MANILA, Philippines - New Orleans Pelicans guard Bryce Dejean-Jones died Friday, May 27 after being shot in the abdomen and bleeding to death, according to multiple reports. He was 23 years old.
"Bryce overcame a lot of obstacles to get to this point in his career," Dejean-Jones' agent Scott Nichols told ESPN. "He was a joy to be around, a talent just turning the corner in his career."
Dejean-Jones, who played college ball at USC, UNLV and Iowa State, wasn't selected in the 2015 NBA Draft but earned enough attention in the D-League with the Idaho Stampede to earn a pair of 10-day contracts with the Pelicans between January and February of 2016 before signing a 3-year deal.
SBNation's Pelicans microsite "The Bird Writes" called Dejean-Jones a "fan favorite," adding: "In a season that quickly spiraled downwards into an unfathomable abyss, the rookie out of Iowa State has been a rare beacon of light."
Dejean-Jones played in just 14 games in the 2015-16 season, averaging 5.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 19.9 minutes. His season was cut short when he suffered a broken right wrist in a February 19 game against the Philadelphia 76ers, according to ESPN. Dejean-Jones played two more games before missing the rest of the season following surgery.
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No additional information on what led to the shooting has been released as of this article's publication. – Rappler.com