Former Cal Guard Tyrone Wallace Back in the NBA -- Briefly

Pelicans signed him to two 10-day contracts after he was tearing up the G-League

Former Cal guard Tyrone Wallace was back in the NBA for the first time since the 2019-20 season last month. But his stay in the association lasted only 20 days, and he is back in the G-League.

Wallace, a four-year starter for Cal from 2012-13 through 2015-16, had been tearing up the G-League for the Long Island Nets this season, averaging 21.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.4 steals in 16 games while greatly improving his three-point shooting, hitting 45.7% of his shots from distance.

When the New Orleans Pelicans had a rash of injuries, they signed the 6-foot-5 Wallace to 10-day contract on March 11, then signed Wallace to a second 10-day contract on March 21. In his first appearance for the Pelicans, on March 13, Wallace played nearly 20 minutes, scored seven points on 3-for-6 shooting, including 1-for-2 on three-pointers, added two rebounds with no turnovers. He played 16 and 17 minutes in his next two appearances but made only 2-of-8 shots, including 1-of-5 from distance, in those two games combine. His playing time declined after that.

In his six appearances he averaged 2.8 points and 1.3 rebounds in 12.5 minutes per contest.

The six games for the Pelicans represented Wallace’s first NBA appearances since he played four minutes in a Dec. 4, 2019 game for Atlanta in his third season in the NBA.

Wallace’s two 10-day contracts paid him a combined $198,760, according to HoopsHype, and he received $99,380 for each of Wallace’s 10-day contracts. It’s not chump change to you and me, but it’s a bit shy of the $45 million Steph Curry earns annually.

On March 28, Wallace’s second 10-day contract was terminated and he returned to the Long Island Nets on Thursday. On Friday, Wallace played 32 minutes off the bench, scored 20 points, hit 4-of-7 three-point shots and added nine rebounds and seven assists in Long Island’s 114-99 victory over the Raptors 905.

If the Pelicans wanted to retain Wallace beyond the second 10-day contract they would have had to sign him for the rest of the season.

At Cal, Wallace started 114 games and averaged 12.6 points for his career. His best season was his junior year in 2014-15, when he averaged 17.0 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists. He played his first two seasons under head coach Mike Montgomery and the last two under Cuonzo Martin. The Bears won 20 games in three of Wallace’s four seasons and reached the NCAA tournament twice, winning an opening-round game in 2013.

Tyrone Wallace. Photo by Andrew Wevers, USA TODAY Sports

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Cover photo by Jim Dedmon, USA TODAY Sports

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