Tag: Steven Adams

ESPN places five New Orleans Pelicans on top 100 NBA players list

The New Orleans Pelicans saw five players ranked in the top 100 by ESPN in their annual preseason top 100 NBA players list.

The New Orleans Pelicans were one of the more well-represented teams in ESPN’s top 100 NBA players preseason list, released over the course of multiple days beginning on Tuesday and carrying through Wednesday. While the entirety of the list has not yet been revealed with players ranked 50-11 released on Wednesday, the entirety of the Pelicans representation has been revealed.

Zion Williamson came in as the highest-ranked player on the team at 19th, a ranking that created quite a stir on social media in response. Brandon Ingram was the only other player on the team to be featured in the top 50 as he came in ranked 28th, one season removed from an All-Star appearance and the Most Improved Player award. Fittingly, Ingram jumped 28 spots from his rating last year after his breakout season.

Lonzo Ball also received an unexpectedly-high ranking, coming in at 54th overall. Like Ingram, Ball had a breakout season that saw him jump from 68th the season prior. Like Williamson, though, Ball’s rating received plenty of attention and criticism, particularly because of who he was ranked above.

The team’s two biggest acquisitions over the summer were very closely ranked at the back end of the top 100. Eric Bledsoe was ranked 67th heading into the season while Steven Adams was three spots higher at 70. Bledsoe’s rating remained exactly the same as the prior season while Adams’ rating improved by five spots.

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Lonzo Ball calls Steven Adams a ‘perfect fit’ with the New Orleans Pelicans

Steven Adams will step in as the starting center for the Pelicans this season and Lonzo Ball sees him as the perfect fit for the team.

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The New Orleans Pelicans made two notable changes to the starting lineup during the brief offseason, one each in the frontcourt and backcourt. The backcourt change saw Jrue Holiday leave for Milwaukee with Eric Bledsoe coming in, creating an intriguing dynamic with fellow starter Lonzo Ball.

In the trade that brought in Bledsoe, Steven Adams also came to New Orleans. The big man has gained a reputation around the league both for his durability and strength. Adams steps into the void left by Derrick Favors, who returned to Utah after one season in New Orleans.

Ball spoke last week about Adams’ fit in the starting lineup alongside Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Bledsoe and himself.

“I think it’s a perfect fit,” Ball said. “He’s probably the strongest guy in the league. He also has great touch as well, so I know I can hit him on the pocket pass. But everybody knows how big he is, how strong he is. He seems like a good guy, and I’m excited to get out there and start playing with him.”

As a roll man last season, Adams finished in the 78th percentile offensively, per Synergy. As a like-for-like replacement, he was better in pick and rolls last season than Favors, who finished in the 61st percentile.

While one of Ball’s biggest takeaway from the acquisition was how he will fit in the team’s offense, Williamson’s thoughts on Adams were almost strictly about his physicality after the first day of practice on Sunday.

“Steven’s a great guy,” Williamson said. “You can just sense it from just meeting him for like five minutes. He’s a great guy and on the court, you can see he’s a hard worker. Steven is strong. Like I thought I was strong, but seeing it up close on the same team, it’s crazy. Steven is really strong and he’s a great basketball player.”

Josh Hart had the same thoughts on Twitter about Adams as the trade was in its final stages of completion.

Adams and Bledsoe, along with incumbent JJ Redick, also bring a level of postseason experience that few others on the roster have. Redick’s playoff experience is extensive. Last season was the first in his career he did not make the playoffs. Adams and Bledsoe have playoff experience as well; each played in the postseason in the bubble.

“Their leadership is definitely going to help,” Ball said of the trio. “Those are three key vets in the league and to have them all over here, we’re thankful for them. We’re going to look to those guys in pressure situations. We know they came through before. We definitely are going to look to them here.”

With the addition of the play-in game, Ball and the Pelicans have plenty of reason to believe they’ll be a playoff contender even in their first season under new head coach Stan Van Gundy.

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JJ Redick expects the Pelicans to be ‘one of the better defensive teams’ in the league

After being a bottom-10 defensive team last season, JJ Redick expects a big jump from the New Orleans Pelicans this season.

While the Pelicans parted ways with franchise stalwart Jrue Holiday last season, the team’s mini roster overhaul, including the head coach, brought in a stronger defensive identity.

At the helm, new head coach Stan Van Gundy has a history of building strong defenses. In his final season at Detroit, the Pistons finished 10th in defensive rating despite a 39-43 record overall.

