Pelicans Decline Team Option On Didi Louzada

The Pelicans have turned down their $1,517,981 team option on Didi Louzada, tweets Andrew Lopez of ESPN. However, the rookie small forward still may have a future in New Orleans.

Sources tell Lopez that the Pelicans extended a qualifying offer to Louzada and hope to reach a long-term agreement in free agency.

Louzada, 22, signed with New Orleans in late April and appeared in three games before the season ended, averaging 2.7 PPG in 18.7 minutes per night. The Brazilian native was drafted by the Hawks with the 35th pick in 2019 and traded to the Pacers, but didn’t have any NBA experience until he joined the Pelicans.

Louzada, who is also known as Marcos Louzada Silva, spent the past two seasons with the Sydney Kings in Australia’s National Basketball League.

View Comments (3)