G League

Pelicans.com

NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the team has signed guard Jared Harper from the team’s G League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron, to a two-way contract. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Harper, 6-0, 175, appeared in two games with the Pelicans earlier this season, averaging 3.5 points and 1.5 assists in 5.0 minutes per contest. Harper has appeared in 13 career games across three NBA seasons with Phoenix, New York, and New Orleans.

In 29 games for the Squadron this season, Harper averaged 21.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 7.0 assists in 34.5 minutes per game.

New Orleans’ roster now stands at 17 players, including two two-way players.

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Pelicans sign Jared Harper to two-way contract

NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the team has signed guard Jared Harper from the team’s G League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron, to a two-way contract. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. In a related move, the Pelicans waived two-way player Daulton Hommes.

Harper, 6-0, 175, becomes the first Squadron player to receive a GATORADE Call-Up. In 14 games for the Squadron this season, Harper averaged 21.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 32.7 minutes per game. The Atlanta, Ga., native has appeared in 11 NBA contests with New York and Phoenix over the last two seasons.

Harper previously played in the G League with the Northern Arizona Suns and Westchester Knicks, holding career G League averages of 20.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.1 steals in 60 contests.

Harper appeared in 106 career games (104 starts) in three seasons at Auburn (2016-19), averaging 13.5 points and 4.8 assists while shooting .384 in 29.5 minutes per game. The two-time All-SEC Second Team selection led the Tigers to the school’s first-ever Final Four appearance in 2018-19 and ranks fifth in Auburn school history with 511 assists.

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NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the team has recalled center Jaxson Hayes and forward Trey Murphy III from the team’s G League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron.

In last night’s win over the Memphis Hustle, Hayes tallied 17 points, 12 rebounds, and five blocks, while Murphy III notched 18 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists.

Hayes has appeared in 20 games off the bench for the Pelicans this season, holding averages of 5.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks in 11.7 minutes per game. In 144 games (17 starts) over three seasons with New Orleans, Hayes holds career averages of 7.2 points and 4.0 rebounds in 15.8 minutes per contest.

Murphy III is averaging 4.5 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 0.5 assists in 27 games during his rookie campaign with the Pelicans.

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New Orleans Pelicans recall Jaxson Hayes and Trey Murphy III from Birmingham Squadron

NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the team has assigned center Jaxson Hayes and forward Trey Murphy III to the team’s G League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron. Additionally, the Pelicans have transferred two-way player Jose Alvarado to Birmingham.

Hayes, 6-11, 220, has appeared in 144 games (17 starts) in three seasons with New Orleans, averaging 7.2 points and 4.0 rebounds in 15.8 minutes per contest. Hayes has made 20 appearances off the bench this season, holding averages of 5.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks in 11.7 minutes per game.

Murphy III, 6-8, 208, has averaged 4.5 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 0.5 assists in 27 games during his rookie campaign with the Pelicans.

Alvarado, 6-0, 179, has appeared in eight games for New Orleans this season, averaging 1.8 points and 1.1 assists in 5.1 minutes per game.

All three players will be available for the Squadron’s matchup with the Memphis Hustle at Legacy Arena tonight at 7:00 p.m. CST.

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New Orleans Pelicans assign Jaxson Hayes and Trey Murphy III, transfer Jose Alvarado to Birmingham Squadron

NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the team has recalled center Jaxson Hayes and forward Trey Murphy III from the team’s G League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron. Additionally, the Pelicans have transferred two-way player Jose Alvarado from Birmingham.

In last night’s win over the Mexico City Capitanes, Hayes led the Squadron with 30 points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks. Murphy III tallied 18 points and seven rebounds, while Alvarado notched 19 points, six assists, and five rebounds.

Hayes has appeared in 19 games off the bench for the Pelicans this season, holding averages of 5.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks in 12.2 minutes per game. In 143 games (17 starts) over three seasons with New Orleans, Hayes holds career averages of 7.2 points and 4.0 rebounds in 15.9 minutes per contest.

