Philadelphia 76ers: It looks like Norvel Pelle is headed back to the G League
The NBA dreams of one former Philadelphia 76ers center aren’t over just yet.
Back in February – before the world truly knew what lay just over the horizon – 2020 looked like it was going to be Norvel Pelle‘s year.
After bouncing around the world – literally – playing basketball for pretty much anyone who would have him, Pelle was finally signed to a two-way contract, made his NBA debut as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, and was even rewarded for his efforts by receiving a legit full-on, partially guaranteed contract.
Surely things were looking up for the 27-year-old rookie, but unfortunately, good times weren’t meant to last for the ‘one man block party.’
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With Brett Brown out and the dynamic duo of Daryl Morey and Doc Rivers Philly bound, the Sixers made some pretty drastic roster revamps heading into the 2020-21 NBA season. Gone were ill-conceived additions like Al Horford and Josh Richardson, and in their place came fantastic fits like Seth Curry, Danny Green, and Dwight Howard, who will surely make Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons’ lives a whole lot easier.
While those moves will surely define the forthcoming season, Morey and company also opted to revamp the bottom of the team’s roster too – shuffling in young role players like Tony Bradley, Vincent Poirier, Paul Reed, Dakota Mathias, Terrance Ferguson, and Isaiah Joe at the expense of Raul Neto, Kyle O’Quinn, Marial Shayok, and yes Pelle.
As – get this – the oldest center on the roster, Pelle’s upside was effectively zero, and instead of investing a roster spot on a big man good for about 10 minutes of action a night, Morey opted to instead invest in younger options like Bradley, Poirier, and even Reed, who can all bring similar energy but present far more offensive upside.
But it’s cool. While I’m sure Pelle would have liked to have remained with the team in whatever role he was afforded, it’s not too uncommon for a new regime to reconfigure a roster in their desired image. Pelle proved he could play in this league, and it’d just be a matter of time before some other, probably rebuilding squad gave the St. John’s, Antigua, and Barbuda native a call.
Ultimately, that statement proved to be true… until it didn’t.
Fast forward to December 19th, and Pelle had officially agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract to join the Cleveland Cavaliers. Obviously, this was great news for the second-year center, but one day later, his fates would change once more, as he was waived by the team to get their roster down to 17.
Why you might ask, would the Cavs sign a player only to waive him the next day? Well, I’m glad you asked!
You see, according to our friends over at NBC Sports Boston, an Exhibit 10 contract is a one-year deal worth the league minimum that guarantees a training camp invite. A player signed to said contract can either have his Exhibit 10 contract converted into a two-way contract or be waived. If it’s the latter, he will be offered $50,000 to sign with said team’s G League affiliate.
In layman’s terms? The Cavs effectively signed Pelle to secure his G League rights.
Sidebar: The 76ers did the exact same thing to secure 2020 G League MVP Frank Mason III‘s services in Delaware this fall.
In theory, this is a pretty fantastic consolation prize for Pelle. Even though he (probably) won’t be on an NBA roster this fall, he gets to remain employed playing basketball stateside, learn a new system of a pretty bad basketball team, and showcase his abilities to talent evaluators league-wide. With rim-running big men at a premium in the NBA today, said Exhibit 10 contract could be the key to landing a long-term opportunity once and for all – maybe with a team like the Miami Heat, the Houston Rockets, or even the rebuilding Cavaliers.
Next. Dwight Howard is an absolute revelation. dark
So sorry to let you down, but Norvel Pelle isn’t going to be headed back to Delaware – except for when the Canton Charge make their way to the Fieldhouse for a regular season contest. As a fan of the Philadelphia 76ers, you love to see a former player get an opportunity to continue on with their dreams, even if it’s no longer in a red, white, and blue jersey. As a card-carrying OG member of Pelle’s #blockparty, I’m all about it.