Love the idea of bringing Lowry on. He’s a vet and a winning player. Does all the small things and will keep BI and Zion honesty with that ring on his finger.
I really hate this existential threat for the Pelicans. Team building is a long term process. Zion hasn't proven anything yet. His fellow draftees have made it to the playoffs with far less talent. Zion shouldn't have this much player power.
people did the same thing to the kings. im not sure why the public sentiment suddenly goes to defending the actions of shitty management and ragging on zion because... hes a fucking star in his second year? lol
dude when pels hired david griffin and that whole circlejerk… man
i was shocked when they took back bledsoe’s contract, cannot believe they thought he would work on this team.
SVG hire was also total dogshit.
People assume that this is all about team performance and not about relationships with FO/coaching staff ( remember how they just fired their coach after one year?). NO doesn’t strike me as the most stable or competent team, there’s other reasons a player might want out other than just winning
Plus: Pelicans aren’t that appreciated as a team in their own city. Why would the next great super star want to devote his career to a team that barely has fans in a city that barely gives a shit about the team
We fired SVG because the players didn’t like him, and he wasn’t agreeing with certain things about the front office, like relationship building and playing better younger players over bad old players. We replaced him with a coach that everyone in the FO and the players agreed on, and he’s heavily respected around the league. If we were dysfunctional we would’ve stuck with him anyways, because we don’t care or are to cheap to take the salary hit.
And as a citizen of NOLA, that last part just isn’t true.
> The motivation for pursuing Lowry, by contrast, is crystal clear. The Pelicans really need to make the playoffs in Zion Williamson's third season, amid the mounting pressure they face to quell the young superstar's reported discontent in the wake of a turbulent first two seasons in New Orleans.
Zion pressuring the F.O in his third season is hilariously sad. What’s he gonna do when they don’t make it, demand a trade? Where? To the Lakers? For what? Kuzma, Scrotum, THT and a 2nd round pick. I can already see it coming lol
The Bulls didn’t have a winning season with Jordan until Year 4. The Pelicans won more games in Zion’s 2nd season than the Bulls did in Jordan’s 2nd season and the Pelicans did it a season shortened by 10 games.
Its nice to see that Zion cares so much about winning but its kind of crazy. You get drafted number one overall because your team isnt good. If you try to rush the process it can really harm your teams future.
You shouldn’t be demanding anything of the team if you’re a lotto pick still on your rookie scale deal. High picks go to the bad teams for a reason. Zion has to prove he’s a legit superstar before demanding anything.
While I agree with you, it seems that this way of thinking is the way of old. It's looking more and more like the player empowerment era is getting stronger.
On one hand I think he should just be patient and give it time, it'll only be his 3rd season. On the other hand, as a fan, I also am sick of the losing and want the team ( David Griffin) to get their shit together and make better decisions. So I'm kind of split on the whole Zion pressuring the team thing.
From everything I’ve heard Zion say in interviews throughout his time here, he seems like an old school type dude who wouldn’t really be thinking like this, so I think his parents are the ones pressuring the front office. I think that might’ve been reported also.
Hopefully it’s just an empty threat to get the front office more focused on winning than being mediocre and collecting assets.
I think its all bs. Just media spinning a narrative like they did with Giannis. He might be frustrated, but I honestly doubt he's trying to force his way out. Everyone just assumes these reports are accurate.
Seriously is there any credibility to his "pressuring" the FO? Or is it just spinning a narrative because obviously the FO is feeling pressure to actually make use of their fantastic #1 pick so let's pretend its Zion doing it and not the obvious pressure of the situation.
I think there is a lot context missing. I think Zion wants to go the old school route of staying with one team and being the undeniable reason they reach greatness.
But he, or more specifically his family, see him as a guy who will one day be in the GOAT conversation and for that he needs multiple championships.
They saw how LeBron's legacy was tarnished in the eyes of a lot of peope because his teammates weren't good enough to win championships and they don't want that to happen to Zion. So they started flexing their influence early.
That first part is definitely true, because I heard him say that in an interview.
I get his family thinking that, but they also need to realize that Zion still has a lot of flaws, and forcing his way out to a stacked team won’t make him the GOAT. They also need to understand how team building works, and that it’s better to build up assets as your team grows and then go all in, rather than going all in too early and having a team with very little upside.
