The New Orleans Pelicans opened the 2025-26 season with a 128-122 loss to the Ja Morant-led Memphis Grizzlies, but exhibited potential throughout the contest.
A day after the six-point road defeat, though, the Pelicans opted to cut ties with a 23-year-old former Boston Celtics NBA champion guard.
“The New Orleans Pelicans have waived guard Jaden Springer,” HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported Friday.
Springer has struggled to find a stable NBA home in the early going. The Tennessee product began his career with the Philadelphia 76ers after getting drafted by the franchise in 2021.
The former McDonald’s All-American spent 2.5 uneventful seasons in Philadelphia before getting traded to the Celtics in February of 2024.
Things didn’t get much better for Springer at his second stop, as he was never a regular part of Joe Mazzula’s rotation in Boston (he only averaged 1.9 points per game while playing 6.5 minutes in 43 contests.
As a result, the Celtics shipped Springer to the Utah Jazz midway through the 2024-25 season.
After being waived by the Jazz in July despite inking a three-year contract with the organization, Springer signed with the Pelicans, a move that was also short-lived.
The 6-foot-4 guard didn’t appear in the Pelicans’ first regular-season game, but contributed 3.5 points per game in two preseason outings.
With the new NBA season just getting underway, Springer has ample time to sign a new deal elsewhere.
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