On the court, Eric Bledsoe brings a strong defensive identity after All-Defensive team honors in each of the last two seasons. Steven Adams, who also came in as part of the Holiday trade, does not have the All-Defensive team recognition but does have the reputations as one of the toughest big men in the league.

Add those pieces to the ones in place with the Pelicans, like Lonzo Ball, and the Pelicans look primed to improve upon last season when they finished 21st in the league in defensive ratings. Simple improvement, though, is not what JJ Redick has in mind for the defense this season.

“Defensively, I think we’ll be one of the better defensive teams for the simple fact that we’ll have great discipline, we’ll have great rules, we’ll drill the [expletive] out of everything,” he said on Friday.”I think we’ll be great on that side of the ball, I really do because we also have the personnel. As you saw last year with Lonzo, he’s such a disruptive defender and Eric was on the number one defense in the league last season so having those two guys at the point of attack will be huge.

“Having Steven Adams just as a body back there, we were really good at times with (Derrick Favors) on the court as a five (last season). I think with the personnel we have and Stan, we’ll be a much better defensive team.”

As Redick points out, when Favors was on the court last season, the Pelicans did have a stout defense. The team’s defensive rating of 107.9 with Favors on the floor would have ranked just ahead of Oklahoma City for the seventh-best defense in the league.

The biggest issue with Favors last season was health. Swapping Adams, one of the NBA’s iron men, for Favors, who left for Utah during the off-season, won’t solve all of the team’s issues but it certainly won’t hurt. And if the Pelicans are looking to take a leap toward the playoffs, a stronger defensive effort will be needed this season.

Steven Adams vows to keep in touch: ‘It’s not like I died or anything’

Moving on is tough, but Steven Adams keeps it all in perspective.

For the first time in his NBA career, Steven Adams participated in an NBA media day as a member of another team.

Everyone’s favorite New Zealander was dealt to the New Orleans Pelicans as general manager Sam Presti cleaned house, and the move was difficult considering the fact that Adams grew to become a fan favorite with the Thunder.

On Tuesday — his first day of work with the Pelicans — Adams was asked about the difficulty of accepting being traded from the city he’d called home for seven years.

He gave the kind of answer that only Steven Adams could.

“It’s all a part of the business, you know what I mean? Getting traded, isn’t it? That isn’t really the difficult part, the difficult part is the relationships that you’ve built within it, and then you have to move on.”

Adams has learned that the hard way.

After growing quite a bit with both Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, he would outlast each of them in Oklahoma City. But that experience taught Adams a valuable lesson: life goes on.

“It’s not like I died or anything, I’m gonna see them again, so that’s fine,” he said of those he left behind in Oklahoma City.

“It ain’t that sad. But yea, it was a good time in OKC… In terms of just coming [to New Orleans], man, it’s just an exciting team. Stan [Van Gundy] is an old school dude, an old school guy and I just like that, man, you know what I mean? So I just feel like I can learn a lot from him, hence the extensiones.”

With reporters in New Orleans having the opportunity to ask Adams for his take on being traded from Oklahoma City, it’s probably the last time he will be asked, so his answer here is valuable.

The 2020-21 seasons schedule hasn’t been announced yet, but it’s fair to assume that Adams will circle his return to Oklahoma City, even if fans won’t be permitted into the arena.

What a shame.

Sam Presti calls trading Steven Adams a ‘challenging and difficult decision’

Steven Adams “left a tremendous mark on our franchise,” Thunder GM Sam Presti said, and called it a tough choice to trade the OKC center.

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The Oklahoma City Thunder fanbase’s appreciation of Steven Adams extends all the way to the top levels of the organization.

Thunder general manager Sam Presti said Monday that trading the franchise’s center was not a choice he took lightly.

“That was a really, really challenging and difficult decision for us to make,” Presti said. “I think the No. 1 thing for us is to recognize that in these situations, we have to put the best interests of the organization first.”

That meant shipping off the center who spent seven seasons with the Thunder, which was more than half the time the team had played in the city.

Over that time, Adams averaged about 10 points and 7.6 rebounds per game with a shooting percentage of 58.9% that is one of the best in league history. His tough attitude on the court and outgoing demeanor off endeared him to fans and the organization.

As the Thunder traded away their veterans to reset the team, it made sense to also get a return for Adams instead of letting him walk in free agency next year.

Presti and Adams’ agent, Darren Matsubara, kept in touch about the situation.

“I talked to Steven prior to the trade taking place,” Presti said. “I’ve had open discussions with his agent about this potential reality and have been very transparent about his role in the organization, how important he is. He’s left a tremendous mark on our franchise and we’re truly grateful.”

