New Orleans Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans chose to reward their most promising young player on Monday.

2021 first-round pick Trey Murphy III agreed to a four-year, $112 million contract extension with the Pelicans ahead of the rookie extension deadline, his agents told NBA insider Marc Stein. Murphy's name was floated in trade rumors over the offseason, but Stein previously reported that he entered negotiations with New Orleans to stay put with an extension.

ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Murphy's contract extension, which keeps him in New Orleans for the next five seasons, does not include a player option or incentives.

Murphy was mentioned as a potential trade target for the New York Knicks over the offseason, but SNY's Ian Begley dispelled that notion.

"The Pelicans have been signaling for a while that they value Murphy III highly and see him as a vital part of the future. So it would be surprising to see New Orleans move Murphy III for a package involving Mitchell Robinson. I don't say that to slight Robinson. ... I just don't think moving him could bring back a player like Murphy III," Begley wrote at the time.

Murphy blossomed into a key "glue guy" for the Pelicans in his third season. Across 57 games with 23 starts during the 2023-24 campaign, he averaged career highs of 14.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. He helped New Orleans make it out of the play-in tournament to earn the No. 8 seed in the playoffs, though the team fell to the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round.

The Pelicans announced that Murphy is expected to miss the start of the 2024-25 season due to a hamstring strain suffered in practice. Once he gets healthy, he will continue his ascent toward becoming one of the top 3-and-D wing players in the league.

New Orleans will host the Chicago Bulls in its season opener on Wednesday.

While Brandon Ingram's uncertain future with the New Orleans Pelicans has led to plenty of trade speculation as he enters the final season of his contract, he is reportedly dialed in ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.

Pelicans head coach Willie Green said Ingram is "not just fitting in, he's dominating," following one practice, per William Guillory of The Athletic. Guillory noted there has been "a constant buzz among people in the organization surrounding Ingram's phenomenal play in practice sessions."

Part of that optimism comes from the Duke product working on his overall shot-taking approach and perhaps not relying as much on midrange jumpers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXUP7UMIh_k

This adds to the overall vibe at training camp for the Western Conference team, as ESPN's Shams Charania reported Thursday that the organization also believes Zion Williamson is "primed for a big season" because he is healthy and coming off a summer where he worked with New Orleans' staff.

The Pelicans were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Oklahoma City Thunder last season, but Williamson was sidelined by a hamstring injury. What's more, they adjusted by trading for Dejounte Murray this offseason, which elevates the team's overall ceiling.

A go-to group of Williamson, Murray, Ingram and CJ McCollum can be among the Western Conference's best if everyone remains healthy, and that's not even getting into the quality role players in Herb Jones, Jose Alvarado and others.

Yes, the Western Conference is loaded. Yes, Ingram's future with the organization remains very much up in the air.

But the Pelicans have enough talent to challenge for a deep playoff run, especially if the optimism surrounding Williamson and Ingram turns out to be warranted once the games start counting in the standings.

Herb Jones of the New Orleans Pelicans could end up being the team's starting center this year alongside Zion Williamson in the frontcourt.

ESPN's Shams Charania had this to say during a Pat McAfee Show appearance on Thursday (h/t Pelicans Film Room).

"He's going to be a hybrid player," Charania said. "He's gonna play the 4 maybe some 5...I'm told Herb Jones is essentially going to serve as the starting center."

The 26-year-old Jones, who stands at 6'7" and 206 pounds, is entering his fourth NBA season. He averaged 11.0 points on 49.8 percent shooting, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals last year. Jones also landed on the NBA's All-Defensive First Team and finished fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting.

Jones starting at the 5 would signal a dramatic shift from what the Pels have done over the past three seasons, as 6'11" Jonas Valančiūnas patrolled the paint since joining the team in 2021.

But this team will have a new look in 2024-25. Dejounte Murray has joined the Pels via trade from the Atlanta Hawks and will run the point. C.J. McCollum and Brandon Ingram remain aboard and will handle shooting guard and small forward. Ingram will be the tallest Pelican in the starting lineup now at 6'8".

The Pels will still have some height in the depth chart, with rookie Yves Missi standing at 6'11". Veteran backup Daniel Theis, at 6'8", has also seen time at the 5 in the past.