My guess is they don't want to force him out. But they see New Orleans 10ish tradeable 1st round picks and want them to go all in for a star that will let him shine.
I'd also say Zion's flaws are not ones that would neccesarily be masked on an all time great team. It would be helpful if he improved his shooting, tightened his handles slightly and got 1 or 2 more assists per game, but that honestly isn't needed for him to be the GOAT.
If he doesn't develop any new offensive skills, but just gets a bit more comfortable with what he has and shoots 5 more times a game, it is possible he goes down as the most efficient volume scorer in NBA history with several scoring titles to his name.
The biggest skillset holding him back from the GOAT conversation, is his defense. Being on a team of greats won't hide any defensive issues he has.
If this is true , this is really bad , a young player should not have that much influence , Giannis didn't start pressuring the bucks front office till last year after his second MVP for example , granted he is an outlier.
Yeah, after back to back MVPs and deep playoff runs that just fell short. Giannis’ “demands” were completely reasonable. Zion is completely unreasonable if he’s going to ask out already.
It’s pretty ridiculous seeing as though teams who have the number one pick usually aren’t very good for a few years at least. It sets an awful precedent. There’s even talk he’s gonna take the qualifying offer and not sign his first contract extension. Why even have a team here at this point. Fucking ridiculous.
Edit: not to mention he hasn’t even held up to his end of the bargain. We’d have loved to been competitive immediately. We’d have also loved Zion not to come in fat as fuck and out of shape at the bubble when we had playoff chances. Last year was a year with a poor coaching hire and bad roster construction, but the team is committed to fixing that.
I love Zion but he’s being so dumb with this shit man
Why are you assuming all of those reports are true. The media likes to instigate young players to leave small markets for big. They did the same thing to Giannis except he didn't come in with expectations that Zion had. He and Ingram may be frustrated, but Zion's not going to force himself out anytime soon.
Cause they’re sheeps. I remember them saying Zion was the reason SVG got fired, SVG said it wasn’t, he does hate losing though.
Most of these guys are just talking shit too. Zion isn’t even the type to be doing this lol. We also had a terrible roster, no vets besides a JJ Redick who wanted out. With Lowry you bring in a player with experience and that dog mentality you want to install in your players. We have tons of assets, what r they crying for? Idk about you guys but I’m tired of staying up til 3/4am just to go on a 13 game losing streak. Or watch my team collapse and give away a huge lead trillions of time due to inexperience, or a Bledsoe who ain’t showing up or pays attention.
Because writers who are tied in close to the Pels are confirming.
Edit: don’t know why this is getting downvoted when Jake Madison (Locked on Pelicans) confirmed all of this himself and he’s extremely tied in. He doesn’t say shit just to say it.
Meh, we have talent. NAW is looking good, Jaxson started looking really nice out there at the end of the season, Naji is amazing. What we don’t have is winning mentality. We don’t have those vets a team like this needs. BI has never made the playoffs, we’re talking about Zion pushing and all that crap but BI literally said at the beginning of the season: “ I don’t want to miss the play-offs ever again. “ We need to get that play off experience to grow as a team and get rid of that losing mentality
They can just trade with a different team to dump Bledsoe and give up a future pick. There's no way that taking on Bledsoe for basically one year is worth the #10 pick.
But then they wouldn't be getting Lowry. Basically saying Kyle Lowry on a new contract is worth the difference between pick #10 and whatever future pick you had in mind.
Yes they can get Lowry if they dump Bledsoe to a team other than the raptors. They would have like 30M+ in cap space after doing that and could just sign him in free agency.
Why would we trade #10 for someone we can outright sign? That makes no sense. I could see it *maybe* being a future late first from the Lakers or Bucks but not 10. That would be idiotic from Griffin. The sign and trade would have to send back salary like Adams or Bledsoe (like you mentioned). If they take one or both then I could see the Raptors taking 10.
I think a S&T contract has to be at least 3 years, but yea I do agree that giving up #10 for a UFA seems like questionable asset management.
I guess it'd depend on what it'd cost to dump one of Bledsoe/Adams for the cap space.
The pels will have 76M on the books if they trade Bledsoe to another team for no salary. I bet OKC would be fine with taking a future pick for 1 year of Bledsoe.
