It didn’t take long for Jameer Nelson to find a new home. Days after his release by the Denver Nuggets, Nelson signed a deal with the New Orleans Pelicans.
The one-year deal puts him back in the NBA and was reported early Saturday afternoon.
Jameer Nelson has agreed to sign with New Orleans, league source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 21, 2017
According to Yahoo Sports it wasn’t his only offer, either.
Nelson entered free agency Wednesday, when the Denver Nuggets waived him to create roster space to sign Richard Jefferson and allow second-year guard Jamal Murray to assume the starting point-guard role.
Nelson, in his 14th NBA season, became the top free agent on the market and received interest from contenders such as Houston and Oklahoma City and several other franchises that hoped to add the respected and accomplished veteran.
It’s unclear where Nelson will fit into the rotation at point guard for the Pelicans, but it seems likely that he gets decent minutes on a team that’s thin at the position early in the season. Rajon Rondo was supposed to have a huge role at the point for the Pels this year when he signed in free agency this summer, but a sports hernia injury and subsequent surgery has him out for the immediate future.
That left them with just two point guards on the roster. But with Jefferson rotating to Denver after his trade out of Cleveland and release by the Hawks, Nelson became an easy target for the team. The move did have some consequences for others on the roster, though.
The Pelicans are waiving guard Jordan Crawford, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 21, 2017
Jordan Crawford was waived by the team on Saturday, reportedly because the Pelicans were not granted an injury exception when signing Nelson.
