“I think everybody knows what it is between me and Tim,” Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard said on February 18. “He’s a good friend of mine. Over the last six months I’ve pretty much been with him every day. It’s unfortunate and nobody here wanted to see him go.”

Former Penn State basketball star Tim Frazier has pursued a professional career since his 2014 graduation and after a D-League debut that ended with being named MVP and Rookie of the Year in addition to an NBA double-double, Frazier seemed poised for a bigger role the next year. He found it with the Portland Trail Blazers, manning the bench and stepping up when Lillard and C.J. McCollum were injured as he developed a close friendship with his teammates.

His run in Portland came to an end in mid-February when he was cut at the trade deadline. The day after Frazier was cut, Lillard dropped 51 points for him and honored him in the pre-game handshake line a few days later.

A subtle tribute to @psufraz23 from @Dame_Lillard

[Great find by @JMoPDX] pic.twitter.com/0JdEN6VB06

— Kris (@KrisKoivisto) February 22, 2016

Now, Frazier has his next shot to find a more permanent role. He signed a 10-day contract with the New Orleans Pelicans as the team has been bitten by the injury bug as of late. Starting point guard Jrue Holiday is still the go-to guy with Norris Cole immediately behind him, but Frazier may still see the court after Eric Gordon was announced to be out for the season.

Toney Douglas and Nate Robinson are the other point guards on the Pelicans’ roster, though Robinson only appeared in two games this year.

There’s no doubt Frazier has the college and D-League resume to convince NBA teams to give him a shot. He was a major part of the Trail Blazers’ locker room and his emotional departure just gives him the opportunity to start anew elsewhere, and New Orleans is rolling the dice.

The Blazers visit the Pelicans this Friday, then Frazier and his team will take on the Clippers, Heat, Pistons, and Raptors the next week.