After claiming point guard Tim Frazier off waivers on Wednesday, the New Orleans Pelicans will waive small forward Troy Williams in a subsequent move, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.
New Orleans has also waived forward Troy Williams to create space for Tim Frazier, league sources said. https://t.co/OuHNr4vxh2
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 17, 2018
A four-year NBA veteran, Frazier returns to New Orleans after signing with the club in 2016. In the 2016-17 season, he played 65 games with the Pelicans, including 35 starts. Frazier averaged 8.9 points, 6.9 assists and a steal per game as a starter.
A speedy guard and solid playmaker but a relatively ineffective scorer outside of the paint, Frazier was traded to the Washington Wizards in 2017 in exchange for a second-round pick. That second-round pick, which would eventually become Indiana Pacers guard Edmond Sumner, was traded by the Pelicans in exchange for cash consideration.
On paper, the Pelicans may not seem like they need the point guard depth considering they are already three-deep at the position. However, Frazier is more proven than Elfrid Payton's potential backups in rookie Frank Jackson and fifth-year guard Ian Clark, especially in New Orleans. Further, though Clark has been in the league a bit longer than Frazier, he has only three career starts compared to Frazier's 51.
Though Payton is pretty durable, having played at least 73 games in three of his four career seasons, the NBA season is a long, grueling and often unpredictable one. Having Frazier as insurance wouldn't hurt.
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