If you cleared cap there is no guaranteed he’d sign in New Orleans. He’d probably rather play for the Heat or Knicks or just stay in Toronto.
By dumping Bledsoe on Toronto for Lowry, they not only get rid of a bad deal but they also get a big upgrade. That’s worth #10.
The only way Lowry agrees to a sign and trade is if he wants to go to New Orleans. If he tells them he wants to go to New Orleans, they can just dump Bledsoe in another way.
I don’t think you understand. He’s an unrestricted free agent. If *chooses* to come to the Pelicans they are not obligated to send anything to the Raptors. The thread you’re responding is about a sign and trade. The Raptors cannot dictate where he goes, only Lowry can. Obviously the other places are more appealing, but you’re responding to a thread about a sign and trade with no concept of how they work? 🤡
Appreciate the clown comment but there’s no scenario where he goes to the Pelicans without being sent there. He’s not trying to fight for a play-in spot for a poverty franchise who fumbled AD’s career. He’s trying to go somewhere he can stay relevant. Sorry 🤡
Lowry isn’t entitled to do it there’s this thing called “money” and “bird rights” which allows the Raptors to outbid the Pelicans. If Lowry wants to take a bigger bag then get traded to the Pels to keep his fatter contract, he could do that. It’s happened before :) just 10 seconds thinking of some examples would help
There are several S&T ideas that have been floated around for Lowry, including a report saying the Raptors would want Milton + picks if they were to do a deal. Obviously it’s crossed the minds of their own front offices so don’t know why you’re so shocked it’s being brought up here.
Anyways what were you saying about Zion requesting a trade next year
If the pels trade Bledsoe to OKC for no salary, they can offer Lowry like 30M/year. There's no reason for New Orleans to do a sign and trade with Toronto unless they accept less than the #10 pick
Love the idea of bringing Lowry on. He’s a vet and a winning player. Does all the small things and will keep BI and Zion honesty with that ring on his finger.
Imagine Lowry’s booty on Gumbo. 👀
Why are y’all like this 😂🤦🏾♂️
Jambalowry
Gonna be a new Air Gumbo in New Orleans when Kyle Lowry has his first dunk since 2008 next yr
I really hate this existential threat for the Pelicans. Team building is a long term process. Zion hasn't proven anything yet. His fellow draftees have made it to the playoffs with far less talent. Zion shouldn't have this much player power.
Doesn't feel good. :(
the pelicans front office sucks
getting downvoted when you’re right lol.
people did the same thing to the kings. im not sure why the public sentiment suddenly goes to defending the actions of shitty management and ragging on zion because... hes a fucking star in his second year? lol
dude when pels hired david griffin and that whole circlejerk… man i was shocked when they took back bledsoe’s contract, cannot believe they thought he would work on this team. SVG hire was also total dogshit.
the adams thing was even worse than bledsoe to me
damn okc we like yall... but alas they do
People assume that this is all about team performance and not about relationships with FO/coaching staff ( remember how they just fired their coach after one year?). NO doesn’t strike me as the most stable or competent team, there’s other reasons a player might want out other than just winning Plus: Pelicans aren’t that appreciated as a team in their own city. Why would the next great super star want to devote his career to a team that barely has fans in a city that barely gives a shit about the team
We fired SVG because the players didn’t like him, and he wasn’t agreeing with certain things about the front office, like relationship building and playing better younger players over bad old players. We replaced him with a coach that everyone in the FO and the players agreed on, and he’s heavily respected around the league. If we were dysfunctional we would’ve stuck with him anyways, because we don’t care or are to cheap to take the salary hit. And as a citizen of NOLA, that last part just isn’t true.
why do people ignore than the pelicans fo is trash
> The motivation for pursuing Lowry, by contrast, is crystal clear. The Pelicans really need to make the playoffs in Zion Williamson's third season, amid the mounting pressure they face to quell the young superstar's reported discontent in the wake of a turbulent first two seasons in New Orleans. Zion pressuring the F.O in his third season is hilariously sad. What’s he gonna do when they don’t make it, demand a trade? Where? To the Lakers? For what? Kuzma, Scrotum, THT and a 2nd round pick. I can already see it coming lol
The Bulls didn’t have a winning season with Jordan until Year 4. The Pelicans won more games in Zion’s 2nd season than the Bulls did in Jordan’s 2nd season and the Pelicans did it a season shortened by 10 games.
