Former Kansas guard Melvin Council Jr. signs with Pelicans

Melvin Council Jr. has his first NBA opportunity, signing with the New Orleans Pelicans after going unselected in the 2026 NBA Draft. His agency, Seros Partners, announced the move Thursday morning, giving the former Kansas guard a quick path from Lawrence to Las Vegas.

For Kansas fans, the signing is less a surprise than a sign of how Council’s game traveled. The 6-foot-4, 180-pound guard from Rochester, New York, arrived at KU after stops at Monroe College, Wagner College and St. Bonaventure, then used a one-time NCAA waiver that allowed certain former non-NCAA-school players to remain eligible in 2025-26. He became a one-season Jayhawk, but in that year he started all 35 games and averaged 12.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.1 assists.

Council’s value showed up in the biggest moments. His defining night came at N.C. State, where he scored 36 points in a 77-76 overtime win and made nine 3-pointers after entering the game 5-for-27 from deep on the season. He also played with a clear edge in comeback wins and rivalry games, the kind of production that made him hard to forget in a short Kansas career.

Scouts also had a second data point beyond the Big 12 season. At the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament in April, Council earned MVP honors while helping Portsmouth Sports Club win the title, averaging 19.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists. The tournament says it has more than 400 alumni in professional basketball around the world and more than 65 alumni who played in at least one NBA game last season, which helps explain why a strong showing there can still open doors for an undrafted player.

The next step is not a finished contract story, but a tryout in NBA clothes. The Pelicans’ official Summer League schedule runs July 9-19 in Las Vegas, and that is where Council will get his first chance to translate his Kansas production into a longer look. New Orleans is also in the middle of a reset after a 21-61 season and hired Jamahl Mosley as head coach on May 18, which leaves room for younger players who can defend, pass and make plays under pressure.

For Lawrence, Council’s path is a familiar one in a new era of roster churn. Kansas has become a place where transfers can arrive, produce immediately and move on quickly, and Council’s jump from one strong season in Allen Fieldhouse to an NBA invitation shows how sharply that pipeline can work when a guard leaves with size, feel for the game and a résumé built on big moments.