New Orleans Pelicans rumors: Pelicans looking at Nate Wolters for 10-day contract

With two open roster spots thanks to a couple of roster moves the last few weeks, the New Orleans Pelicans rumors and reports were bound to start arriving. Tonight we saw the first as the Pelicans reportedly expressed interest in a recently waived guard. 

It’s only been one day after the New Orleans Pelicans officially traded for Quincy Pondexter, yet management is rumored to be working on another addition to the roster.

ESPN’s Marc Stein is reporting the Pelicans are making a push to get free agent guard Nate Wolters signed to a 10-day deal.

Wolters spent most of this season and the year prior with the Milwaukee Bucks. His rookie season a year ago showed quite the promise, as he averaged 7.2 points and 3.2 assists in 22.6 minutes per game. However, the Bucks suddenly rose to playoff contention this season and had made the decision to acquire Kendall Marshall and Jerryd Bayless this past offseason. Wolters fell in the rotation and only averaged 12.9 minutes per game this season in just 11 games before Milwaukee waived Nate just five days ago. Wolters cleared waivers today. 

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Wolters was drafted with the 38th pick in the 2013 NBA draft after four seasons at South Dakota State. He’s a good pick-and-roll guard, who has struggled to be consistent shooting the ball from the field. He’s not a guy whose going to shoot a lot of threes, as his most effective weapon is his mid-range jumper, along with attacking the basket. A lot of Wolters game is a work in progress. He is labeled as a point guard, yet in Milwaukee saw a lot of time playing off the ball. He is not a flashy guard, but when he needs to, he can score the ball effectively.

While 2012-2013 was a tough season for the Bucks, Wolters became one of the bright spots. His highlight game of his career was against the San Antonio Spurs on on December 11th, 2013. He put up 18 points, seven assists, two steals and a block in 30 minutes. Watching the highlights, the potential is there to become a solid bench guard for the future. Wolters can turn on the aggression when he needs to, and makes smart decisions on the floor without turning the ball over.

The Pelicans are looking to see what they can find on the free agent market for cheap after opening up a roster spot with the Pondexter deal. Wolters gives them another guard they can put in the game if Tyreke Evans, Eric Gordon or Jimmer Fredette get in foul trouble or find themselves in a funk. It’s another calculated move from Dell Demps. Nate is a buy-low type candidate for the Pelicans in a season that has a lot of uncertainty, with a chase for a playoff spot in the West. 

If Wolters joins the Pelicans, it will be interesting to see how his minutes will be distributed alongside the four guards the Pelicans already have. New Orleans have been running Tyreke as the backup shooting guard off the bench with Jimmer Fredette as the backup point, while Eric Gordon and Jrue Holiday hold the starting roles. This is the second guard the Pelicans have signed during the season so far. Gal Mekel was signed by New Orleans on December 5th, however the Pelicans waived him just 14 days after signing him. Wolters could bring a new spark to a bench that only scored 32 points against the Celtics last night, 19 of those being from Tyreke Evans. It’s an interesting move to keep an eye on, as the Pelicans look to spice things up at a make-it or break-it point of the season.