clinging to the past.
That last connection to the glory days disappeared early Saturday morning, when it was reported that the Thunder’s beloved center of seven years is headed to New Orleans as part of a four-team deal among the Thunder, Pelicans, Bucks and Nuggets.
In exchange for Adams, the Thunder will receive guard George Hill, forward Darius Miller, a 2023 protected first-round pick from the Nuggets and two future second-round picks from the Nuggets, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
It’s a tremendous haul for Adams, an old-school, 27-year-old center earning $27.5 million in the final year of his contract…
The Thunder selected Adams with the 12th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. He became a full-time starter by his second season, and the quirky New Zealand native was adopted as an honorary Oklahoman.
The Bucks are about to upgrade their backcourt. Here’s the New Orleans Times-Picayune:
The New Orleans Pelicans are trading the star two-way guard to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Eric Bledsoe, George Hill and three first-round picks, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The move largely completes the transition from the team’s last playoff run in the 2018. Star big man Anthony Davis was traded to the Lakers in 2019, and previous coach Alvin Gentry was fired in August.
Now that Holiday has been sent north, the lone player from the roster that swept the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the playoffs in 2018 still under contract is Darius Miller, who missed the entirety of last season with an Achilles injury.
Three first round picks? That’s a lot for the Bucks to give up.
For the Pelicans last season, Holiday averaged 19.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game. For the Bucks last season, Bledsoe put up 14.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists, while Hill off the bench averaged 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists.
The New Orleans Pelicans announced today the hiring of Bob Beyer, Casey Hill, and Rex Walters as assistant coaches, along with Corey Brewer and Beno Udrih as player development coaches. They join Assistant Coach Fred Vinson and Teresa Weatherspoon, who has been promoted to assistant coach, and Player Development Coach Darnell Lazare on Head Coach Stan Van Gundy’s staff.
“I am excited about our coaching staff,” said Van Gundy. “We have a great mix of background, experience, perspective and expertise. Four of our assistants have been head coaches at the professional or NCAA Division I levels. Five of our coaches played in the NBA or WNBA. Three coaches have institutional knowledge having worked for Griff, Trajan and current Pelicans players, while three others have worked with me and two bring us an entirely new perspective. I am looking forward to working with this staff to maximize the potential of our talented players.”
Bob Beyer joins the Pelicans bench with over 35 years of coaching experience at the NBA and collegiate levels. He was most recently an assistant coach on the Sacramento Kings staff during the 2019-20 season. Prior to joining the Kings, Beyer served as an assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2018-19 season. Beyer has spent nine seasons on Stan Van Gundy’s coaching staff, including four seasons with the Detroit Pistons (2014-18) and five seasons with the Orlando Magic (2007-12), where he helped Orlando reach the postseason five consecutive times including a 2009 NBA Finals appearance. Beyer has also been an assistant coach for the Charlotte Bobcats (2013-14), Golden State Warriors (2012-13) and Toronto Raptors (2003-04). Before joining the NBA ranks, Beyer spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Texas Tech under Bob Knight from 2001-03. His college coaching experience also includes stints at the University of Albany, Siena College (head coach), University of Wisconsin, Northwestern University and University of Dayton.
Casey Hill enters his first season with the New Orleans Pelicans after spending the past two seasons as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers. Prior to joining Doc Rivers’ staff, Hill spent the 2017-18 season as head coach of the Clippers’ NBA G League affiliate, the Agua Caliente Clippers, leading the team to a 23-27 record in its inaugural season. Hill joined the Clippers after four seasons as head coach of the Santa Cruz Warriors, G League affiliate of the Golden State Warriors, where he led the franchise to its first-ever G League title in 2014-15. Hill and his staff in Santa Cruz earned the 2013-14 NBA G League “Development Champion” award, an annual honor that recognizes the team that best embodies the league’s goals of developing NBA basketball talent via call-ups and assignments. Prior to joining Santa Cruz staff, the Trinity University grad worked under his father, longtime NBA coach Bob Hill, with the Tokyo Apache, a professional team in Japan.
Fred Vinson begins his 11th season as an assistant coach in New Orleans. Prior to joining the Pelicans, Vinson was an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers from 2007-09. In addition to his duties as an assistant coach, Vinson also served as director of player programs for the Clippers, where he was responsible for mentoring young players and easing their transition to the NBA. Vinson played 13 years of professional basketball, including two NBA seasons with the Atlanta Hawks and Seattle SuperSonics. In addition to playing in the United States Basketball League, Continental Basketball Association and American Basketball Association, Vinson spent several years overseas with professional clubs in the Philippines, Israel, Venezuela, Poland and France. In 2003, Vinson was a member of the CBA Champion Yakima Sun Kings, in addition to being named a CBA All-Star that season. He also holds the record for most points in a game in Guaiqueries de Margarita (Venezuela) team history with 53.
Rex Walters enters his first season with the Pelicans. Walters, who served as an assistant coach under Stan Van Gundy in Detroit during the 2017-18 season, most recently served as an assistant coach at Wake Forest University during the 2019-20 season. Prior to joining Van Gundy’s staff in 2017, Walters was the head coach of the Grand Rapids Drive, the NBA G League affiliate of the Detroit Pistons. At the collegiate level, Walters spent eight seasons (2008-16) as head coach at the University of San Francisco where he guided the Dons to two 20-win seasons and two postseason appearances. Walters was named West Coast Conference Coach of the Year in 2013-14, becoming the first USF coach to win the award since Pete Barry in 1980-81. He amassed a 126-125 (.501) record at USF. Prior to becoming head coach at USF, he served two seasons (2006-08) as head coach at Florida Atlantic University after being an assistant coach in the 2005-06 season. Walters has also served as an assistant coach on the collegiate level at the University of Nevada (2018-19) and Valparaiso (2003-05). Drafted 16th overall in the 1993 NBA Draft by New Jersey, the University of Kansas product played seven seasons with the Nets, Philadelphia, and Miami.
