Pels waive veteran Temple in cost-cutting move

The New Orleans Pelicans have waived veteran Garrett Temple, the team announced Wednesday.

Temple was set to make $5.4 million this season. The Pelicans previously agreed to push back the guarantee date on Temple’s contract from June 30 to July 7 to give the team a chance to explore a possible trade.

With the move, the Pelicans are still slightly more than $1 million over the luxury tax line.

Temple, 37, is a native of nearby Baton Rouge and graduated from LSU in 2009. He made his NBA debut in February 2010 and played on several 10-day contracts before catching on with the Washington Wizards, where he played for four seasons from 2013 to 2016.

Temple, who has played for 11 teams, spent the past two seasons with New Orleans after arriving via the sign-and-trade deal that sent Lonzo Ball to the Chicago Bulls in summer 2021. He played in a total of 84 games with New Orleans, as he was used sparingly as a reserve. He averaged 2.0 points in 25 games last season.