There aren’t too many positives to take away from the New Orleans Pelicans’ disastrous 3-18 start to the season. Outside of their two standout rookies, silver linings have been few and far between. In recent weeks, however, the emergence of Saddiq Bey has been fun to watch and should give Pelicans fans a little bit more hope for the future.
Pelicans Hit a Home Run by Taking a Chance on Saddiq Bey
Bey put up his fourth double-double in the last five games with his 22 points and 11 rebounds against the Lakers on Sunday. He shot 9/13 from the field and hit 3/4 from three in 33 minutes of action. He has been the first man off the bench when the Pelicans are healthy and a spot starter whenever there is an absence. Regardless of whether Zion Williamson, Herb Jones, or another starter out, the Pelicans insert Bey into the lineup to give them solid three-and-D play.
In his 12 starts this season, Bey is averaging 16.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game while hitting 42.7% of his threes. He is strong, can guard multiple positions, and spaces the floor offensively. When defenders close out on him, he can attack the basket or keep the ball moving.
For a player who has missed the entire 2024-25 season with a torn ACL, this is an impressive bounce-back. The Pelicans acquired Bey in the trade where they gave up CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk, and a future second-round pick in exchange for Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey, and the 40th-overall pick that became Micah Peavy. Exchanging McCollum for Poole while taking on an additional year of $34 million in salary was criticized. However, Peavy looks like a steal and Bey has been much better than expected, making that trade look like a solid deal for New Orleans in hindsight.
Bey is under contract for another season after this, making $6.4 million. This bargain of a deal should be attractive around the league. The Pelicans could keep him around as a solid rotation player on a cheap contract, but they need to be in asset accumulation mode. There should be plenty of contenders willing to give up draft capital or an intriguing young player for Bey at the trade deadline. Decent role players in a premium position who make around $6 million a year are near impossible to find. The Pelicans found themselves a diamond in the rough.
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