A Pelicans traded player exception created in last September’s Quincy Pondexter trade with the Bulls is set to expire if it’s not used by the end of the day on Tuesday. The exception, which is worth $3,853,931, was created last September 1.
[RELATED: Outstanding NBA Traded Player Exceptions]
As we explain in our glossary entry on the subject, traded player exceptions can be used to acquire one or more players whose salaries fits within the amount of the exception (plus $100K). Using their TPE, the over-the-cap Pelicans wouldn’t have to send out any salary if they were to acquire a player earning up to nearly $4MM.
While traded player exceptions generally expire exactly one year after they’re created, they can’t expire on a weekend or holiday, so New Orleans will get a few extra days for this one due to Labor Day weekend.
The Pelicans’ trade exception, the largest of four held by the team, isn’t massive and isn’t likely to be used at the last minute this week. Still, it’s worth mentioning because the Pels don’t have many pathways – besides the minimum salary exception – to add more players to their roster. The team used its mid-level exception on Julius Randle and its bi-annual exception on Elfrid Payton.