Pelicans enter offseason of uncertainty after second-worst record in franchise history

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Zion Williamson watched from the bench in street clothes — along with teammates CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III and Yves Missi — as the New Orleans Pelicans' worst season in two decades ended with a seventh-straight loss on Sunday.

In the stands across the court during the 115-100 loss to Oklahoma City was Pelicans basketball operations chief David Griffin, who still hasn't gotten to watch the team he assembled last summer all play together under the direction of Willie Green, the coach he hired four years ago.

Whether Griffin ever gets that chance is far from certain, given how losing brings about change.

“I haven't had any discussions, any talks yet,” Green said when asked about his future with the club. “I didn't do great great. I have to take full ownership of where we are as a team. We failed. I failed."

But Green said he hoped that the club's evaluation of him would include the previous three seasons, when New Orleans made qualified for the Western Conference play-in and twice advanced to a first-round playoff series.

“I think that's important. You try to look at the body of work,” Green said. “But I didn't give myself this job. I had to be chosen for this position, and I'm grateful.”

Williamson missed 52 games this season because of several injuries, his hamstring strain being the worst of them. Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray missed 51 games this season because of hand and Achilles injuries. Herb Jones missed 62 games with a shoulder injury. Brandon Ingram appeared in just 18 games with New Orleans because of an ankle injury before he was traded to Toronto. Murphy missed 29 games with multiple injuries.

Griffin, who did not speak with media on Sunday, joined the Pelicans in 2019. Shortly afterward, the Pelicans won the NBA's draft lottery, giving them the opportunity to draft Duke star Zion Williamson, the consensus top overall prospect that year.

But what appeared to be good fortune at that time in retrospect looks more like a curse.

Plagued by injuries, Williamson has missed 258 out of 472 regular-season games since he was drafted. Williamson also has never appeared in a postseason game.

The Pelicans have gone 209-263 since Griffin arrived and drafted Williamson, and the club has not won a single playoff series during that period.

New Orleans' 21-61 record this season was the second-worst in franchise history, and worst since 2004-05, about seven years before Pelicans owner Gayle Benson's late husband, Tom, bought the club in 2012.

Those results have left an air of uncertainty around the coming Pelicans offseason.

“We truly don’t know who’s going back. I'm just trying to be honest with you," Murphy said. "Nobody is safe.”

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New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson watches from the bench in street clothes in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in New Orleans, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson watches from the bench in street clothes in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in New Orleans, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green calls out from the bench in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in New Orleans, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

New Orleans Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin sits in the stands in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in New Orleans, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A shooting outside a church building in Salt Lake City killed two people and injured six others Wednesday, police said.

The shooting took place in the parking lot of a meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon church.

Dozens of people were attending a funeral inside at the time. All the victims were adults.

Police said they do not believe the shooter had any animus toward a particular faith.

“We don’t believe this was a targeted attack against a religion or anything like that,” Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd said.

Police also do not believe the shooting was random. Authorities said no suspect was in custody.

About 100 law enforcement vehicles were at the scene in the aftermath, and helicopters flew overhead.

“This should never have happened outside a place of worship. This should never have happened outside a celebration of life,” Mayor Erin Mendenhall said.

The church was cooperating with law enforcement and was grateful for efforts first responders' efforts, a spokesperson said.

“We extend prayers for all who have been impacted by this tragedy and express deep concern that any sacred space intended for worship should be subjected to violence of any kind,” Sam Penrod said in a statement.

The church is headquartered in Salt Lake City, and about half of Utah’s 3.5 million residents are members of the faith. Churches like the one where the shooting occurred can be found in towns throughout the city and state.

The faith has been on heightened alert since four people were killed when a former Marine opened fire in a Michigan church last month and set it ablaze. The FBI found that he was motivated by “anti-religious beliefs” against the church.

Police respond to a fatal shooting in a parking lot of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Hannah Schoenbaum)

Police respond to a fatal shooting in a parking lot of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Hannah Schoenbaum)

Police respond to a fatal shooting in a parking lot of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Laura Seitz/The Deseret News via AP)

People hug each other after a fatal shooting in a parking lot of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Laura Seitz/The Deseret News via AP)

Funeral attendees leave a meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after a fatal shooting in the parking lot in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Laura Seitz/The Deseret News via AP)

Police respond to a fatal shooting in a parking lot of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Rio Giancarlo/The Deseret News via AP)