New Orleans Pelicans: One Free Agent to Watch in Every Eastern Conference First-Round Series

Meyers Leonard could be the stretch-five the New Orleans Pelicans want.

Meyers Leonard, Center- Miami Heat

This is another series that has a lot of guys that could help the Pelicans, but most of them will likely be priced out of their range, especially this offseason, when there aren’t a lot of top guys and competition for the rest will be fierce.

It became clear in the bubble that the Pelicans needed bigs, as Derrick Favors looked cooked and offers nothing offensively, Jaxson Hayes isn’t ready and Jahlil Okafor is too one-dimensional.

They need a guy who can body other NBA bigs, protect the rim and if he can score a little, that’s a bonus.

Enter Meyers Leonard.

Leonard is a seven footer who shoots 41.4% from 3-point range, has some muscle and size and comes from a winning organization.

There are some knocks on Leonard though, as he is not a great rebounder, doesn’t block shots and is currently making way more money than he is worth.

Leonard was one of the free agents who lucked out and hit free agency when the salary cap went up, so he is overpaid and might not get that much again. However, with the lack of depth in this free agent class, Leonard could hit the lottery again and get another big deal from someone looking for a big who can shoot.

The Pelicans will have to see how the market plays out for Leonard, but he is a guy who could help them for the right price.

Unfortunately, his price tag will probably be too high, just like the rest of the free agents in this series.

Honorable Mentions

Goran Dragic, Point Guard- Miami Heat

Jae Crowder, Forward- Miami Heat

Justin Holiday, Guard- Indiana Pacers

The New Orleans Pelicans won’t have a ton of money to splash around but there are still several free agents who could help fill holes on this roster.

Keep an eye on these Eastern Conference series, as the next Pelicans’ free agent might be playing in one of them.