The Pelicans have signed Bo McCalebb, the team announced. Andrew Lopez of The Times Picayune reported Wednesday that the sides were having serious discussions. The New Orleans native and former University of New Orleans point guard goes into the roster spot vacated when the team waived Corey Webster just minutes ago, so the Pelicans are again at the 20-man preseason roster limit. The deal includes a partial guarantee, according to John Reid of The Times Picayune (Twitter link).
McCalebb, 30, has played overseas since going undrafted in 2008, save for a summer league stint with the Kings in July of that year. He was the top scorer in the Euroleague in 2011/12, notching 16.9 points per game for Siena of Italy. His assists were up last season with FC Bayern Muenchen of Germany, when he averaged 4.8 per game to go along with 12.4 PPG in 25.7 MPG. That will be key for a Pelicans team without Norris Cole for six weeks, especially with Jrue Holiday still on a minutes limit. Tyreke Evans is the team’s only other logical option at the point.
Injuries to Cole, Omer Asik and Alexis Ajinca have thrown the Pelicans into flux. The team has 13 full guarantees plus partial guarantees to McCalebb and Bryce Dejean-Jones, but if they keep all of them for opening night on October 27th, the Pelicans will have only Kendrick Perkins and Anthony Davis to play center unless Asik and Ajinca are healthy again by that time. Centers Jerome Jordan and Mirza Begić are in camp with the Pelicans, as is power forward Jeff Adrien.
Where do the Pelicans go from here? Who do you think they’ll keep for the regular season? Let us know with a comment.