As far back as three summers ago, when Chris Copeland was a restricted free agent following his stellar rookie NBA season with New York, the forward believed he was destined for the Crescent City. The Pelicans were one of several teams interested in Copeland, after he shot a scorching 42.1 percent on three-pointers.
“There were times when I woke up in the morning and was like, ‘I’m going to New Orleans,’ ” Copeland remembered. “It was that close.”
Ultimately though, the Indiana Pacers added the 6-foot-9, 239-pounder via a two-year contract. In 2015, he became a free agent again and considered New Orleans, before signing in Milwaukee.