New Orleans Pelicans Make Additional Roster Moves Before Training Camp

The Pelicans are beefing up their training camp roster ahead of camp next week.

Feb 25, 2020; Fairfax, Virginia, USA; Dayton Flyers guard Jalen Crutcher (10) shoots as George Mason Patriots forward AJ Wilson (12) looks on during the first half at EagleBank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images / Brad Mills-Imagn Images

NBA basketball is right around the corner, with teams holding Media Day events and making final preparations before training camp starts. The New Orleans Pelicans hold their Media Day on September 30th before traveling to Nashville, Tennesee, for training camp sessions. New Orleans made several roster moves ahead of the start of camp.

Former Pelicans guard Elfrid Payton signed a training camp deal last week to join the team in Nashville. Payton is a native of New Orleans who spent one season there. His debut in a Pelicans uniform resulted in a 10-point, 10-rebound, and 10-assist triple-double game. At one point during that season, Payton made history by recording five straight triple-doubles in a year. After one year with the Pelicans, the former John Ehret standout signed a multi-year deal with the New York Knicks.

On Tuesday, New Orleans signed three players to Exhibit-10 deals: Izaiah Brockington, Keion Brooks Jr., and Galen Robinson Jr. The Pelicans then signed 6-foot-2 guard Jalen Crutcher the next day. To make room for Crutcher, New Orleans waived Robinson Jr. from his E-10 contract.

Crutcher was a teammate of Brockington last season on the team's G League affiliate Birmingham Squadron. The former University of Dayton graduate appeared in 33 games for the Squadron, averaging 15.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per contest. Crutcher is second in school history with 584 assists in his collegiate career.

Changes were made to the coaching staff, with the Pelicans hiring former NBA sharpshooter Jodie Meeks to seemingly replace shooting guru Fred Vinson, who took a similar role with the Detroit Pistons this summer. Meeks spent the past couple of seasons with the Squadron coaching staff. The former Kentucky Wildcat guard averaged 37% shooting from three over his ten-year NBA career.

New Orleans also hired former NBA center Greg Monroe as a Player Development coach. Monroe was a lottery pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, having his best statistical years with the Detroit Pistons. In his first five years with the Pistons, Monroe averaged 14.3 points and 9.2 rebounds. The former Helen Cox star is tasked with coaching the young centers on the Pelicans roster, including the team's first-round draft choice this year, Yves Missi. His development will prove crucial to the future direction of the team.

New Orleans will experiment with plenty of small-ball lineups this year, but fast-tracking Missi allows the team to play more traditionally with a tall, athletic big in the middle who can rim run and protect the basket on defense. The Pelicans open their regular season on October 23rd at home against the Chicago Bulls.