After less than 2 weeks, Pelicans cut Chris Copeland off
NBA News – The New Orleans Pelicans gave veteran forward Chris Copeland a chance to continue his unorthodox career late last month, but on Monday, the Louisiana-based franchise discontinued that opportunity.
New Orleans waived the 32-year-old forward, so he will have to work toward finding another team to give him an opportunity after three other NBA teams have to this point. This continues a nomadic career for the former University of Colorado forward.
Copeland was not expected to make the Pelicans’ final roster despite their throng of unavailable players. He was brought in to be a training camp cog and did not make it far into that portion of the calendar before being waived. He has seen game action for three NBA teams in his four-year career, one which didn’t begin until he was 28, but has now seen four teams waive him in 2016.
The New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks have deployed the 6-8 forward to varying degrees of success since 2012. Copeland started 13 games for the 2012-2013 Knicks and scored a career-best 8.7 points per game. He averaged 6.2 per night with the Pacers two years later. The Bucks waived him in February after 24 games. The Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets then waived the veteran big man as well.
This string of rejections could send Copeland back to Europe, where he enjoyed a steady run in between college and his belated NBA debut. Copeland played in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium between 2007 and 2012, earning the Belgian League’s MVP Award in 2012 before coming over and debuting with the Knicks.
As for the Pelicans, the franchise still has Terrance Jones, Cheick Diallo, Solomon Hill and Quincy Pondexter at the forward position. Anthony Davis, who has apparently grown an inch to 6-11, of course remains in New Orleans as well.
Category: Basketball
