When the New Orleans Pelicans acquired Norris Cole at the NBA trade deadline not much was thought of the move. The Pelicans took in a player that the Miami Heat were desperate to get rid of thanks to some awful play for the price of just John Salmons. Considering what the Pelicans trotted out at backup point guard for most of the season the move made a lot of sense as a low risk, high reward type of gamble.
As it turns out the reward was higher than anyone could have realistically guessed, as Cole transformed from bad in Miami to borderline bench star in New Orleans and helped the Pelicans make the NBA playoffs.