Here is the press release from the team:
The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the team has waived Darius Miller and Patric Young.
Miller appeared in five games (one start) this season for the Pelicans, averaging 0.4 points and 0.2 rebounds in 8.6 minutes per game. Selected by New Orleans in the second round (46th overall) of the 2012 NBA Draft, Miller has appeared in 102 career games (10 starts) over the last three seasons and averaged 3.1 points and 1.3 rebounds in 14.3 minutes per game.
Young, who signed with the Pelicans as an undrafted free agent prior to the 2014-15 season, played in seven preseason games for New Orleans and averaged 1.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 9.3 minutes per game.
New Orleans’ roster stands at 13.
Both players were on deals that were reportedly only partially guaranteed. If either player is picked up on the waiver wire, the Pelicans will have no cap effects. If not, then they will. Young’s deal was only $55k guaranteed for this season, but has earned more than this. So he’s a no-marginal-cost waiving, as the cap his is just what he was paid. Miller’s deal was $400,000 guaranteed this season, so that will be his cap hit. The stretch provision has no effect here.
These waivings could indicate any number of things including:
- A big trade
- A medium trade
- A small trade
- Small free agent signings (e.g. Babbitt-like)
- Allowing Miller, Young to get minutes elsewhere
These partially guaranteed players could have been included in trades in which teams were looking to cut salary, and they could have been used to allow the Pelicans to take back more salary than just using the remaining 13 players in trades. Trades are, of course, quite complex, and Dell Demps does not shy away from deals with many moving parts. That said, these kinds of contracts proved to be valuable trade currency this summer, and here the team is giving them away. This is at least circumstantial evidence that clearing the roster spots is more important than taking back salary. Of course, whatever trade that might be in the works may not work with those players on this roster or with them going to a trade partner, so it could actually be a precursor to a trade.
The team has also parted ways with players in the past to let them go get minutes while saving small amounts of money (e,g, Warrick).
Complicated.
Like everyone else, we’ll be thinking about this and keeping our eyes and ears open.
10 responses to “New Orleans Pelicans Waive Miller, Young”
I think Demps waived they because a Trade is coming VERY soon.
Don’t forget, because we sign Miller And Young in OffSeason, Demps can’t Trade this two guys First of 15/12
So, he need dump they
Is it possible that to get a decent player via a trade we are taking a bad contract – hence need 2 spots? But then why wouldn’t we just include one or more of these worthless players in the trade? Confused
6thMan
One spot is supposedly for Dante Cunningham, who is about to be reinstated by the NBA. So no team has his rights and there is no trade. Maybe the Pelicans are signing a D League player or a European player with the other spot. If so, no trade is involved there either.
Great move. I know they are not done. I expect Jimmer, Salmon, possibly Babbitt to go. Rivers will be traded , but it’s hard for me to imagine he has much value. The other three guys, really have no value. When they leave they will be out of the league , for good. I know there are better players, with more talent in the D league. Surprisingly , Miller retrogress, he show more promise as a rookie. How does a young player get worse? Rivers falls in that category of ,Not like father. Seldom does a pro athlete son have equal or better ability. There few exceptions, Barry Bonds, Peyton Manning, Curry with Golden State , Byrd with the Saints , the Matthews boys from the NFL , I am probably leaving out a few other pro athlete father/son compo.
Hoopshype had a rumor that the Pels were on the phones re: trade…. Deadline for the FA signings is 15th of December or so… might be a trade around then. As much as I don’t want it… I’d guess, Gordon; Ryno or Rivers would be on the block if the rumor is right… time will tell… fingers crossed for a good one with a starting SF.
Just listened to the podcast, and there was some talk about Anderson and Evans going out and a “dynamic 2-way wing coming back. No names were mentioned. I find it hard to think of who it could be that would be both available and worth it. Obviously the really top tier 3s are not available, period (Lebron, KD). An exciting young 3: Butler, Leonard, G Howard, Wiggins, J Parker – also completely unavailable. Players that might be available: jeff Green -etc – don’t really seem worth it. Anybody have a realistic name that they are excited about?
I was talking this over recently. The question of availability is, of course, the issue.
Holiday was not obviously available. Asik was made available for a long time and no one bit. It was not clear that Ryno or Evans were actually detachable. They all were.
Also, to be clear, what I was saying was not trying to find a guy better than them together. The idea is to get that guy in… and stuff…
There are other options.
xman20002000 Cant shoot from the bench, or what minutes you do play (multiple DNP’s thus far) hard to be “a shooter” when the team doesnt pass…
Jason Calmes thanks for the reply
I think fan bases often fall in love with the own guys and over-value them; having said that I think Ryno is one of the best stretch 4s in the league on a very reasonable contract. I would love to keep him, but having a great 6th man, and two great power forwards doesn’t really make a lot of sense with all the other wholes we have. But if we lose Ryno and Tyreke, then we have to fill the 2, the 3, a back-up 4, replace Ryno’s shooting and still round out something resembling a respectable bench. That’s a lot of gaps. In the end, it all comes down to what Dell can get for the guys. The other worry, even if we got good return, is that with such a wholesale change in key players would be the impact on team chemistry?
To get “your guys,” you disrupt the present chemistry. After all, that chemistry does not apply to “your guys.”
Plus, the way the cap works, you grab the big contracts early with space, then fill in with the MLE, trades (which can then bring in guys above the MLE), and start drafting.
High minutes guys first, then fill in.
Having these nice and/or big chips sitting there from “the cap space days” can help you bring in big contracts once those days are over.