Category: New Orleans Pelicans Blog

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New Orleans Pelicans open practice scheduled for October 1, 2022

The New Orleans Pelicans will welcome fans back to the Smoothie King Center for the team’s annual open practice, on Saturday, October 1 at 2:00 p.m.

Open practice offers fans a firsthand look at the 2022-23 team.

Tickets for open practice are free of charge and open to the public. Fans can reserve tickets by registering at www.pelicans.com/openpractice . Registration is limited to four tickets per person and seating is general admission.

Additionally, the Pelicans will host a pre-practice party starting at 12:30 p.m. on Dave Dixon Drive, which will feature live music, concessions, face-painting, games and more. Tickets are not required to attend the party.

Complimentary parking will be available in Garage #2 and Garage #5 of the Caesars Superdome on a first-come, first-serve basis starting at 11:30 a.m.

Doors for the event will open at 1:00 p.m. Fans can enter through the Northeast ground, Northwest ground, and North 100 entrances.

Pelicans sign Izaiah Brockington to two-way contract

The New Orleans Pelicans have signed free agent Izaiah Brockington to a two-way contract.

Brockington, 6-4, 196, most recently played collegiately for Iowa State University, earning All-Big 12 First Team honors in 2022 after averaging 16.9 points and 6.8 rebounds, to go along with 1.6 assists and 1.3 steals. Over his four-year collegiate career, Brockington appeared in 125 games for St. Bonaventure, Penn State, and Iowa State, averaging 10.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists.

Brockington suffered an ACL injury during a pre-draft workout in June and is expected to make a full recovery.

Pelicans sign Dereon Seabron, John Petty Jr. and Daeqwon Plowden

The New Orleans Pelicans have signed guard Dereon Seabron to a two-way contract, and also signed guard John Petty Jr. and guard/forward Daeqwon Plowden.

Seabron, 6-7, 180, played collegiate seasons at North Carolina State, where he averaged 12.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 56 games. Seabron is coming off of a redshirt sophomore season in which he started 32 games, averaging 17.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists en route to being named the ACC’s Most Improved Player and earning All-ACC Second Team honors.

Petty Jr., 6-5, 184, appeared in 31 games for the Pelicans’ G League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron, in 2021-22 in which he averaged 8.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 26.2 minutes per game. Prior to turning pro, Petty Jr. played four seasons at Alabama in which he averaged 11.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 131 games (105 starts), finishing his career with a school-record 311 made three-pointers. In his senior campaign, Petty Jr. averaged 12.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists en route to First Team All-SEC honors. Petty Jr. led the SEC with 77 made threes during the 2020-21 season.

Plowden, 6-6, 215, played five seasons at Bowling Green State (2017-22), averaging 10.5 points and 6.1 rebounds in 25.4 minutes per contest. Plowden finished his college career as BGSU’s all-time leader in games played (154), and is the only player in program history to log at least 1,200 career points, 800 rebounds, and 100 blocks.

2022-23 Pelicans preseason game schedule

The New Orleans Pelicans today announced their 2022-23 preseason schedule.

The Pelicans will open preseason play with a road contest against the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday, October 4. The team then returns home to face the Detroit Pistons at the Smoothie King Center on Friday, Oct. 7. New Orleans will go back on the road for matchups against the San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat on Oct. 9 and 12, respectively, before concluding preseason play against the Atlanta Hawks at Legacy Arena – home of the Birmingham Squadron, the Pelicans’ NBA G League affiliate.

The complete 2022 Pelicans preseason schedule is below:

DATE DAY OPPONENT LOCATION TIME (CT)

Oct. 4 Tue. at Chicago, United Center (Chicago, IL) 7:00 p.m.

Oct. 7 Fri. vs. Detroit, Smoothie King Center (New Orleans, LA) 7:00 p.m.

Oct. 9 Sun. at San Antonio, AT&T Center (San Antonio, TX) 6:00 p.m.

Oct. 12 Wed. at Miami, FTX Arena (Miami, FL) 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 14 Fri. vs. Atlanta, Legacy Arena (Birmingham, AL) 7:00 p.m.

New Orleans Pelicans sign rookie Dyson Daniels

The New Orleans Pelicans have signed rookie guard Dyson Daniels.

Daniels, who was drafted by the Pelicans with the 8th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, averaged 12.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.0 steals for NBA G League Ignite during the 2021-22 season. Daniels joined Ignite from the NBA Global Academy Australia.

Daniels represented the Australian national team at the 2021 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup, averaging 14.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists.

Pelicans sign Zion Williamson to huge contract extension

The New Orleans Pelicans have signed forward Zion Williamson to a multi-year contract extension.

“We are building a foundation of sustained success. We have a wonderful mix of young talent and veteran leadership and adding Zion long-term to this roster is something that I know our fans are very excited to see come together on the floor this season and for many seasons to come,” said Pelicans Governor Gayle Benson. “Zion’s talents are not only transformative on the court, but his commitment to our community, our city and region will also be transformative. What a wonderful birthday for him and his family.”

Per ESPN.com, “Williamson’s deal is worth $193 million over five years and could jump to $231 million if he hits the escalator clauses in the deal by making an All-NBA team next season. Griffin said during the news conference that followed the signing that Williamson’s deal does not include a player option on the end of it. When Brandon Ingram signed his five-year deal with New Orleans following the 2019-20 season, he also signed a five-year deal with no option.”

