New Orleans Pelicans: Chances of each Pels’ free agent returning
The New Orleans Pelicans are going to have a busy offseason.
Not only do they have five picks in the upcoming NBA Draft, but they have a number of decisions to make about their own free agents.
The Pelicans will have four players in some stage of free agency and could decide not to bring some of them back.
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These are key choices, as they are trying to build around Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram and don’t have a lot of cap space or time to waste on guys who are not good fits.
Here are the four Pelicans’ free agents and the odds that the team will bring them back.
New Orleans Pelicans free agents: James Johnson
Johnson has been a pleasant surprise since coming over from Dallas in the J.J. Redick trade.
He has played more and better than Redick since the trade and Pels’ fans were happy to see a guy who actually contributed something other than whining on a podcast.
Johnson has played good defense and has flashed much better scoring and playmaking than I thought he had. He went from an afterthought in a low-stakes trade to a guy who could be part of the rotation next season.
The New Orleans Pelicans need veterans with some toughness who can play defense and Johnson ticks all of those boxes.
The Pels would probably love to bring him back on a veteran’s minimum deal, but Johnson might be able to get more from another team.
It will really just come down to contract, as the fit is there.
Odds of re-signing James Johnson: 75 percent