Two Pelicans players who were traded sat courtside at a game to cheer on their former teammates

• Pelicans guards Josh Hart and Nickeil Alexander-Walker were traded to the Blazers on Tuesday.
• Hart and Alexander-Walker got courtside tickets to the Pelicans game to watch and say goodbye to their teammates.

Josh Hart and Nickeil Alexander-Walker wanted to say goodbye to their teammates before leaving New Orleans for Portland.

Hart and Alexander-Walker were part of a multi-player trade on Tuesday between the Pelicans and Blazers which will send star guard C.J. McCollum to New Orleans.

According to ESPN's Andrew Lopez, both Hart and Alexander-Walker were informed of the deal during practice at Tuesday, but they decided to get courtside tickets to the Pelicans game against the Houston Rockets on Tuesday.

Hart wore Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram's jersey. Hart and Ingram have been teammates since 2017, when they were on the Los Angeles Lakers and were traded togther to New Orleans in the Anthony Davis deal.

"That was special," Ingram said, via Lopez. "It kind of shows the organization that we want to be identified as. Having those guys here and actually being a brother outside of basketball, just really getting along with each other, that was special. It shows their character, too, being traded on this day and supporting the guys they've been with. That's special."

Ingram added: "It was just weird seeing them on the sideline after being on the floor with them. I definitely loved the support. I think I would've done the same thing [for Hart] if I was in his shoes."

After the game, members of the team went over to greet Hart and Alexander-Walker.

After the game, Pelicans head coach Willie Green said it meant a lot to the team to see two former teammates show up to say goodbye.

"I just had never heard of anything like that, so I wasn't really aware of how to feel or how to proceed," Green added. "I'm happy that Josh and Nickeil decided to come because it just speaks volume of who they are but also the bonds and the relationships that they've built here."