Presti said the team worked to find a move that would suit them and Adams. Both parties certainly made out well.

The Thunder got a protected first-round pick, two second-round picks and five players — one of whom is rotation-level while the others will vie for a spot. Adams signed a two-year extension worth $35 million, according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, and is on a New Orleans Pelicans team that is expected to contend for a playoff spot.

“Ultimately, we have to put the Thunder first,” Presti said. “It wasn’t my best day of work, I can tell you that, but I feel passionate about relentlessly pursuing a bright future for this organization.”

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Steven Adams tweets tribute to Thunder fans after trade to Pelicans

The New Zealander broke his silence after being dealt to the New Orleans Pelicans.

After seven years, Steven Adam’s tenure with the Oklahoma City Thunder has officially come to an end. Adams was dealt to the New Orleans Pelicans in a four-team trade which saw Oklahoma City end up with the largest trade exception in NBA history and a few draft picks.

When the deal was officially announced on Tuesday, general manager Sam Presti publicly expressed his appreciation for Adams and opined that he would forever hold a place in Thunder history. The franchise opted to retire Nick Collison’s jersey and will certainly do so for Russell Westbrook when his time comes. It’s at least fair to wonder whether the same fate awaits the No. 12 jersey worn by the New Zealander.

On Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, Adams himself publicly acknowledged the trade and appropriately expressed gratitude for the way he was handled over the course of his tenure in Oklahoma City.

“Cheers to Oklahoma City, thanks for taking me in 7 years ago. You guys have been awesome! I doff my hat to you for your hospitality. Always a pleasure, never a chore,” he tweeted.

Amazingly, despite seemingly being a Thunder for as long as we can remember, Adams is just 27 years old. His passing ability and offensive rebounding should enable him to remain a starting-caliber player for years to come, which is probably why the Pelicans signed him to a two-year, $35 million extension as a part of the trade.

With the deal being officially announced, Presti and Adams have now both weighed in. Training camps for the 2020-21 season will commence on Dec. 1, and for the first time since he was drafted in 2013, Adams will not be suiting up for Oklahoma City.

Obviously, though, as we arrive at Thanksgiving, he’s reflecting positively on his time with the Thunder.

Sam Presti on Steven Adams: ‘His place in Thunder history is secured’

If Steven Adams gives the Pelicans even half of what he gave the Thunder, New Orleans will be in very good shape.

On Tuesday, the Oklahoma City Thunder officially announced its participation in a four-team trade which involved the Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Pelicans and the Denver Nuggets that saw Steven Adams land in New Orleans.

The Thunder received a bevy of assets in the deal (including the largest trade exception in league history), but for fans of Oklahoma City, seeing Adams dealt to another franchise stung. He spent seven years with the franchise and did nothing but show up and play hard every single day.

In the release announcing the trade, Presti made it clear how he felt about Adams on a personal level.

“Steven Adams will hold a special place in our organizational legacy… On and off the floor, Steven contributed to our teams and community in unique ways and his place in Thunder history is secured.”

For all the good that Presti has done in Oklahoma City, the drafting of Adams should be mentioned right up there with some of his finest work. It often goes overlooked, but Adams ended up bring the team’s biggest prize from the James Harden trade.

Although Harden and Kevin Martin were the centerpieces of that fateful 2013 deal, the trade actually saw the Thunder acquire Martin, Jeremy Lamb, the 2013 first-round pick that became Adams, the 2014 first-round pick that was used to select Mitch McGary and the 2013 second-round pick that was used to draft Alex Abrines.

Adams, obviously, became the second-most valuable player involved in that trade.

As a part of the deal, Adams signed a two-year, $35 million extension with the Pelicans, so he figures to be a part of the franchise’s immediate future.

If it’s anywhere near as productive as his time with the Thunder was, the Pelicans will probably be in good shape.

The Thunder’s official release announcing the trade is available on the team’s official website.

Report: Pelicans agree to two-year, $35 million extension with Steven Adams

The New Orleans Pelicans reportedly agreed to an extension with Steven Adams ahead of completing the trade for the former Thunder big man.

While the noise on the outside is quiet, the New Orleans Pelicans are still diligently working behind the scenes. Per Zach Lowe and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Pelicans agreed to an extension with Steven Adams late on Monday night that will total $35 million over two years.

Adams was entering the final year of his contract, paying him $27.5 million as part of his four-year, $100 million extension signed in 2016. His new extension will pay him nearly $10 million less annually but will still make him one of the higher-paid Pelicans next season.

