New Orleans

Pelicans

My goodness! Daniels scored 18 with five rebounds, three assists, four steals and a block Friday, so it’s safe to say his Summer League is off to a hot start. He logged better than 17 minutes per game in 59 appearances for New Orleans as a rookie last season, putting up solid numbers when given extended playing time. If he can continue to ascend and earn some more minutes, he could be viable in 12-team leagues. Until we see that happen, however, it’s not advisable to draft him in fantasy hoops outside of deep leagues.

The Pelicans selected Hawkins with the No. 14 pick in the draft last month, and he was solid in his first game in their jersey. Hawkins hasn’t been regarded as a great fantasy option, but the type of production that he displayed in this game could end up being valuable. It’ll be tough for him to carve out a role on a deep team, but he showed today that the talent is there.

Daniels was stuck on the bench for the majority of his rookie season, but he has so much upside, especially in fantasy basketball. He showcased that in this game with his defensive numbers, though he is also a capable playmaker. There were still struggles (0-for-4 on threes, four turnovers), but he’ll continue to get a chance to work through those in Vegas. He may not break out this season, but it’ll come eventually.

The 41st overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Liddell didn’t play at all last season due to the torn right ACL he suffered in a Summer League game. Initially on a two-way contract, the new deal represents a significant leap of faith on the part of the Pelicans. According to Charania, the first two seasons of Liddell’s deal will be guaranteed with a team option for the third.

Big Cody Z made a name for himself as a reliable backup for Miami during the team’s Finals run last season, and he’s parlayed that success into a new deal in the Bayou. Zeller will replace Jaxson Hayes (who signed with the Lakers) as Jonas Valanciunas’ primary backup, and he could offer some streaming value if JV is forced to miss any time during the 2023-24 season.

A second-round pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Jones emerged as a key cog in the Pelicans’ rotation during his rookie season. On Thursday, the Pelicans decided to decline his option for the 2023-24 season, with the plan being to agree to a long-term extension. That has happened, keeping Jones in the fold for another four years. Already one of the NBA’s best individual defenders, he finished last season ranked just outside the top 100 in 8- and 9-cat formats. Given the injury histories of Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson, Jones should not slip out of the first 100 picks in standard league drafts.

While this move does make Jones a restricted free agent, the expectation is that he will not be leaving New Orleans. The Pelicans’ decision to not exercise his option opens the door for the two sides to agree on a new deal that will pay Jones considerably more than the nearly $1.9 million he would have made. A second-round pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Jones has emerged as a key building block in New Orleans due to his defensive prowess.

Marshall is due to make a little over $1.9 million next season, and he’ll add depth to the Pelicans’ rotation at the small forward position. He started 21 of the 77 games he appeared in last season, averaging 9.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.9 blocks in 23.3 minutes. While Marshall won’t be a player worth drafting ahead of next season, he stands to be a worthwhile streamer on nights when the Pelicans are without either Brandon Ingram or Zion Williamson. Given the injury history of those two players, look for there to be nights when Marshall will make for a quality fantasy play.

As reported by Jake Fischer, the Pelicans are in the market for a more mobile center. Jonas has spent the last two seasons in New Orleans and is on the last year of a two-year/$30M contract.

The sophomore took a big step forward in his second season at UConn and came away with some hardware as a result. Hawkins finished the season and the NCAA Tournament as the Huskies’ second-leading scorer, averaging 16.2 points per game in the regular season and 16.3 in the Tourney. Hawkins is a knock-down three-point shooter and capable defender who should have success at the next level. He’ll bring in championship pedigree to a team that is loaded with talent. Hawkins will have to compete with guys like Herb Jones, Dyson Daniels and Trey Murphy to try and get minutes as a rookie. He’s a talented player that should be able to help the Pelicans get back to the playoffs after they lost in the Play-In Tournament last season.