Williamson, who was drafted with the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Duke, has appeared in 85 career games (all starts) with New Orleans, averaging 25.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists, while shooting .604 from the floor, .333 from three-point range and .683 from the free throw line. In addition, Williamson has scored in double-figures 84 times, including 49 performances of 20 or more points.

“Zion is an astounding 22-year old talent, who we believe is just scratching the surface of what he is capable of, both on and off the floor,” said Pelicans Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin. “We are extremely pleased to take this next step of our collective journey together.”

During the 2020-21 season, Williamson appeared in 61 games (all starts), averaging 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 33.2 minutes per game. Williamson recorded 20-plus points in 25 straight games during a stretch between February 5 and April 6, marking the longest consecutive game streak in NBA history for a player under 21 years old. The South Carolina native was named to the 2021 NBA All-Star Game, becoming the 10th player in NBA history to earn All-Star recognition prior to turning 21, and the fourth youngest player in NBA history behind Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Magic Johnson.

With 8th pick in 2022 NBA draft, Pelicans selected Dyson Daniels

The New Orleans Pelicans have selected Dyson Daniels with the 8th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Daniels, 6-8, 199, averaged 12.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.0 steals for NBA G League Ignite during the 2021-22 season. Daniels joined Ignite from the NBA Global Academy Australia.

Daniels represented the Australian national team at the 2021 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup, averaging 14.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists.

New Orleans Pelicans and Bally Sports New Orleans agree to media rights extension

The New Orleans Pelicans today announced a rights extension with Bally Sports New Orleans that ensures the regional network will remain the team’s exclusive local media partner.

“When we constructed this new agreement with Bally Sports New Orleans the main priority was distribution and the ability to deliver our games directly to our fans. With the upcoming launch of Bally Sports+, Bally Sports’ direct-to-consumer platform, any Pelicans fan will be able to have access to Bally Sports New Orleans in the team’s local territory. This partnership allows us to continue to deliver unique, compelling Pelicans content across multiple platforms with the highest production quality,” said Dennis Lauscha, President, New Orleans Pelicans. “We are still working every option with Bally Sports New Orleans to improve the accessibility, ancillary content and distribution of Pelicans programming to all of our fans across Louisiana and the Gulf Coast region.”

“The New Orleans Pelicans have been a great partner over the years and we look forward to building this relationship into the future,” said Steve Simspon, SVP and GM, Bally Sports New Orleans. “Our ability to deliver Pelicans content to as many local fans as possible, on both linear distribution channels and the all-new Bally Sports+ streaming product this fall, is incredibly exciting as we continue to grow the next generation of Pelicans fans.”

Under the new agreement, Bally Sports New Orleans will continue to produce approximately 75 regular season games each season, along with select preseason contests and first round playoff games. The Pelicans hired Endeavor to consult on their local media rights deal, which extends the partnership between the team and the Network that started in 2012.

“The New Orleans Pelicans engaged our company to consult with them seeking the best deal that would accomplish two goals: deliver Pelicans basketball directly to all consumers, both linear and live stream, and do so in a manner that was high quality, efficient and cost effective to the consumer,” said Karen Brodkin, Executive Vice President, Endeavor. “We examined a number of options that were taken into consideration, but Bally Sports New Orleans, with its new Bally Sports+ platform and high-quality production, proved best for the Pelicans and their fans.”

In addition to producing approximately 75 regular season games, Bally Sports New Orleans will provide extensive team coverage including Pelicans Live pregame and postgame shows, as well as Pelicans Insider, a bi-weekly program featuring player and coach profiles, game highlights and behind-the-scenes content.

Lauscha added, “We will continue to work with Bally Sports New Orleans to produce more unique and exclusive Pelicans content to build around the game and deliver it directly to our fans. The excitement about the team grows daily and it is our job to not only bring that content to our fans but also unfettered access to watch our games.”

Pelicans will host October 2022 preseason game against Hawks in Birmingham, Alabama

The New Orleans Pelicans will host a preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, October 14, at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama – home of the Pelicans’ NBA G League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron. Tipoff is at 7:00 p.m. CST.

“The decision to launch the Squadron was a commitment by the Pelicans organization to invest in the Birmingham community,” said Pelicans Governor Gayle Benson. “This Pelicans preseason game in Birmingham is a tangible example of that commitment, and this is just the beginning. We want to thank the City of Birmingham, the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex, and everyone involved in making this event happen.”

“This is a big deal,” said Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin. “As a basketball fan, I am thrilled to see these amazing teams battle it out. As the mayor, I am proud that this event can be enjoyed by our residents and visitors. This just further confirms that Birmingham is a destination for top sports event in our region.”

“Birmingham and Legacy Arena playing host to a NBA preseason game with the New Orleans Pelicans was exactly the kind of enhanced partnership opportunity we had in mind when first discussing bringing the Birmingham Squadron NBA G League team to Birmingham,” said BJCC Executive Director and CEO Tad Snider. “From the earliest discussions it was apparent the Pelicans organization and Gayle Benson had a genuine interest to partner with our city in a deeper way than just the team. With the inaugural season behind us just as we were completing the renovations to Legacy Arena, this announcement is a wonderful momentum builder leading into season two. NBA games in Legacy Arena in the past have been exciting for our community, and we expect this game featuring the Pelicans and Atlanta Hawks to be the best one yet.”