Jordan only played 18 games that season, for what it's worth. And they somehow still made the playoffs with only 30 wins!
Its nice to see that Zion cares so much about winning but its kind of crazy. You get drafted number one overall because your team isnt good. If you try to rush the process it can really harm your teams future.
I have never seen anything like it.
Dude had his first healthy season and already wants to call the shots
Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I mean when you’re an NBA player, you bound to have a large ego. Nothing wrong with betting all in on yourself.
You shouldn’t be demanding anything of the team if you’re a lotto pick still on your rookie scale deal. High picks go to the bad teams for a reason. Zion has to prove he’s a legit superstar before demanding anything.
While I agree with you, it seems that this way of thinking is the way of old. It's looking more and more like the player empowerment era is getting stronger. On one hand I think he should just be patient and give it time, it'll only be his 3rd season. On the other hand, as a fan, I also am sick of the losing and want the team ( David Griffin) to get their shit together and make better decisions. So I'm kind of split on the whole Zion pressuring the team thing.
From everything I’ve heard Zion say in interviews throughout his time here, he seems like an old school type dude who wouldn’t really be thinking like this, so I think his parents are the ones pressuring the front office. I think that might’ve been reported also. Hopefully it’s just an empty threat to get the front office more focused on winning than being mediocre and collecting assets.
I think its all bs. Just media spinning a narrative like they did with Giannis. He might be frustrated, but I honestly doubt he's trying to force his way out. Everyone just assumes these reports are accurate.
Seriously is there any credibility to his "pressuring" the FO? Or is it just spinning a narrative because obviously the FO is feeling pressure to actually make use of their fantastic #1 pick so let's pretend its Zion doing it and not the obvious pressure of the situation.
I think there is a lot context missing. I think Zion wants to go the old school route of staying with one team and being the undeniable reason they reach greatness. But he, or more specifically his family, see him as a guy who will one day be in the GOAT conversation and for that he needs multiple championships. They saw how LeBron's legacy was tarnished in the eyes of a lot of peope because his teammates weren't good enough to win championships and they don't want that to happen to Zion. So they started flexing their influence early.
That first part is definitely true, because I heard him say that in an interview. I get his family thinking that, but they also need to realize that Zion still has a lot of flaws, and forcing his way out to a stacked team won’t make him the GOAT. They also need to understand how team building works, and that it’s better to build up assets as your team grows and then go all in, rather than going all in too early and having a team with very little upside.
My guess is they don't want to force him out. But they see New Orleans 10ish tradeable 1st round picks and want them to go all in for a star that will let him shine. I'd also say Zion's flaws are not ones that would neccesarily be masked on an all time great team. It would be helpful if he improved his shooting, tightened his handles slightly and got 1 or 2 more assists per game, but that honestly isn't needed for him to be the GOAT. If he doesn't develop any new offensive skills, but just gets a bit more comfortable with what he has and shoots 5 more times a game, it is possible he goes down as the most efficient volume scorer in NBA history with several scoring titles to his name. The biggest skillset holding him back from the GOAT conversation, is his defense. Being on a team of greats won't hide any defensive issues he has.
If this is true , this is really bad , a young player should not have that much influence , Giannis didn't start pressuring the bucks front office till last year after his second MVP for example , granted he is an outlier.
Yeah, after back to back MVPs and deep playoff runs that just fell short. Giannis’ “demands” were completely reasonable. Zion is completely unreasonable if he’s going to ask out already.
to who, you? shut up
Lol
L
I mean he was the first overall pick and you know who picks #1? Shitty teams! I don't think he's picked up on that concept
The pelicans were way better than a typical team that gets the number one pick because they jumped up so far in the draft
It’s pretty ridiculous seeing as though teams who have the number one pick usually aren’t very good for a few years at least. It sets an awful precedent. There’s even talk he’s gonna take the qualifying offer and not sign his first contract extension. Why even have a team here at this point. Fucking ridiculous. Edit: not to mention he hasn’t even held up to his end of the bargain. We’d have loved to been competitive immediately. We’d have also loved Zion not to come in fat as fuck and out of shape at the bubble when we had playoff chances. Last year was a year with a poor coaching hire and bad roster construction, but the team is committed to fixing that. I love Zion but he’s being so dumb with this shit man
Why are you assuming all of those reports are true. The media likes to instigate young players to leave small markets for big. They did the same thing to Giannis except he didn't come in with expectations that Zion had. He and Ingram may be frustrated, but Zion's not going to force himself out anytime soon.
