Pelicans will fire GM Demps as team deals with Davis flap
NEW ORLEANS — The Pelicans have decided to fire ninth-year general manager Dell Demps and start the process of finding someone to deal with the fallout of All-Star Anthony Davis’ recent trade demand, a person familiar with the situation said.
The person spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity Friday because the club had not announced the decision. Demps did not immediately return messages.
Demps’ firing comes after Davis said in late January that he would not sign an extension with New Orleans and wants to be traded to a contending team. Davis has another season remaining on his contract after this one and this season’s trade deadline has passed, meaning no trade will happen until summer.
If hired soon enough, the new general manager also would oversee the upcoming draft and decide the future of coach Alvin Gentry, who is being retained.
Davis was the first pick in the 2012 NBA draft out of Kentucky and has been named an All-Star six times in his first seven seasons, so the return on a trade for him should be considerable and could set a course for the Pelicans for seasons to come.
Demps received his only general manager position with New Orleans in the summer of 2010 and the Pelicans have made the playoffs three times during his tenure, advancing to the second round once.
The Pelicans enter the All-Star break at 26-33 and unlikely to make the Western Conference playoffs.
New Orleans hired Demps in large part because of his front office and scouting experience with San Antonio, widely seen as the model for contending in a small market.
Nuggets reward management
The Denver Nuggets have extended the contracts of president of basketball operations Tim Connelly and the rest of the front office in the midst of one of the best seasons in franchise history.
Terms of the multiyear deals were not released.
At 39-18, the Nuggets trail Golden State by two games for the top spot in the Western Conference entering the All-Star break.
“We firmly believe we can bring an NBA championship to Denver, and are thrilled to continue our pursuit together,” Nuggets president Josh Kroenke said in a statement announcing the extensions.
U.S. teammates World beaters
When the likes of the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kyle Kuzma, Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons and Boston’s Jayson Tatum get to the NBA All-Star Game and partake in what has become the preferred run-and-fun style where defense is discouraged, they’ll be ready.
Dunks, layups, 3-pointers and little else. That was the strategy for the Rising Stars game in Charlotte, N.C., where Kuzma led all scorers with 35 points on the way to MVP honors, and the U.S. team defeated the World squad 161-144 on the floor the All-Stars will use Sunday night.
Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox had 15 assists.
Everyone looked happy afterward.
The U.S. squad had a bit more reason to look that way.
“There’s a $25,000 bonus for winning the game,” Kuzma said.
Simmons, who is from Australia, led the World team with 28 points.