The New Orleans Pelicans have informed the Erie BayHawks they will decline the option to return to Erie for a third season in 2021-22. New Orleans plans to relocate the team to Birmingham, Alabama.

The Erie management team announced they are pursuing other potential options to keep basketball in Erie beyond this season.

In addition, the NBA G League announced plans to hold the 2020-21 season.

The league will create a bubble site at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. 

The Erie BayHawks are one of 18 G League teams that opted into playing this season. This includes the newly formed G League Ignite team. 11 teams opted not to send G League affiliates to the bubble.

“We are excited to have the opportunity to participate in the upcoming G League season. Our players and staff are looking forward to competing and continuing their development,” said BayHawks general manager Marc Chasanoff. 

The complete game and broadcast schedule will be announced at a later date. 

The top eight teams will advance to a single-elimination playoff.

NBA teams without an NBA G League affiliate playing this winter will have the opportunity to assign roster players and transfer Two-Way players using the league’s flexible assignment and Two-Way rules. 

The Capital City Go-Go, the Washington Wizards NBA G-League affiliate, will enter into an agreement with Erie to flex-assign up to five players during the season. Roster details will be announced soon

Players, coaches, team and league staff living on the NBA G League’s campus will be guided by comprehensive leaguewide health and safety protocols, which are based on the core principles of social distancing, mask wearing, hand hygiene and COVID-19 testing.