One of the New Orleans Pelicans' 2024 draft picks has found a new home.
Antonio Reeves is signing a two-way deal with the Charlotte Hornets, ESPN's NBA insider Shams Charania reporter.
The Pelicans drafted Reeves in the second round out of Kentucky last season.
The guard played 44 games for the Pelicans as a rookie, peaking toward the end of the season. The 6-foot-5 guard averaged 6.9 points and 1.4 rebounds and shot 39.5% on 3-pointers. He averaged 15.4 points over the last 10 games of the season.
Reeves scored a season-high 34 points in November in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 34 points are the fifth-most points scored by a Pelicans’ rookie in franchise history.
Despite his success down the stretch of the season, the Pelicans waived Reeves in early July. But they kept him on their Summer League roster, which allowed Reeves the opportunity to showcase his talent for other teams. Reeves started all five games for the Pelicans in Summer League play. He averaged 14.4 points and 3.4 rebounds in those games. He shot 46.2% from the floor (31.3% on 3-pointers).
"I think (Antonio) really fought and had a really good Summer League," said Pelicans' Summer League coach Corey Brewer after the team's final game in Las Vegas. "I think he helped himself. I don't know what's going to happen with him. That's not my position, but I think he's a really good player."
In other Pelicans' news, a Pelicans' assistant coach has also found a new home.
Darnel Lazare is joining the Memphis Grizzlies staff, said Drew Hill, Grizzlies reporter for The Daily Memphian.
Lazare, a Lafayette native who played at LSU, is returning to Memphis, where he served as the team's video coordinator in the 2018-'19 season.
Lazare worked with the Pelicans' post players and played a key role in the development of center Yves Missi this past season. The Pelicans drafted Missi in the first round last season and he was expected by some to be more of an unfinished product. But Missi blossomed under Lazare's tutelage and earned second-team honors on the NBA All-Rookie team.
