Pelicans Waive Alonzo Gee

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2016 NBA Free Agency: Alonzo Gee finalizing 1-year contract to return to New Orleans Pelicans - The Bird Writes

Alonzo Gee will be back in a New Orleans Pelicans uniform for the 2016-17 season. Gee had opted out back on June 29th, but apparently he had failed to secure a more lucrative contract with 1 of the other 29 teams.

In 72 games last season, Gee averaged 4.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 0.9 steals. He started 38 games for the Pelicans but was likely thrust into a larger role with the team due to the numerous injuries.

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Per ESPN news.

The New Orleans Pelicans waived small forward Alonzo Gee on Monday, ahead of the NBA's 5 p.m. ET deadline to trim rosters to their regular-season limit.

"It was a tough decision," Pelicans general manager Dell Demps said. "What it came down to was team need. We just felt with Lance's ability to play-make, especially with us without Tyreke [Evans] and Jrue [Holiday] to start the season, we felt like we had more of a need for a playmaker, which is why we elected to keep Lance."

Gee, who signed a guaranteed one-year deal with New Orleans this summer after opting out of the final year of his contract ahead of free agency, is owed approximately $1.4 million.

Asked if the money owed to Gee affected the team's thinking, Demps said, "We were doing what was best for the team. Obviously that comes into play, but this was a team decision, a basketball decision."