Oregon guard Jermaine Couisnard signs UDFA contract with New Orleans Pelicans

Following the 2024 NBA Draft, Oregon guard and former South Carolina player Jermaine Couisnard found an NBA home and has signed as an Undrafted Free Agent.

Jake Weingarten of Stockrisers had the news Friday, tweeting out that Couisnard had inked a deal with the Pelicans: “The New Orleans Pelicans have signed UDFA and Oregon standout Jermaine Couisnard, a source told @Stockrisers.”

Couisnard was a sixth-year senior in 2024, using up all of those extra COVID years. The Chicago native has also seen both oceans in his collegiate career, first starting at South Carolina, where he spent four whole seasons before deciding to transfer to Oregon.

Of course, his journey between the two programs was a talking point ahead of Oregon’s first-round matchup against the Gamecocks in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, which the Ducks won going away.

Over the course of his college career, Jermaine Couisnard was a consistent producer, never averaging less than double figures in any of the five seasons he played. In 2024, though, Couisnard finished with his best year, leading Oregon in total scoring at over 16 points per game while also grabbing four rebounds and dishing out three assists per game en route to an All-Pac-12 season.

Now, the grizzled collegiate veteran will try to carve out a spot down in New Orleans.

Other Pelicans rookies

In the first round of the NBA Draft, with pick 21, New Orleans selected Baylor Bears center Yves Missi. Missi came to Baylor from Cameroon as a four-star recruit in the 2023 cycle. There, he was a four-star recruit, according to the On3 Industry Ranking.

In his one season with Baylor, Yves Missi played in 34 games and started 32 of those games while averaging 22.9 minutes per game. For the season, he averaged 10.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 0.4 assists per game. He also shot 61.4 percent from the field, though he did not shoot at all from beyond three-point range, making him an inside threat almost entirely.

They also nabbed an All-American in the second round, selecting Kentucky’s Antonio Reeves at pick 47.

After starting his college career at Illinois State, where he stayed three years, Reeves transferred to Kentucky during the 2022 offseason. He immediately made an impact off the bench in 2022-23, registering 14.4 points and 2.1 rebounds per game for the Wildcats while winning SEC Sixth Man of the Year.

But what he’ll remembered by the Big Blue Nation for best is what he did in 2023-24, taking a massive leap in his final season.

Reeves developed himself an All-American this past year, averaging 20.2 points (the most by one player under Calipari at UK) and 4.2 rebounds in 31.4 minutes per outing.

His shooting splits were borderline unbelievable: 51.2 percent from the floor, 44.7 percent from deep, and 86.3 percent from the line. Reeves was tabbed Third Team All-American by multiple outlets and also made All-SEC First Team.