New Orleans Pelicans: Will Magnay’s unique skills could boost the interior

The New Orleans Pelicans won the sweepstakes for Australian big man Will Magnay

Over the holiday, the New Orleans Pelicans made a small move to fill out their roster. As announced by ESPN, the organization is officially signing Australian big man Will Magnay from the NBL to a two-year, two-way contract.

My instant reaction to this move was that I liked it because it showed that David Griffin’s front office is continuing to explore leagues across the globe for talent that’ll help improve this team, after signing Nicolo Melli from Europe the last offseason. Once I read what ESPN had to say about this move though, I found out that the Pelicans actually won a little sweepstake for this player.

It turns out that the Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, and San Antonio Spurs all had an interest in signing Magnay, but it was the Pelicans that won out. From there, what initially seemed like a small move has turned into a substantial one. After doing some more research on Magnay’s game, I found that he could play a pivotal role in the Pelicans’ future.

Why Will Magnay’s skillset fits the New Orleans Pelicans and how can it help their future

Looking at Will Magnay’s physical profile, you’ll see a big man who’s still only 22-years-old and stands at 6’10” with a 234-pound frame. Unlike last season’s overseas signing of Nicolo Melli, Magnay is far from a polished player but has a skillset that could rock the NBA.

During last season with the NBL, Magnay played his second professional season in a league that tends to overplay older players. The result was 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game in 21 minutes of action. You might think that’s not great, but in those limited minutes, Magnay led the league in blocked shots and won Most Improved Player.

However, it’s the skills of the player and not the production the New Orleans Pelicans looked at. Most NBA teams know that a lot of overseas leagues prefer playing guys that are well into their thirties over younger prospects. So, what does Magnay bring to the table?

Put on the tape of Magnay, and you’ll see a player who could be the next unicorn at the NBA level or at least a solid stretch big in a rotation. That’s because he is extremely mobile and athletic. He’s able to get into the paint and block shots, but also move out to the perimeter to nail 3 pointers.

That should excite every Pelicans fan out there because a player with his traits is exactly the type to excel under head coach Stan Van Gundy.  As indicated by the two-way contract, Magnay will need time to acclimate to the NBA and develop the proper fundamentals, but if he does watch out, he could be the stretch big that I believe Van Gundy needs to make his offense work.

Adding another inside-outside threat to this Pelicans roster is dangerous. The team’s frontcourt is already much improved from what it was last year with the additions of Steven Adams and Wenyen Gabriel. Adding Magnay to the mix gives the organization an incredible group of athletic frontcourt players to work with when also considering Zion Williamson and Jaxson Hayes.

It’ll be interesting to see how quickly Magnay’s game adjusts to the NBA and what he can become. Even if we don’t see him much early in the season, this signing should make fans feel excited that the New Orleans Pelicans are continuing to put together another strong offseason, and getting ready to compete in 2021.