New Orleans Pelicans: 3 free agents the Pels should have pursued

(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
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The New Orleans Pelicans missed out on a few free agents who could have helped.

The New Orleans Pelicans have a lot of new faces heading into the 2020-21 NBA season but they could have a few more.

The Pelicans added center Steven Adams, got some depth in Wenyen Gabriel, Willy Hernangomez and Will Magnay and the Pels hopefully drafted their point guard of the future in Kira Lewis Jr.

But even after all of these additions via trade, draft and free agency, the Pelicans still have needs.

That is why it is baffling that the Pels passed on several free agents who could have helped them and would have filled some of their most pressing needs at a discount.

Here are three low-cost free agents the Pelicans may regret not signing.

The New Orleans Pelicans should have signed free agent Nerlens Noel

Nerlens Noel

The Pels entered the offseason with rim protection as a top priority. They were near the bottom of the league in points in the paint allowed and didn’t have a real paint defender after Derrick Favors left in free agency.

They did upgrade the position with Steven Adams but he played just 26 minutes per game last season, so who is going to man the paint the rest of the time?

Hernangomez is nice depth but is not a rim protector, and Gabriel and Magnay are unproven.

Couldn’t the Pels had signed Noel here instead of Hernangomez? Noel got a one year/$5 million deal from the Knicks but for that cost the Pels would have had a solid backup center who has proven he can defend the rim and block shots.

Personally, I’d rather have Noel than all three of the big men the Pels signed. He was a cheap, proven backup who does one of the things the Pels need most.