Murphy III is averaging 4.8 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.6 assists in 25 games during his rookie campaign with the Pelicans.

Alvarado has appeared in seven games for New Orleans this season, averaging 2.0 points and 1.3 assists in 5.4 minutes per game.

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New Orleans Pelicans recall Jaxson Hayes and Trey Murphy III, transfer Jose Alvarado from Birmingham Squadron

Hayes, 6-11, 220, has appeared in 143 games (17 starts) in three seasons with New Orleans, averaging 7.2 points and 4.0 rebounds in 15.9 minutes per contest. Hayes has made 19 appearances off the bench this season, holding averages of 5.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks in 12.2 minutes per game.

Murphy III, 6-8, 208, has averaged 4.8 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.6 assists in 25 games during his rookie campaign with the Pelicans.

Alvarado, 6-0, 179, has appeared in seven games for New Orleans this season, averaging 2.0 points and 1.3 assists in 5.4 minutes per game.

The Squadron will host the Mexico City Capitanes at Legacy Arena on Tuesday, December 7 at 7:00 p.m. CST.

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Jim Eichenhofer

When basketball season tips off later this year, New Orleans Pelicans forward Naji Marshall won’t be part of the debut of Birmingham’s G League franchise, but Squadron players might benefit from having Marshall deliver an inspirational pregame speech via Zoom from 300-plus miles away. Undrafted in 2020, the Xavier (Ohio) product rapidly became a G League success story, going from rarely seeing the court for the Pelicans early last season, to starting 10 times in April and May, to leading an unbeaten summer league team in August.

“Just stay ready and show you’re ready to work,” Marshall said, when asked what advice he would give to Birmingham players. “Go out there and play hard, take advantage of every opportunity you get. Stay in the lab, be a great person, just the same things I did. Stick with it. It can be a frustrating process, but (embrace) every chance you get to show what you can do.”

Looking back at a whirlwind last nine months for him, Marshall recognizes that his G League experience was extremely valuable. The 6-foot-7, 220-pounder only appeared in three of New Orleans’ first 37 regular season games in 2020-21, but after returning to the Crescent City from a successful stint in the G League bubble, the 23-year-old played in each of the final 25 contests.

The G League’s 2020-21 campaign was an unusual one for all involved, consisting of a 15-game regular season and an abbreviated playoff format. Marshall averaged 15.5 points and 5.4 rebounds, helping Erie go 11-4, before being eliminated by eventual champion Lakeland.

In the span of less than a month, Marshall demonstrated what he’s capable of doing against professional competition, something that hadn’t been possible while he was on the Pelicans’ early-season roster.

“Obviously (the Pelicans) wanted to know if my game and my skill set transferred over (to the pro level from college),” Marshall said of the importance of his G League action. “So being able to show it, and being able to play the way I did, it got me prepared to come back to the Pelicans.”

Birmingham players will have a much different day-to-day G League experience in 2021-22. Instead of traveling to Orlando and being isolated for a portion of basketball season, the Squadron will benefit from the opportunity to play home games in refurbished Legacy Arena. They’ll be a five-hour drive from New Orleans throughout ’21-22, allowing them to shuttle back and forth between the Gulf South cities when needed, something that wasn’t possible last winter.

Although last season’s G League bubble may have been a less-than-ideal way to begin a pro career, Marshall focused on what he needed to do to put himself in the best position to seize on chances to contribute. His perspective also could serve as an ideal mentality for Squadron players, as they prepare to launch G League basketball in Birmingham this winter.

“I was just waiting for my moment, being ready for whatever that was,” Marshall said of the initial uncertainty surrounding his rookie season. “Whether it was the G League or the NBA, or summer league. Everything I’ve done throughout my life has prepared me for this moment, and every opportunity I get, I’m confident I can take advantage of it.”

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G League experience invaluable piece of Naji Marshall’s success with Pelicans

Get the latest news about Birmingham Basketball and updates about the Pelicans G-League affiliate with our collection of headlines:

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Birmingham Beat: Latest G-League Updates 7-8-21

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