Kofi Inkoom
The New Orleans Pelicans have made significant roster moves ahead of their upcoming Training Camp.
Among the notable signings are Malcolm Hill, Tevian Jones, Trey Jemison, Liam Robbins, and Landers Nolley, with Kaiser Gates also securing a two-way contract. This has expanded the Pelicans’ offseason roster to a total of 21 players.
Malcolm Hill, aged 27, brings 24 games of NBA experience from his time with the Hawks and Bulls, where he averaged 3.2 points and 1.6 rebounds.
He recently had a stint with the Chicago Bulls on a two-way contract but was waived in February.
Hill, who hails from Illinois, has had more substantial playing time in the G League. Last season, across 32 regular season and Showcase Cup appearances with the Windy City Bulls (Chicago’s affiliate) and Birmingham Squadron (New Orleans’ affiliate), Hill posted averages of 15.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.6 steals.
It was previously reported in August that Trey Jemison would receive an Exhibit 10 contract, and it’s reasonable to assume that Hill, Tevian Jones, and Liam Robbins also received similar deals from the Pelicans.
In the event that this is indeed the case, all four players stand to be eligible for a bonus of up to $75,000 if the Pelicans waive them before the season begins, provided they spend at least 60 days with Birmingham.
With the signings of these four players, the Pelicans now have 20 players under contract, just one shy of the offseason maximum. Of these, 14 have standard contracts, while two have two-way deals.
However, the Pelicans are currently slightly over the tax threshold and may not be inclined to retain a 15th standard player on the opening night roster unless they can manage to get under the tax threshold.
This makes filling the final open two-way spot their primary objective, and one of these recently signed players might fill that role.
It’s worth noting that Landers Nolley was reported to be joining New Orleans, although the deal has not been officially confirmed.
It remains a possibility that Nolley could occupy the 21st and final spot on the team’s offseason roster, but there’s also a chance that the deal may not come to fruition.
In his 125 career games as a guard, Nolley has averaged 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists.