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K.C. Johnson: Point of emphasis: Bryson Graham will be given leeway/resources to build out front office as he sees fit. He does have ties to Brian Hagen and JJ Polk from New Orleans days and worked with Pat Connelly’s brother, Tim, also in New Orleans. But Graham’s call on structure/hires
Royce Young: The Thunder have won 12 straight first round playoff games. Three consecutive first round sweeps (New Orleans, Memphis, Phoenix).
Marc Stein: San Antonio's Sean Sweeney and former All-Star guard Rajon Rondo are among the candidates to emerge in New Orleans' coaching search, league sources tell @JakeLFischer and me.
Jake Fischer: There were indeed some sweeping changes in New Orleans today, where a significant number of Pelicans staffers were told their contracts won’t be renewed under chief executive Joe Dumars. New Orleans is in the beginning stages of its head coaching search, and there will be a lot of roles to fill once that primary decision is made.
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New Orleans Pelicans: "New Orleans is home for me. A lot of guys, when the offseason hits, they leave the city. I live here. I stay here in the city. I go out to do different things to get to know the city better. This is home for me. I have been here since I was 19 years old," - Zion Williamson
Anthony Davis: You know how it always goes like you know oh you get drafted to a team and then when you're done it's like damn towards the end of career I might want to go back… I've always had that mindset and I told Miss Benson when the trade happened, before the deadline to ask for a trade I told her look, Miss B, I want to get out of here, these are the reasons, whatever. Miss B was cool, me and Miss B still cool to this day, and I told her this might not be the end though, later on my career, who knows if I was to come back and we try to do something special as I'm older, and a little mature, the game developed, won a couple of championships, come like whatever, I don't know. I left that door open, and when I went back that first game and got no tribute, I said ‘oh, that door is closed, I can’t. That door is closed.
Anthony Davis: New Orleans offered me a crazy deal at the time. Like it's not even about the money. Like I genuinely want to win. And so now because I want to win, I'm considered a villain to this team and to this fan base. And to this day, I go back and they still boo me, right? Draymond Green: And that's why they still losing. You don't boo the best player in your franchise history. You appreciate him. Davis: I’mma tell you what got me though. And you say that best player in franchise history like points, rebounds, blocks, like all this. You know what's crazy? When I went back, I did not get a tribute. And that was the final straw. Green: Get the f*ck out of here!!! Davis: Never got a tribute. I didn't get a tribute.
Anthony Davis on trade to Lakers: It was tough though because when Rich Paul was telling me like you got to go to the media… and I never talked about this by the way. You’re getting the first clues. I've never spoken to anybody about this. Draymond Green: Appreciated. Davis: When Rich told me like you have to go and say I was like no, hell no. Be a villain? man… change teams? I was scared. Like I didn't at first I didn't want to be traded cuz I'm like change is change is different man. Change is hard. I started doubting myself like man I know I can do in New Orleans. I'm going to get all the balls. I'm about to go play with LeBron, spotlight. I’m gonna play with Rondo. Like I'm about to play with all these players in LA… I'm about to go play with some guys. And it's like I am I ready for that? I wasn't sure, you know, so I'm like, man, I don't know. Let's figure this out over here, you know? I hit Bron like, bro, you want to come over here? Like everybody trying to figure it out so I didn't have to leave. So because I was comfortable, and I'm glad I did make the make the change, but that sh*t was tough when he was telling me what I had to do, and I was like, man, but at the day, I had to grow up and do what's best for me and let the rest take care of itself. Green: So Ja Morant gets drafted number one instead of Zion and you're probably still a New Orleans Pelican. Davis: I think. Yep. I’d probably still be in New Orleans. Green: And you asked David Griffin to draft Ja Morant, and he didn’t.
The Nuggets’ search for a glue guy who could raise their defensive ceiling dated back to the previous trade deadline, when they came close to acquiring Jrue Holiday from New Orleans, according to league sources. Their interest in Holiday, a lockdown 6-foot-4 guard, was partially driven by the idea that Steph Curry was still the league’s preeminent offensive threat. Even as Curry recovered from a broken hand during a gap year for Golden State, rival teams felt scarred by the dynasty that had dominated the last half-decade. If the Nuggets were going to take the throne out West, they wondered whether they would need to prioritize adding someone who could chase Curry around screens.
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Jon Krawczynski: Kevin Garnett will make his first appearance at Target Center as a team ambassador on April 12 against New Orleans. Jersey retirement will be next season.
To this point, according to a source close to Williamson, neither Williamson nor anyone in his camp has been given any indication that his time in New Orleans is nearing an end (both Dumars and Weaver declined interview requests). And yet, the awkward fit with Queen, combined with how deeply Dumars and Weaver are now invested in his success — the 2026 pick the Pelicans owe Atlanta as part of the Queen trade currently has a 32% chance of landing in the top four of a draft that scouts say features a loaded class — has many executives around the league assuming that Williamson, who is extension-eligible this offseason, will soon be on the market. Williamson is aware of the situation. “New Orleans is home for me. It’s where I want to be,” he said in a recent interview with Yahoo Sports when asked whether he thinks his time with the Pelicans is winding down. “But at the end of the day, if we're going to be realistic about it, the NBA is a business. I could be traded in the offseason, or I could be traded before [next season’s] trade deadline.” “Not that I want that to happen,” he added. “But that’s just the realism of it.”
