Sources: Magic exit stuns LeBron; Pelinka to stay

Russell Westbrook has reportedly asked Ty Lue to come off the bench for the LA Clippers. Westbrook’s hope is that this move will help the Clippers find some continuity with their starting lineup.

In the wake of the James Harden trade, the Clippers are 0-5 and have lost six straight games overall. LA’s offense has been uneven and has lacked spacing at time with their new starting lineup.

Westbrook came off the bench in 49 games for the Los Angles Lakers last season, before being traded to and bought out by the Utah Jazz. That was Westbrook’s first run of games as a reserve since his rookie season with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008-09.

Zion Williamson is unlikely to play for the New Orleans Pelicans in the Western Conference Play-In Tournament. The Pelicans announced on Thursday that Williamson was continuing his rehab from a hamstring injury, but did not give a timeline for him to return.

New Orleans still has a chance to make the top-six in the Western Conference, but they currently sit in the eighth spot. That would mean playing in the first Play-In game, with a chance at the seventh seed. If the Pelicans lost, they’d have a second shot to win and enter the playoffs as the eighth seed.

Williamson has appeared in only 29 games this season. He’s been out since January second with his hamstring injury. Overall, Williamson has played in only 114 games in the first four seasons of his NBA career.