New Orleans Pelicans sign former Florida State forward
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Training camp is beginning around the NBA on Tuesday as teams prepare for their respective campaigns. At this point of the year, some clubs are still trying to fill out their rosters. During training camp, teams are allowed to carry up to 20 players before cutting down to 15 regular contracts and 2 two-way players by October 18.
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On Saturday, the New Orleans Pelicans announced that the franchise was signing former Florida State big man John Butler. The Pelicans are capped at 20 players with the addition of Butler and Zylan Cheatham.
The South Carolina native earned a training camp deal after impressing during the summer league. He averaged 8.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1 block while appearing in four games, with two starts. Butler shot 12/16 (75%) from the floor, 6/9 (66.7%) from three-point range, and 4/7 (57.1%) from the line.
The majority of his production came in New Orleans' 107-71 win over Oklahoma City on July 17. Butler put up 25 points, 7 rebounds and 1 block in 34 minutes. He shot a perfect 9/9 from the floor and 6/6 from distance.
Butler put together a poor performance during the NBA pre-draft process but it was still slightly surprising when he went undrafted over the summer. It was even more surprising when it took him nearly a week to sign with a team and only on a summer league deal rather than a two-way contract. Butler parted with his agent in the aftermath.
The South Carolina native departed from Florida State after one season where he averaged 5.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 31 games. Butler became the first true freshman in school history to lead the team in three-point shots made (33) and three-point field goal shooting percentage (39.3%). He scored a career-high 16 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks and a steal during the Seminoles' 74-70 win over Notre Dame late in the year. Butler shot 4/5 from deep against the Irish.
New Orleans has one two-way contract remaining after signing undrafted free agent Dereon Sebron to a deal earlier this month. That remains Butler's most likely path onto the roster.
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Stick with NoleGameday for more coverage of Florida State football throughout the season.
