The New Orleans Pelicans are currently in dire straits, sitting second last in the West with a 4-11 record as they suffer an injury ravaged season.
Things have gotten so bad for the team that ahead of their clash against the Cleveland Cavaliers, over 90% of their total payroll are inactive.
In an attempt to regain some sort of depth, the team has turned to former player and top 10 pick Elfrid Payton, who has been parachuted directly into the starting lineup for New Orleans.
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Elfrid Payton is back with the Pelicans, five years after his last stint for the team, as he looks to get his NBA career back on track.
He was with the team during this year’s training camp and pre-season, and now rejoins the squad a month into the season.
Payton entered the league as the 10th pick in the 2014 draft, spending time with Orlando, Phoenix and New York, before playing for the Indiana Mad Ants over the last two seasons, as well as a stint with Puerto Rican side Osos de Manati.
Welcome back to the Pelicans, Elfrid Payton 🙌 pic.twitter.com/hc0ugzSfcZ
— Pelicans Nation (@PelsNationCP) November 21, 2024
Payton’s return to New Orleans comes as the roster finds itself hit hard by injuries; Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollumn, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy, Jose Alvarado, and Jordan Hawkins all currently out with a variety of issues.
These issues are only exacerbated by the fact that former Pelican Dyson Daniels, who the team traded away for Murray in the off-season, is currently in the middle of a break-out season, contending for an All-Defensive position while adding 10 points to his per game averages in Atlanta.
