Oregon Ducks' Jermaine Couisnard Makes NBA Summer League Debut

Former Oregon Ducks guard Jermaine Couisnard made his NBA Summer League debut Thursday for the New Orleans Pelicans. Despite his successful college career, Couisnard has struggled to find consistent playing time during the NBA 2K25 Summer League.

Mar 21, 2024; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Oregon Ducks guard Jermaine Couisnard (5) waves as he walks off the court after the Oregon Ducks beat the South Carolina Gamecocks in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at PPG Paints Arena. / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

LAS VEGAS- Oregon Men's Basketball's Jermaine Couisnard has entered the next phase of his basketball Career. On June 28, the former Duck signed with the New Orleans Pelicans as an undrafted free agent. Despite Couisnard being on the Pelican's Roster, the former Oregon stand-out has seen very little court time.

"There's certain guys, truthfully, that are priorities," Pelicans Summer League coach Aaron Miles said.

Couisnard made his Summer League debut on Thursday against the Memphis Grizzlies, logging just three minutes in the Pelicans' 88-77 loss. The Oregon product contributed one rebound but missed his only three-point attempt.

Mar 21, 2024; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Oregon Ducks guard Jermaine Couisnard (5) brings the ball up court during the first half of the game against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at PPG Paints Arena. / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Pelicans are now 0-4 at the NBA2K25 Summer League. New Orleans has struggled offensively throughout the Summer League, shooting 30.5 percent from beyond the arc as a team. Their shooting woes were evident in Tuesday's 90-85 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. During the game, the Pelicans connected on just 30.8% of their three-pointers compared to the Spurs' 41.9%.

The Pelicans were able to compensate for their lack of shooting by moving the ball inside to center Karlo Matkovic, who went off for 25 points, but it was not enough to get their first win of Summer League.

Couisnard, a proven scorer who averaged 16.6 points per game for Oregon last season, has yet to showcase his abilities in Las Vegas. Last season at the University of Oregon, Couisnard led the team in scoring with 597 points on the season. Couisnard ranked sixth in the Pac-12 in steals and eighth in points, a conference that boasted four first-round picks and five second-round picks in the 2024 NBA Draft.  

Jul 13, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Fans walk outside the Thomas & Mack Center before the start of an NBA Summer League game between the Portland Trailblazers and the San Antonio Spurs. / Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Couisnard's addition could elevate the Pelicans' offense. Despite his lack of playing time, Pelicans coach Miles is pleased with what he has seen from Couisnard in practices and shootarounds.   

"He's been working really hard," Miles said. "He was good in our training camp."  

The New Orleans Pelicans will play their final game of the NBA 2K Summer League on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. PDT against the Dever Nuggets.