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The New Orleans Pelicans signed veteran forward Chris Copeland to a training camp deal that allows him to compete for a roster spot. The development was reported by pro basketball reporter David Pick via his Twitter account:
The Pelicans and forward Chris Copeland agreed on non-guaranteed deal for training camp, according to source.
— David Pick (@IAmDPick) August 11, 2016
The Colorado product played for the Milwaukee Bucks last season, appearing in just 24 games before being waived last February. The Orlando Magic then made a waiver claim on him in order to waive him and allow them to go above the season’s minimum team salary requirement. He has not had a team since then.
Copeland is a four-year veteran that has played for three NBA teams, including the New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers, and the Bucks.
Even though New Orleans already has 15 signed players for next season, they still invited Copeland and Robert Sacre to their training camp in the hopes of addressing their frontcourt depth issues. The team is looking for the best players to compliment their cornerstone, Anthony Davis.
The 6’8″ forward owns career averages of 5.8 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.6 assists in 12.3 minutes per game. Though these numbers may not seem all that impressive, it’s still enough for him to give the likes of Alonzo Gee and newly-signed Terrence Jones a run for their money and prove that they deserve their roster spot. And given his defensive skills, it can also help the team see different looks on sets during their training camp.