New Orleans Pelicans: A Forgotten Point Guard Worth Considering

The New Orleans Pelicans need to find value in free agency.

The New Orleans Pelicans won’t have a ton of money to spend in free agency if and when they extend Brandon Ingram with a max contract.

They still have several weaknesses in the roster and will have to fill them through the draft and free agency unless they make a splashy trade.

One way to do this is to look for reclamation projects, guys with potential that were either overlooked, not used properly or just didn’t get a chance to develop with the right team.

There are also guys like Jimmy Butler, who come around more slowly than others for whatever reason, but end up blossoming into eventual All-Stars.

One of the needs the Pelicans have is a back up point guard. Their own backup, Frank Jackson, is an unrestricted free agent and the Pelicans have given no indication either way whether they plan to pursue him.

Jackson came on late in the season and played well in the bubble, but if some other team makes him a sizable offer, it’s hard to imagine the Pelicans digging too deep into their bag to match it.

Jackson was a nice player, but he’s not worth much more than he’s making now, at least not to the Pelicans.

They may have to find their backup point guard in free agency. They could go the veteran route with someone like D.J. Augustin, who makes some sense given his experience and the fact that he is from New Orleans.

But guys like him might not come cheap in a weak free agent class and Augustin may end up getting more than the Pelicans are willing or able to offer.

Another option is to take a chance on a project, a guy who has flashed potential, but hasn’t quite gotten there yet.