The 2026 offseason has been a less-than-exciting one for New Orleans Pelicans fans as Joe Dumars appears to be content with giving last season's roster another shot in 2026-27. While I’m not particularly a fan of that approach, that won’t stop me from giving credit to Dumars when a move is made, or in this case, isn’t made. Watching the Memphis Grizzlies give now-former Golden State big man Quinten Post a 3-year $30 million deal (not fully guaranteed after year one) eases the pain that the lack of moves this summer has brought to fans.
Post is a good player, but doesn’t bring nearly enough value to warrant a $10 million annual salary, and for a center-hungry team like the Pelicans, avoiding that signing is a huge win.
This past season, Post averaged 7.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game in 67 games played for the Warriors. At 26 years old, Post fits the Grizzlies' young timeline and could become a real difference-maker over time. But for a team like the Pelicans, making a financial commitment the size of Memphis' to a center would require results to be rather immediate, and that’s just not realistic for Post.
The Pelicans dodged a bullet
On paper, Post checks two important boxes that should be factored in on any center search that New Orleans does, as he is a floor spacer and a true 7-footer. With a career 36.4 percent three-point percentage over 109 career games, Post has built a reputation as a strong pick-and-pop option and trail three-point shooter. Adding a floor spacing five next to Zion Williamson is a dream scenario that Pelicans fans have long been pushing the front office to make happen.
The issue is that while Post is listed at 7-foot, he plays way smaller than his size.
Just as important, if not way more important for the Pelicans in their center search ahead of floor spacing is rim protection and defensive rebounding: two things Post doesn’t do well. Despite his size, Post doesn’t have natural rim-protection ability and is much better suited as a help defender in the paint, which is why he thrived in the Warriors' frontcourt with Draymond Green.
Because Post spent most of his time as a reserve, traditional counting stats don’t fully capture his impact—or limitations. That makes this a good time to look at per-36 stats. He carries a career average of 8.1 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per 36 minutes. For most teams that lack interior presence at his size, that isn’t going to fly, especially for the Pelicans, who already employ a 6-foot-6 power forward with a ton of defensive deficiencies.
Post also has a so-so offensive interior game, ranking in the 3rd percentile in rim scoring efficiency in 2024-25, according to Cleaning the Glass.
So while the Memphis Grizzlies can afford to dish out a nice payday to Quinten Post to be a 7-foot three-point shooter who doesn’t bring much else, the Pelicans couldn’t. And even though this offseason has been rather stagnant for New Orleans, seeing that they aren’t desperate should be an encouraging sign for fans.
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