But New Orleans is clearly going smaller now. However, Jones is an exceptional defensive player and can certainly hold his own. It'll be interesting to see how this new lineup shakes out, beginning Oct. 23 against the Chicago Bulls.

The New Orleans Pelicans have been waiting for Zion Williamson to live up to his full potential since they selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft.

They believe it's going to happen this season.

"Everyone around the Pelicans believe he's primed for a big season," ESPN's Shams Charania reported Thursday on the Pat McAfee Show (2:35 mark). "A lot of that is because in past years at this point of training camp or early in the season, there's always been an injury. There's always been something with Zion Williamson where he hasn't been up to snuff, he hasn't been really at the same level as all his teammates as far as conditioning and where he's at physically.

"Now, he's not playing himself into conditioning, he already is in great shape. He looks great, he's focused, he's ready to go. And that is a Zion Williamson we have not seen."

Injuries have long been a concern around the Duke product.

He played just 24 games as a rookie and missed his third season in the league because of a foot injury. While he played just 29 games in 2022-23, he is coming off a career-best 70 games in 2023-24.

Last season was filled with some ups-and-downs, as he played that many games but did not make the All-Star Game and averaged 22.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. The scoring total was his lowest mark since he was a rookie, and the rebounding number was the lowest average of his career.

What's more, he missed the team's first-round loss because of a hamstring injury.

But the build up into this season suggests he will make significant strides.

"He worked with the Pelicans' staff all summer, and that was very important to him and very important to the Pelicans," Charania said. "That's not something he's done in past offseasons. There hasn't been a single NBA season where he's come into training camp and looked this dominant in the eyes of the Pelicans."

Charania also explained New Orleans plans on playing Williamson in a "hybrid" role that is somewhat "positionless" and designed to maximize his talents.

At his best, Williamson can be a double-double machine who overpowers defenders on the blocks, controls the boards and even makes plays as a ball-handler and facilitator. Getting that version of the two-time All-Star would be a massive boost for a New Orleans team looking to take a jump in a loaded Western Conference.

The Pelicans advanced to the playoffs last season but were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round with Williamson sidelined by the injury.

Having him healthy and playing at a different level would raise the ceiling for a team that is already loaded with potential.

New Orleans point guard Jose Alvarado has agreed to a two-year, $9 million extension, his agent told The Athletic's Shams Charania.

The extension includes a $4.5 million salary for the 2025-26 season and a player option for the 2026-27 campaign, per Charania and ESPN's Bobby Marks.

Alvarado was previously set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2025 after playing the upcoming season on a club option worth just under $2 million.

His salary for the 2024-25 season will not change, but the $1.988 million club option will become guaranteed as part of the extension, per Marks.

As part of the two-year $9M Jose Alvarado extension in New Orleans, sources confirm that the $2M non-guaranteed salary for this year will get guaranteed.

The extension starts at $4.5M and contains a player option in 2026-27.

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) September 28, 2024

The 26-year-old has spent all three of his NBA seasons in New Orleans. He averaged 7.1 points and 2.3 rebounds in 56 games last season as key bench player for the Pelicans.

The new deal will allow the Pelicans to retain a key member of the rotation for two more seasons, and give Alvarado the chance to decline his club option and test free agency in 2026 should he play his way into a potential raise.

God thank you 🙏🏻. Stay the course one-five 🤝🏻 https://t.co/88jfIVwG43

— Jose Alvarado (@AlvaradoJose15) September 28, 2024

Alvarado shot 41.2 percent from the field and 37.7 percent from behind the arc while making 3.7 three-point attempts per game last season. He also averaged more than one steal per game for the second straight campaign.

JOSE ALVARADO WITH THE SIGNATURE STEAL IN SACRAMENTO 🤯

🏀 Pelicans/Kings on TNT
🏆 Winner advances to Knockout Rounds Semifinals in Las Vegas on Thursday pic.twitter.com/RAeO4IJsLA

— NBA (@NBA) December 5, 2023

He is now set to back up star point guard Dejounte Murray, who was acquired in a July trade with the Atlanta Hawks.

Alvarado missed the first 13 games of the 2023-24 campaign with a right ankle sprain, marking the third consecutive season during which he has spent significant time limited by injury.

