Pelicans To Audition Chalmers, Thompson, Others

3:50pm: Chris Haynes of ESPN.com (Twitter link) adds Wayne Selden to the list of players auditioning for the Pelicans. Selden, 22, was in camp with the Grizzlies and has spent the regular season with the D-League’s Iowa Energy, averaging 18.3 PPG.

8:57am: The workouts noted below are happening today at the Pelicans’ facility, according to Scott Kushner of The Advocate (Twitter link).

8:40am: The Pelicans were widely praised for their trade for DeMarcus Cousins this week, but even though the acquisition cost for the All-NBA center wasn’t exorbitant, New Orleans’ roster looks a little unbalanced in the wake of the deal. Having sent Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, and Langston Galloway to Sacramento in the swap, the Pelicans will now be looking to fortify their backcourt, and will audition several free agent guards this week, per ESPN’s Marc Stein (Twitter link).

According to Stein (via Twitter), the group of guards working out for New Orleans this week includes Mario Chalmers, Hollis Thompson, Quinn Cook, and Reggie Williams. All of those players except Chalmers are currently on D-League teams, but aren’t under contract with the affiliated NBA club, making them free agents.

Cook and Williams each have previous experience with the Pelicans — Cook was with the club in training camp, while Williams had a brief stint in New Orleans earlier this season before he was waived to make room for Donatas Motiejunas. Both players have had solid seasons in the D-League, though Cook in particular has stood out. The former Duke guard has averaged 26.0 PPG for the Canton Charge and earned MVP honors this past weekend in the NBADL All-Star Game.

Like Williams, Thompson was on an NBA roster earlier this season, but the Sixers cut the four-year veteran before his salary for the year became fully guaranteed. He has since played for the Spurs’ D-League affiliate in Austin. As for Chalmers, he’s the most well-known player in the group, having won a pair of championships with the Heat and appeared in 580 total NBA games for Miami and Memphis.

After trading three players for two in the Cousins deal, the Pelicans currently have an open spot on their 15-man roster. The club may wait until after the trade deadline to seriously consider signing a free agent guard, just in case that roster spot can be used to accommodate another trade.

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