It didn't take long for Jimmer Fredette to make a return to the National Basketball Association (NBA), although his stint is a non-guaranteed one.
With the New Orleans Pelicans saddled with injuries to key players, Fredette has been given a chance to play with the struggling franchise under the injury hardship exception.
Under NBA rules, once any of the injured players on the Pelicans roster (Kendrick Perkins, Tyreke Evans, Norris Cole, and Omer Asik among others) return, the team will have to release either Fredette or someone from the roster to satisfy the required 15-player roster. Fredette is technically the 16th player for the Pelicans.
The former lottery pick who was selected 10th in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings has struggled to stay with an NBA club. Fredette was last seen with the San Antonio Spurs but was eventually waived last Oct. 21.
Fredette was all set to suit up for the Westchester Knicks in the NBA D-League after he was selected second overall in the recent draft. The selection was seen as a possible jump for him to the New York Knicks who still have one available slot.
With the signing of his former ball club, the former BYU star takes a detour for now with his future depending on how he performs for the time being that the Pelicans are undermanned.
Fredette already played one game for the Pelicans, although his fielding was not really something that could indicate his value for now. Apparently, Fredette is still trying to feel his way back into the rotation and hopefully future games will reveal if he will stay or go back to the Knicks once any of the injured players return.
Until that time comes though, Fredette is just happy to be back playing NBA ball.
"It's awesome to be able to be back," Fredette said in a post-game interview, as reported by Times-Picayune. "It's great to be able to get a win and move forward from here no," he added.