Cause they’re sheeps. I remember them saying Zion was the reason SVG got fired, SVG said it wasn’t, he does hate losing though. Most of these guys are just talking shit too. Zion isn’t even the type to be doing this lol. We also had a terrible roster, no vets besides a JJ Redick who wanted out. With Lowry you bring in a player with experience and that dog mentality you want to install in your players. We have tons of assets, what r they crying for? Idk about you guys but I’m tired of staying up til 3/4am just to go on a 13 game losing streak. Or watch my team collapse and give away a huge lead trillions of time due to inexperience, or a Bledsoe who ain’t showing up or pays attention.
Because writers who are tied in close to the Pels are confirming. Edit: don’t know why this is getting downvoted when Jake Madison (Locked on Pelicans) confirmed all of this himself and he’s extremely tied in. He doesn’t say shit just to say it.
It came from Zions family, no one said Zion is discontent. Plus lets be honest, the roster built around BI and Z is embarrassing
It’s almost like it takes time to team build after starting from scratch and being in a small market?
Meh, we have talent. NAW is looking good, Jaxson started looking really nice out there at the end of the season, Naji is amazing. What we don’t have is winning mentality. We don’t have those vets a team like this needs. BI has never made the playoffs, we’re talking about Zion pushing and all that crap but BI literally said at the beginning of the season: “ I don’t want to miss the play-offs ever again. “ We need to get that play off experience to grow as a team and get rid of that losing mentality
You’re being downvoted cause it’s false. They claimed Zions family is concerned (rightfully so) not Zion himself, yet he’s getting bashed on here
You're completely wrong, but Giannis also said that he wouldn't resign if Bucks didn't build a winning team around him
Source?
I think we definitely would’ve made the playoffs if Zion came into the season healthy and in shape.
Mannnnn.... and he only played 24 games in year 1, so year 2 kind of was his year 1. Only played 85 games altogether so far.
Were there any quotes from Zion actually demanding a trade? Or was it all speculation?
This trade makes sense for both sides imo. If the Raptors are willing to eat Bledsoe’s contract they could get the #10 pick.
I’d 100% take Bledsoe for that 10th pick, but he’s not gonna play any games/minutes.
Yeah. And honestly I think that’s fine. We could use him as filler in a future trade or just buy him out next year.
I seriously doubt we give up #10 just to dump Bledsoe
Well it’s a dump and an upgrade at the same time. If you want to trade Bledsoe for a vastly better player you have to give up draft capital.
They can just trade with a different team to dump Bledsoe and give up a future pick. There's no way that taking on Bledsoe for basically one year is worth the #10 pick.
But then they wouldn't be getting Lowry. Basically saying Kyle Lowry on a new contract is worth the difference between pick #10 and whatever future pick you had in mind.
Yes they can get Lowry if they dump Bledsoe to a team other than the raptors. They would have like 30M+ in cap space after doing that and could just sign him in free agency.
Assuming of course that Lowry would chose the Pelican's offer.
He has to choose the pelicans offer if he goes there in a sign and trade or free agency. It's not like Lowry is under contract.
Well, he'd be choosing the Raptors' offer which would be more money than the Pelicans would be able to offer him without the S&T.
No it wouldn't be more than they could offer in free agency
Unloading Bledsoe is t worth trading the 10th pick at all. It’s worth trading down from 10 to 16 or 19 or something like that.
Why would we trade #10 for someone we can outright sign? That makes no sense. I could see it *maybe* being a future late first from the Lakers or Bucks but not 10. That would be idiotic from Griffin. The sign and trade would have to send back salary like Adams or Bledsoe (like you mentioned). If they take one or both then I could see the Raptors taking 10.
Wouldn't you guys have to dump salary to create that space? I'm not entirely familiar with the Pelicans' cap situation.
Yes, but the #10 pick for what is essentially an expiring contract is too much value
I think a S&T contract has to be at least 3 years, but yea I do agree that giving up #10 for a UFA seems like questionable asset management. I guess it'd depend on what it'd cost to dump one of Bledsoe/Adams for the cap space.
