New Orleans Pelicans · 5 updates
New Orleans locked up Saddiq Bey on a three-year, $55.5M extension with full guarantees and a small trade kicker, per Shamit Dua of In The NO. Zion Williamson has no active extension talks despite reporting to camp lighter, with Pelicans exec Joe Dumars saying they'll revisit things closer to 2027.
+4A proposed deal would send Zion Williamson and Trendon Watford to Los Angeles for Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Jarred Vanderbilt and Jake LaRavia. A variant swaps in Bryce McGowens instead of Watford, letting the Lakers keep LaRavia.
Six Pelicans could be moved after a 26-56 season, among them Herb Jones ($14.9M), Saddiq Bey ($6.6M) and DeAndre Jordan ($3.9M). New Orleans should cash in on veterans and build around players under 25.
A rundown of stars unlikely to move before the season but plausible in February: Jimmy Butler on an expiring $57 million deal in Golden State as he rehabs a torn ACL, Anthony Davis in Washington after both sides agreed to postpone extension talks, Kyrie Irving with two years and $82 million left in Dallas, and Zion Williamson needing a second healthy season to draw calls.
One trade idea has New Orleans sending Zion Williamson and Yves Missi to the Knicks for Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, a 2027 second-rounder via Washington and a 2033 first. The pitch is framed as a fallback if the Pelicans start next season badly, with New York getting off salary and away from the second apron.
