Newly Signed Jarrett Jack Has Good Opportunity to Make New Orleans Pelicans Team

The New Orleans Pelicans have signed 13-year veteran guard Jarrett Jack to a one-year non guaranteed deal.

As first reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic, the New Orleans Pelicans have signed the veteran guard and journeyman Jarrett Jack to a one-year deal.

Jack played for the New York Knicks last year appearing in 65 games and averaging 7.5 points and 5.6 assists a game.

This will be the 8th team Jack has played for in his NBA career.

This will actually be Jack’s third stint with the Pelicans. He was traded to New Orleans back in 2010 and played a major role during the then-Hornets playoff run in 2011.

Later, he signed with the Pelicans in 2017 on a 10-day contract, but quickly fell victim to a serious knee injury. Jack acknowledged the signing by tweeting a purple fleur-de-lis on Twitter.

This signing seems a bit odd on the surface level.

If you recall, the Pelicans recently signed two guards to the roster, however, the Los Angeles Clippers ended up matching the offer for Tyrone Wallace, thus retaining his services. That leaves the Pelicans with Jrue Holiday, Ian Clark, Elfrid Payton, Frank Jackson, and Darius Morris vying to make the roster at the guard positions.

Holiday, Clark, and Payton are locks to make the team. After that, things get a little murky.

Jackson has flashed uber potential not only during workouts, but also in the brief stint he was in during Summer League. The reason he had limited playing time is the reason he missed all of last season, injuries.

Simply put, the best player is an available player and so far Jackson has not proved to be, though no fault of his own.

Morris, on the other hand, has not played in the NBA since the 2014-2015 season. He has spent the past few years playing basketball overseas in China. Being away from the NBA for such a stretch usually doesn’t lend itself to a successful return. My guess is Morris does not make the final roster.

That leaves the veteran Jack with a more than decent chance of making the roster in my opinion. A  steady veteran who is a good decision maker is in high demand, and don’t forget the Pelicans did something similar last year when it signed veteran guard Jameer Nelson right after the season started. I think a similar role might be found here for Jack.

The Pelicans were at their best last year when Rondo, a savvy veteran guard with superb decision-making skills, pushed the ball and ran the offense. This freed up Jrue to roam the court, picking his spots when to attack. I can see this combo late in games when a basket is needed in key situations.

So what do you think? Like the decision to bring a veteran guard in? Do you think he can crack the final roster? Let us know what you think in the comment section below.