Adams also shores up the hole in the New Orleans center position that has long plagued the franchise. Dating back to the 2011-12 season, the Pelicans have had a different starting center on Opening Night of every season. With the extension, Adams should provide some stability and break the streak, though Jaxson Hayes development could lead to the streak continuing in a different vein.

Nonetheless, this move will likely be one of the final steps needed before the completion of the trade as the Oklahoma City Thunder’s series of moves will allow them more flexibility while also being one of the main hold-ups in the trade for now.

Steven Adams gets two-year, $35 million extension in trade to Pelicans

Moving on from Oklahoma City after seven years might be tough, but Steven Adams at least got $35 million for his trouble.

After seven seasons, Steven Adams’ tenure as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder has come to an end. Adams was included in a four-team trade by general manager Sam Presti which yielded the team, among other things, the biggest trade exception in NBA history.

The Thunder also received some valuable draft pick compensation in the deal, but that doesn’t necessarily do much for the emotional impact of the trade. After seven years, Thunder fans developed an immense affinity for Adams, and it’s safe to say that the feeling was mutual.

At least Adams gets $35 million to help him cope, though.

On Monday, ESPN’s Zach Lowe reported that, as a part of the trade, Adams signed a two-year, $35 million extension with the Pelicans. The deal, according to Lowe, is fully guaranteed for both seasons.

Although Adams is considered a “traditional” big man who some believe the game is phasing out, he has incredible skill. He is an underrated passer and one of the league’s best offensive rebounders. He has good hands, is an excellent pick-and-roll finisher and can probably help the right team in the right situation. The Pelicans may be just that.

With Jrue Holiday headed to Milwaukee, Lonzo Ball will likely be the primary playmaker in New Orleans. He’s the type of point guard that should be able to utilize Adams’ finishing abilities. Because of his passing abilities, Adams should also have a fairly easy time playing 1-2 big man ball with Zion Williamson, so the fit seems to be as close to ideal as possible.

The big man is currently entering the final year of a four-year, $100 million extension he signed with the Thunder in October 2016 and is scheduled to earn $27.5 million this season.

Adams was set to become a free agent at the conclusion of the 2020-21 season, but New Orleans obviously had different ideas.

Celebrating his 27th birthday this past July, Adams is still on the younger side of 30 years old, and now, figures to be a part of the Pelicans’ long-term future.

The team obviously evidenced its hope for this to be the case by signing him to the extension.

Steven Adams trade creates biggest trade exception in NBA history

Within the next year, don’t be surprised for the Thunder to make good use of the sizeable trade exception.

To say it’s been a busy offseason for Thunder general manager Sam Presti would be an understatement. The team hired a new head coach and traded some of the key members of last season’s overachieving club.

None of the moves, however, hit Thunder fans as hard as the multi-team trade that saw Steven Adams sent to the New Orleans Pelicans.

In case you missed it, the Thunder executed a four-team trade with the Pelicans, Nuggets and Bucks which, among other things, landed the Thunder a future first-round pick, two future second-round picks and a $27.5 million trade exception.

According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, the $27.5 million trade exception is the largest trade exception created in NBA history. It is yet another valuable asset that Presti has been able to create as he’s pared down his roster and prepared to build from the ground up.

For those wondering what a trade exception is, it’s an exception that will allow a team to trade for a player without sending any salary out in a trade. Trade exceptions are created when a team trades a player to an under-the-cap team and don’t take an equal amount of salary back in return. In effect, a player who is traded in this manner is traded for salary cap space.

With respect to Adams, what this means for the Thunder is that the team has a $27.5 million trade exception. In theory, the Thunder could execute a trade with any other team for a player making up to that amount without having to take an equal amount of salary back in a trade. For example, if the New York Knicks decided it wanted to trade Julius Randle to the Thunder, the Thunder could absorb Randle’s current salary ($18.9 million) without having to send any salary back out to New York. The trade exception will expire one year from now.

So, how does the trade exception help the Thunder?

It’s quite possible that the team will use it to absorb the contract of a player who is no longer valued by or afforded by its team. For example, if Team X is $10 million over the luxury tax threshold, it could theoretically trade Player B to the Thunder. The Thunder could absorb Player B into its salary exception. In such an instance, it’s commonplace for this type of transaction to result in the tax team paying the a team like the Thunder draft pick compensation in such a transaction.

So yes, while the Adams deal in and of itself netted the Thunder a few draft picks, in all likelihood, the trade exception will end up being another gift that gives away.

Presti deserves credit for this.