The point guard was limited to 54 games amid a rib injury suffered during his rookie 2021-22 season, then played 61 the following season while dealing with a shinbone injury.

The injury bug bit again this summer as Alvarado was helped off the court after suffering an ankle sprain while competing for Puerto Rico during the 2024 Paris Olympics. He returned and played through the injury before his country was eliminated in the group stage.

The Pelicans will hope Alvarado can remain healthy this fall as they look for him to provide depth on the backcourt and potentially help establish this team as a dark-horse title defender this fall.

Alvarado will make his debut as Murray's backup on Oct. 23 as the Pelicans open the season against the Chicago Bulls at home.

Zion Williamson has been taking his offseason preparations seriously, hoping to remain healthy for a full season and lead the New Orleans Pelicans to the postseason.

According to William Guillory of The Athletic, the star forward has been working with private chef Marvin Sanders, whose "responsibility is to whip up healthy meals so Williamson can reach his goal of entering training camp at 270 pounds. He's been listed at 284 pounds his entire career and has a clause in his contract that requires his combined weight and body fat percentage to be no higher than 295."

One of the breakfasts for Williamson and his traveling party was "scrambled eggs, grits, turkey bacon, breakfast potatoes with sauteed vegetables, salmon fried in avocado oil and smoothies made with strawberries and bananas," Guillory wrote.

Williamson has started his offseason workouts at 6 a.m every morning in the Little Elm, Texas, gym and concluded them with a 7 p.m. workout. The goal is simple—stay healthy and become one of the game's true superstars.

"I want to be one of them ones. I've been talking about it and I've been making mistakes (along the way)," he told Guillory. "That stuff can't happen. It's time to take every game personal."

Zion Williamson has set high expectations for himself going into the 2024-25 season after a hamstring injury suffered in the New Orleans Pelicans' play-in tournament loss to the Los Angeles Lakers spoiled what had been the best game of his career up to that point.

Speaking to The Athletic's William Guillory, Williamson said he's "out for straight vengeance" this season to prove he can be one of the best players in the NBA.

While the play-in tournament was the final time Williamson played last season, he cited the Pelicans' 133-89 loss to the Lakers in the NBA Cup semifinals in December as one of the "key turning points" in his career:

"I'm watching (LeBron James) out here on the court, doing what he's doing. I'm telling myself I want to be a player that has a high level of greatness—one of the greats. In that big moment, I didn't show up," he said. "It hit me while the game was going on. I just looked up and said, 'I didn't show up.' I don't have any excuse."

That loss prompted Williamson to take a hard look at what he was doing that prevented him from being a dominant force on the court.

"When rumors are floating around and all that, after a while, it does take its toll a little bit," Williamson said. … "It was time for me to figure out a different way."

The NBA Cup semifinal game saw Williamson score just 13 points, including four in the second half when the Pelicans were outscored 66-35.

That performance led to significant criticism about Williamson's game, with Charles Barkley saying on Inside the NBA that he was "not even close" to being the best player on the Pelicans even though he had more than enough talent to be the top star.

"He's got two guys on his team that are better players than him and they shouldn't be."

Chuck was disappointed in Zion's play tonight. pic.twitter.com/y3IB3lYoQG

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) December 8, 2023

Pelicans head coach Willie Green didn't single out Williamson's play but said there was "just a lack of competitive spirit from our group" in the game.

Williamson agreed with that assessment, telling reporters during his postgame press conference he needs "to be more aggressive" getting his shot and be better defensively.

The game did seem to spark something in Williamson. He reportedly lost at least 25 pounds between that loss and mid-March when the Pelicans were fighting for a playoff spot.

When the Lakers and Pelicans met in the play-in tournament, Williamson was the most dominant player in a game featuring LeBron James and Anthony Davis. He had 40 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in 36 minutes before a hamstring injury took him out with just over three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Pelicans would earn the No. 8 seed by defeating the Sacramento Kings in the second game of the play-in tournament, but Williamson was unable to play. He also missed all four games of their first-round series loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Despite the disappointing finish, the 49 wins for New Orleans last season were the team's most since drafting Williamson No. 1 overall in 2019. He appeared in a career-high 70 games during the 2023-24 campaign.