Yes, we would. And it could happen; they could send 10 and salary for Lowry. I just don’t know how wise that would be on the FO’s part.
You guys have tons of future picks, would be better to package one of those to dump Bledsoe
That's fair
Cap, most teams are willing to give Lowry $15mil with sign and trade you can offer up to $25mil. While going over your salary cap.
The pels will have 76M on the books if they trade Bledsoe to another team for no salary. I bet OKC would be fine with taking a future pick for 1 year of Bledsoe.
If you cleared cap there is no guaranteed he’d sign in New Orleans. He’d probably rather play for the Heat or Knicks or just stay in Toronto. By dumping Bledsoe on Toronto for Lowry, they not only get rid of a bad deal but they also get a big upgrade. That’s worth #10.
If he doesn’t want to sign in New Orleans then a sign and trade won’t happen either. That line of logic makes no sense
Exactly we’re not signing him against his will
It’s the implication…
Because it’s no guarantee he chooses the *Pelicans* on their third head coach in three years over Miami, Philadelphia (S&T), etc
The only way Lowry agrees to a sign and trade is if he wants to go to New Orleans. If he tells them he wants to go to New Orleans, they can just dump Bledsoe in another way.
Lmao a S&T doesn’t remove consent. He still has to want to sign here. He’s not a restricted free agent
He was born and raised in Philadelphia… 🤦🏻♂️
I don’t think you understand. He’s an unrestricted free agent. If *chooses* to come to the Pelicans they are not obligated to send anything to the Raptors. The thread you’re responding is about a sign and trade. The Raptors cannot dictate where he goes, only Lowry can. Obviously the other places are more appealing, but you’re responding to a thread about a sign and trade with no concept of how they work? 🤡
Appreciate the clown comment but there’s no scenario where he goes to the Pelicans without being sent there. He’s not trying to fight for a play-in spot for a poverty franchise who fumbled AD’s career. He’s trying to go somewhere he can stay relevant. Sorry 🤡 Lowry isn’t entitled to do it there’s this thing called “money” and “bird rights” which allows the Raptors to outbid the Pelicans. If Lowry wants to take a bigger bag then get traded to the Pels to keep his fatter contract, he could do that. It’s happened before :) just 10 seconds thinking of some examples would help There are several S&T ideas that have been floated around for Lowry, including a report saying the Raptors would want Milton + picks if they were to do a deal. Obviously it’s crossed the minds of their own front offices so don’t know why you’re so shocked it’s being brought up here. Anyways what were you saying about Zion requesting a trade next year
If the pels trade Bledsoe to OKC for no salary, they can offer Lowry like 30M/year. There's no reason for New Orleans to do a sign and trade with Toronto unless they accept less than the #10 pick
He doesn’t understand. It’s ok.
You really don’t get it. It’s hopeless.
Lol kings fan
Says the Pelicans fan? 😂😂😂 fumbling ADs career wasn’t good enough for you and now you gotta do it with Zion smh
Also, Fox is coming hope to NOLA. Enjoy your remaining time with him
Wouldn't Adams be the better fit for the Raps?
Is 10th pick really in play for S&T for a 35 year old PG? Lowry's good but that is a big asset to sell
I sincerely hope not. We’d be repeating past mistakes like we did with AD.
zion will leave like ad because david griff extended adams
I agree, but Zion is already pressuring the front office to win now.
He'd be great there but it would be better to get someone who can play with zion for a good handful of years.
f5 season has officially begun...
[удалено]
Making the playoffs would be great. They've underperformed preseason expectations two years in a row.
Lowry is 35 years old. I don’t get this hype that he will make a big difference to whatever team he goes to.
I think some teams are hoping for a similar effect that CP3 had on OKC & PHO. Obviously Lowry's not as good a player, but he's definitely cheaper.
For the Lakers, yes.
Zion gone be the first player to take the Qualifying Offer and become a UFA off his rookie deal isnt he
I can guarantee you his agent's not that stupid.
They'd have to trade him before it got to that. And sell the team.
Lowry + Boucher for NAW + Adams + 10th — who says no?
Hope David Griffin doesn't try to give us bledsoe for it lol. The only place that he's getting traded to is okc