Mike James, who was signed by the New Orleans Pelicans on January 13th to a two-way contract, has asked for his release from the team according to David Pick, a noted international basketball reporter.
Source: Mike James has requested to be waived by New Orleans to return to Panathinaikos on a deal for the rest of the season. Official soon.
— David Pick (@IAmDPick) February 9, 2018
While at first glance this seems highly unusual, this particular situation is not. James’ days of remaining in New Orleans and earning a better salary were numbered as he was approaching his 45-day limit of remaining on the NBA level.