Official waiver in New Orleans
The New Orleans Pelicans have waived forward Christian Shumate, effective September 14, leaving him without an NBA team just one day after adding him to their preseason roster. The move confirms his exit from the franchise and opens the usual path toward G League affiliate Laketown Squadron.
The transaction appears in NBA.com oficial and was confirmed by Hoops Rumors, which places the cut in the September 14 transaction log after the training-camp agreement signed the previous day.
Shumate profile
Shumate, a 6-foot-6 wing who turns 24, went undrafted in 2025 after four seasons at McNeese State. He was an All-Southland selection in each of those years and the conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2024 and 2025. Last season he followed the Exhibit 10 routine: signed with the Pelicans, was waived before opening night and played 40 games with the affiliate, then the Birmingham Squadron, averaging 11.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 26.9 minutes.
Hoops Rumors notes that the new waiver does not break New Orleans project continuity: Shumate fits the Exhibit 10 pathway of players who pass through the main preseason roster before continuing their development in the G League.
What the waiver means
By leaving the main roster, Shumate no longer occupies a training-camp spot and becomes a free agent until his next step within the Pelicans ecosystem is defined. The most likely scenario leads to the Laketown Squadron, the affiliate now based in Kenner, Louisiana, for the 2026-27 campaign.
If he eventually joins the affiliate and spends at least 60 days in the G League, he could earn an Exhibit 10 bonus worth up to $91,000. For New Orleans, the cut frees a roster spot on a team that had reached the offseason limit of 21 players under contract after signing Shumate on September 13.
Roster context
The move fits the dynamic the Pelicans have repeated with non-guaranteed deals designed to secure rights in Laketown rather than lock roster spots on the main NBA team. Shumate still leaves open the door to a two-way contract, as New Orleans keeps one opening in that format.
