Norris Cole reportedly to remain with Pelicans, agrees to one-year deal
As recently as yesterday, it was believed that contract talks between Norris Cole and the New Orleans Pelicans remained at a standstill.
Cole was a restricted free agent, and since the Pelicans could simply match any offer he received from another team, he was always unlikely to play anywhere else. He also wasn't likely to see an offer come rolling in at this late stage of things, with teams around the league having already committed most of their available money under the salary cap.
Because Cole didn't receive the big-money long-term deal he was seeking, he ended up signing the one-year qualifying offer that New Orleans had offered, which will pay him $3.03 million this season and allow him to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
The deal was confirmed by multiple reporters, including Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports.
In 28 games with the Pelicans last season, Cole averaged 9.9 points and 3.2 assists in 24.4 minutes.
