The Pelicans have reportedly signed a new player.
The New Orleans Pelicans have been significantly impacted by injuries, prompting the team to make a change with many of their key rotation players out.
On Tuesday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Pelicans have come to an agreement with guard Elfrid Payton. His agent, Darrell Comer of Tandem, confirmed the news to ESPN. Payton, who hails from the New Orleans area, previously played for the Pelicans during the 2018-2019 season.
In his debut wearing a Pelicans jersey, Payton made a strong impression by achieving a triple-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. He made some history by becoming the fifth player in NBA history to record five consecutive triple-doubles in a season. The former ULL standout started 42 games that year, averaging 10.6 points, a career-high 7.6 assists, and 5.2 rebounds.
Given the numerous injuries on the Pelicans roster, bringing in Payton made sense, especially since he participated in the team’s training camp in Nashville this summer. The Pelicans are currently missing CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray, Herb Jones, Jose Alvarado, Jordan Hawkins, and Zion Williamson, which has left the team struggling offensively without a reliable lead guard to run their plays.
The Pelicans are ranked 25th in the NBA for assists per game, and they have been last in assists over their last three games. There is some optimism that CJ McCollum will return soon, as he has been participating in contact drills during practice, but there is no clear timeline for when the other injured players will be back.
To make room for Payton, New Orleans waived guard Jaylen Nowell. The Pelicans are set to play against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night.
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