Lance Thomas has spent his only two seasons in the NBA with New Orleans, and now he will be back for more. Thomas recently signed a two-year deal with the Pelicans—the second of which is a team option—at the second-year player minimum level.
After two seasons and 19 starts with New Orleans, the Pelicans cut Thomas loose in July to make room for a bevy of new players coming to the team. Despite being waived, Thomas was optimistic about his chances of returning to the Big Easy, and played with the Pelicans in the Las Vegas Summer League. With averages of 7.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, Thomas outplayed the other forwards on his team and further impressed the New Orleans' coaching staff.
Thomas will have an uphill battle for minutes on the Pelicans' revamped roster. The 6-foot-8 forward will open the season behind at least Anthony Davis, Ryan Anderson, Jason Smith and Al-Farouq Aminu for playing time.
The Pelicans' signing of Thomas leaves just a few Blue Devils still out on the open market. Chris Duhon, Shavlik Randolph and Corey Maggette are among the names still looking for employment for the upcoming season.
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