If the Pelicans can get another season with at least 70 games from a Williamson who seems more determined than ever to prove he is capable of being the go-to option, they could challenge for a playoff spot without having to go through the play-in tournament.

Brandon Ingram's already murky future with the New Orleans Pelicans is even more unclear than ever as he waits for a resolution to his contract situation and ongoing trade rumors.

Per The Athletic's Will Guillory, Ingram was one of only two Pelicans players who skipped a voluntary minicamp last week in California.

Daniel Theis, who signed a one-year deal in July, was the other New Orleans player who didn't attend the week-long voluntary workout.

Guillory noted the Pelicans "believed" Ingram would be in attendance.

During the week when the Pelicans held their voluntary minicamp, Ingram posted a video on X featuring a pastor delivering a sermon about "staying away from environments where people don't know the true value of you."

Ah… the NBA is real quiet, literally nothing happening… All the trades seem to be done…

Oh hey Brandon Ingram Just posted this! pic.twitter.com/kXfNpndGZV

— Nick Angstadt (@NickVanExit) August 30, 2024

Ingram was one of the most-talked-about potential trade candidates when the offseason began, but it's becoming increasingly unlikely a deal will happen before the start of the regular season.

One of the main sticking points for any team interested in Ingram is money. Ingram is owed $36 million next season in the final year of his five-year, $158.2 million contract.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported in July that Ingram's camp is seeking a four-year max extension worth $210 million, but the Pelicans "have made it clear" they won't go that far to sign him.

Stein also noted that other teams "have explored" trading for Ingram, but none of them have been willing to give him a contract at the numbers he wants.

This is shaping up to be a pivotal season for the Pelicans. They have made the playoffs in two of the past three years, but they lost in the first round both times.

Zion Williamson is coming off the healthiest season of his career with 70 starts, though a hamstring injury suffered in the play-in tournament kept him out for the entire first-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Ingram is entering his sixth season with the Pelicans after being acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Lakers. He has averaged at least 20 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game in each of the past five seasons.

Dejounte Murray says he "can't relate" to New York Knicks guard Josh Hart's statement that he can't imagine a player being happy to be traded to the New Orleans Pelicans.

Murray said on X he's "been smiling" since the Atlanta Hawks sent him to the Pelicans in July.

Shittttttttttttttt I Can’t RELATE!!! 😬 NOLA I Been Smiling Since That MF Trade Happen On My Mama!!! 😅 https://t.co/v2rLAcKsTE

— Dejounte Murray (@DejounteMurray) August 23, 2024

Hart said on a Thursday episode of The Roommmates Show that he doesn't "think you'll ever hear anyone say they were excited to get traded to New Orleans."

"I wasn't," Hart said about his 2019 move from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Pelicans.

Hart was traded as part of the three-team trade that sent Anthony Davis to the Lakers.

The Knicks guard, who was on stage with rapper Lil Wayne, said following the trade "the only thing I was excited about was rolling around New Orleans, listening to Lil Wayne, and going to every game."

Hart followed up on his comments by saying on X that his impression of New Orleans changed once he arrived in the city, and that he "loved" his time with the Pelicans.

I was traded from LA to Nola lol But I loved my time in Nola though https://t.co/meD0rSXmMO

— Josh Hart (@joshhart) August 23, 2024

Dang my Nola people don’t be mad at me cause I said I wasn’t excited to get traded to Nola. Once I got there yall showed me love and I loved my time there. It’s all love lol

— Josh Hart (@joshhart) August 23, 2024

Hart ended up playing two and a half seasons for the Pelicans before he was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers as part of the 2022 deal for CJ McCollum.

During Hart's two full campaigns in New Orleans, the Pelicans recorded a combined 61 wins and made no playoff appearances. In contrast, Murray is joining a team that competed in the first round of the 2024 postseason.

That's a better outlook than what Murray was likely seeing in Atlanta, where the Hawks could be considering undergoing a rebuild following his departure. By adding Murray to a starting lineup featuring McCollum, Ingram and Williamson, the Pelicans have every reason to believe they could make it back to the playoffs next spring.

Murray and Hart are set to meet for the first time since Murray's trade from the Hawks on Dec. 1 when the Pelicans travel to face the Knicks on the road.

"What if?" is the biggest takeaway from the 2023-24 New Orleans Pelicans' season.

