ATL - Nico gets the boot

[Matches Malone]

I think it was Ron Swanson that brought up MPJ as an option for the Bucks to check on. I think I'd be down. He looks so efficient on offense during this Wiz/Nets game. Guessing when Horst traded for Kuzma, they were hoping to get that type of player but Kuz is just not that good. MPJ is legit.

Edit: 3's could still use some work.

[paulpressey25]

Top 3 teams, FT differential last three plus seasons:
3. Bucks, +448
2. Heat+571
1. Lakers, +1,274

I’m trusting that stat is accurate. And if so it’s ridiculous. The type of thing Bucks and other teams media should pick up on.

[raferfenix]

Dumars era looking historically bleak.

Dating back to the middle of last season, former Pelicans executive David Griffin wanted to fire Willie Green and name associate head coach James Borrego as interim head coach. However, that request was denied by ownership, as previously reported by HoopsHype.

Instead, Pelicans Governor Gayle Benson, who formed a close relationship with Green and his wife, Terrah, fired Griffin months later once the regular season finished. Benson then hired Joe Dumars as Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations.

Given Benson’s rapport with Green, there was a belief within the organization that she wanted Dumars to retain Green. Dumars also had a longstanding relationship with Green, whom he hosted for two workouts and nearly drafted in the second round of the 2003 NBA Draft when he was an executive for the Detroit Pistons.

After conducting due diligence by speaking with Pelicans players, front office staffers, and coaches upon his arrival, Dumars retained Green as head coach while some around the league questioned if he’d make a change and start his tenure fresh with a coach of his choice.

The start of the Dumars era in New Orleans has been heavily scrutinized for various decisions.

Five days before Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, Dumars acquired Indiana’s No. 23 pick in the 2025 draft (Asa Newell) and the rights of Mojave King and gave back Indiana's own 2026 first-round draft pick, which the Pelicans had previously acquired.

While nobody could’ve foreseen a season-ending injury to Haliburton, some within the organization and executives around the league questioned why Dumars didn’t wait to finalize the deal when there was no rush before the final game of the NBA Finals.

Dumars then traded that pick, which became Newell, along with an unprotected 2026 first-round draft pick for the Atlanta Hawks’ 13th overall pick in the 2025 draft to select Queen.

While Queen has shown promise in his rookie campaign, the leaguewide consensus is that Dumars poorly evaluated his 2026 first-round draft pick in the trade, which is currently trending as one of the top picks in a loaded draft class filled with three franchise-altering talents in Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and AJ Dybantsa.

Pelicans rookie Jeremiah Fears, who was selected seventh overall by Dumars, has been considered a good pick thus far.

Dumars then met with members of the staff and preached he was looking for players with intangibles such as defense, toughness, high IQ, and a high motor, league sources told HoopsHype.

Then, about an hour later, according to league sources, as part of a three-team trade with the Washington Wizards and Houston Rockets, Dumars traded the expiring contracts of CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk, and a 2027 second-round draft pick to Washington. As part of the trade, Dumars and the Pelicans received Poole, Saddiq Bey, and rookie Micah Peavy. Poole is owed $34 million, and Bey is owed $6.4 million next season.

Poole’s player profile doesn’t match the description Dumars told his staff he sought shortly before making the trade. His salary was also considered a tough contract to move by rival NBA executives. However, Dumars’ right-hand man, Weaver, spearheaded that trade with his former Wizards colleagues and was a strong proponent of the Queen trade, as he knew him well, partly due to their local ties, league sources said.

https://www.hoopshype.com/story/sports/nba/2025/11/16/nba-intel-willie-greens-firing-joe-dumars-rough-stretch-and-whats-next-for-pelicans/87310189007/

[blazza18]

The Mavs' organisation getting rewarded with Flagg is such bs. Kid is going to be so good.

[Plossum]

Fibs losing in double OT to a Keyonte George game winner.

That’s a shame.

[MickeyDavis]

Fibs losing in double OT to a Keyonte George game winner.

That’s a shame.

5 straight

[soxperry]

Yeah i basically came in to say, "Well, what do you know? Chicago sucks again!"

They always do...