Pelicans rumors: Yves Missi feels ‘disrespected’ as trade talks heat up

As the NBA trade deadline approaches, the New Orleans Pelicans are a team that has come up in plenty of rumors. While teams reportedly continue to try and pry away Herb Jones and/or Trey Murphy III, one Pelicans player who could be on the move via trade is second-year big man Yves Missi, as per ClutchPoints’ NBA insider Brett Siegel.

Amid the emergence of rookie big man Derik Queen, Yves Missi has seen his role for the Pelicans decrease, and has reportedly felt disrespected in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline. As reported by Siegel, the New York Knicks are one of a handful of teams that have registered trade interest in Missi.

“The 21-year-old big man and his camp feel disrespected by the Pelicans for his major decrease in minutes, and tension has formed between the two sides, sources say,” Siegel reports. “Not only does Missi want an elevated role, but the organization is fielding a ton of interest in him, making him one of the most likely players to be on the move before this year’s trade deadline.”

The No. 21 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Missi appeared to be on his way to cementing himself as a building block for the future after a strong rookie season. This year, however, his playing time has decreased from 26.8 minutes last season, to 18.8. He started 67 of the 73 games he played in as a rookie, and has only started seven of the 39 he’s appeared in this year.

Missi has been averaging 5.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.3 blocked shots with splits of 54.3 percent shooting from the field and 59.2 percent shooting from the free-throw line.

Siegel also reports that one of the Pelicans’ major priorities at the trade deadline is to acquire more draft assets, including trading back into the 2026 NBA Draft. The Pelicans traded away their own 2026 first-round pick in the draft night deal that landed them Queen.

The post Pelicans rumors: Yves Missi feels ‘disrespected’ as trade talks heat up appeared first on ClutchPoints.