Teresa Weatherspoon returns for her second season with New Orleans after serving as a two-way player development coach in 2019-20. Prior to joining the Pelicans, Weatherspoon served as the director of player and franchise development with the WNBA’s New York Liberty from 2016-19. Weatherspoon served as the head coach at her alma mater, Louisiana Tech University, from 2009-14, leading the Lady Techsters to a 99-71 (.582) record over six seasons, making consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament in 2010 and 2011, and winning the WAC tournament in 2010. She initially joined the women’s basketball program at Louisiana Tech in the 2008-09 season, serving as associate head coach after serving as the head coach of the Westchester (NY) Phantoms of the American Basketball Association during the 2007-08 season. After a collegiate playing career at Louisiana Tech from 1984-88, where she helped lead her team to the 1988 NCAA National Championship during her senior campaign, Weatherspoon embarked on a 16-year playing career, beginning overseas with stops in Italy, France and Russia from 1988-1996, then joining the New York Liberty from 1997-03, and finishing her professional career as a member of the Los Angeles Sparks in 2004. In 254 career regular season games in the WNBA, Weatherspoon averaged 5.0 points, 5.3 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals while earning multiple accolades along the way, including back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards in 1997 and 1998, four consecutive All-WNBA Second Team nods from 1997-2000 and five straight All-Star appearances from 1999-2003. At the conclusion of her career, Weatherspoon was named one of the WNBA’s top 15 players of all time in 2011 and was a member of the WNBA Top 20@20 list in 2016. A 2010 inductee into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, Weatherspoon was recently enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts as part of the 2019 class.
Corey Brewer joins the Pelicans as a player development coach after a 13-year NBA career. Selected seventh overall in the 2007 NBA Draft, Brewer holds career averages of 8.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 819 regular season games for Minnesota, Dallas, Denver, Houston, the Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia and Sacramento. Brewer averaged 11.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists during his three-year collegiate career and was a key member of the University of Florida’s back-to-back National Championship teams in 2006 and 2007, earning the NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player Award in 2007.
Darnell Lazare returns for his second season as player development coach with the Pelicans. Prior to joining the Pelicans, Lazare served as a player development coach and assistant video coordinator for the Memphis Grizzlies and previously served as an assistant coach for the NBA G League’s Iowa Energy. The Baton Rouge native played four years at Louisiana State University, where he appeared in 120 games and helped lead the Tigers to the 2006 Final Four. Lazare played professionally in the NBA G League for the Maine Red Claws, Fort Wayne Mad Ants, and Idaho Stampede, as well as overseas in Sweden, Ukraine, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
Beno Udrih joins the Pelicans organization as a player development coach after most recently serving as an assistant coach for the New York Knicks’ NBA G League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks, during the 2019-20 season. Selected 28th overall in the 2004 NBA Draft, the Slovenian native holds career averages of 8.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 831 regular season games for San Antonio, Sacramento, Milwaukee, Orlando, New York, Memphis, Miami and Detroit, winning two NBA Championships with the Spurs (2005, 2007). In addition to his 13-year NBA career, Udrih has played professionally in Israel, Russia, Italy, Lithuania, and his native Slovenia, winning multiple championships across Europe.
Brian Ormandy begins his fourth season as the Pelicans’ video coordinator after serving as the team’s assistant video coordinator from 2015-17. Prior to joining the Pelicans, Ormandy served as a video intern with the NBA Champion Golden State Warriors during the 2014-15 season and the Houston Rockets during the 2013-14 season. In 2012-13, Ormandy served as a graduate assistant coach for the men’s basketball team at Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Ormandy is joined by video assistants Nathan Bubes and Jon Tramer, who enter their second seasons with the Pelicans, along with player development assistant Brandon Demas, who begins his third season with the team.
The New Orleans Pelicans today unveiled their latest City Edition uniform, which is heavily inspired by the municipal flag of New Orleans. The Pelicans will begin wearing these uniforms during the 2020-21 season.
DESCRIPTION OF PELICANS CITY EDITION UNFORMS, PER THE TEAM
The City Edition jersey mirrors the flag of New Orleans, featuring a large white base with three gold fleur-de-lis across the chest, bordered by a red stripe and blue stripe. The color scheme and design dates back to 1918 when the official flag was adopted by the City of New Orleans.
A city and team that prides itself on perseverance, strength and resilience, the 2020-21 Pelicans’ City Edition uniform represents the people of New Orleans that exemplify those characteristics every day.
“These jerseys embody who we are and why we love New Orleans,” said Pelicans President Dennis Lauscha. “Our fans never stop fighting and neither do we. We are proud to wear these jerseys to represent New Orleans on a national stage and can’t wait to see our fans support their home team in this City Edition look.”
The waistband of the shorts features the Pelicans traditional “Fleur-De-Lis” logo. In addition, the uniform sports “NOLA” in gold font across the blue stripe on the shorts.