The team won 49 games and earned a playoff spot after advancing from the play-in tournament. Unfortunately, superstar Zion Williamson suffered a left hamstring injury in the play-in game against the Los Angeles Lakers. He didn't suit up for the team's win-and-in play-in against the Sacramento Kings and then sat the entirety of the Pels' first-round 4-0 loss to the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder.

The 57-win Thunder would have likely still won the series, but a healthy Williamson would have made it far more competitive. After a close 94-92 loss in Game 1, the Pels lost the next three games by a combined 61 points.

Now the Pelicans turn the page to a new season and a greater hope for a brighter future after making one of the NBA offseason's biggest trades by acquiring Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks. Most everyone else from last year returns as the team looks to run it back and hope to secure the team's first playoff series win since 2018.

For now, we know the team's slate after the NBA released the league-wide schedule. Here's a look at some details alongside some matchup notes and a season forecast.

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2024-25 Pelicans Schedule Details

Season Opener: vs. Chicago Bulls, Oct. 23, 8 p.m. ET

Championship Odds: 45-1 ($100 bet wins $4,500), per FanDuel

Full Schedule: The full schedule is available on NBA.com.

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Top Matchups

West C Group Play Games: Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies

There is no tougher NBA Cup group on paper than West C. Unfortunately, the Pelicans find themselves in that quintet alongside the Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies.

The Nuggets won the championship just two seasons ago. The Mavs just represented the Western Conference in the NBA Finals. Each team has a player who can make a case to be the best basketball player in the world right now.

The Dubs aren't championship contenders but still have Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and most of the core of a team that won 46 games last year. And the Memphis Grizzlies, who were the West's No. 2 seed in 2022 and 2023, should finally be healthy and have all their resources after being shorthanded literally all of last season.

The Pels made it out of group play last year, but frankly, it's hard to decipher who's winning West C. It wouldn't be a surprise to see New Orleans finish anywhere from first to last.

Aside from NBA Cup action, though, games against these teams are going to matter quite a bit. Matchups against Dallas and Denver are great litmus tests.

Are the Pelicans for real and able to compete with the West's elite from the past two years, or are they going to languish in the middle of the conference, fighting for a playoff berth?

And then there's the Warriors and Grizzlies. If the Pelicans do find themselves scratching for a playoff spot, then Golden State and Memphis may be competing with them.

The Warriors just finished 10th last year and lost Klay Thompson. They did add some solid rotation pieces in Buddy Hield, De'Anthony Melton and Kyle Anderson, but is that enough to emerge from the middle of the pack? At worst, they should be around where they were in the play-in picture.

As for the Grizz, they finally should have their big four of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Marcus Smart together, and that should at least be good enough to fight for a playoff berth. It wouldn't be a surprise to see them make a big leap up the standings from 27-55 (13th in the West), but the conference is so tough that they could find trouble making the playoffs.

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Season Forecast

The 27-year-old Murray averaged 22.5 points, 6.4 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game for the Hawks last season. If Williamson stays healthy, Murray makes a Pelicans a legitimate Western Conference contender, giving the Pelicans four starters who could all drop 20 or more points on any given night.

Unfortunately, the Pelicans' biggest question is whether Williamson, a two-time All-Star, can stay on the court. Last season, Williamson averaged 22.9 points on 57.0 percent shooting, 5.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 70 games.

But the 24-year-old suffered a torn meniscus, a Jones fracture in his right foot and a right hamstring injury during his first four NBA seasons, and he missed 194 games while playing 114.

The hope, obviously, is that Williamson is able to enjoy many more seasons of good health and fulfill the potential that made him one of the game's most prized draft prospects this century. If so, the Pelicans have a bright future.

New Orleans certainly has talent around him. CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram both provide the needed scoring efforts around Williamson. Trey Murphy III is a sweet-shooting wing with a high ceiling. Jose Alvarado is a defensive pest off the bench, and Herbert Jones is one of the best defensive players in the league.

The talent is there for New Orleans, especially with Murray, to go far in the playoffs. The guess here is that the Murray addition works, Williamson is available for most of the season and the playoffs and the Pels finally break through with a postseason series victory.

Record Prediction: 54-28, Western Conference No. 3 seed