As reported by the New Orleans Pelicans across social media and on their website, they have signed Jaden Springer. The details of this deal haven't been disclosed. It's cool how old-fashioned New Orleans is going about this signing, as it's not a source from ESPN or HoopsHype. Instead, it's coming straight from the Pelicans.
This signing caught me extremely off guard, as no one reported anything about Springer after the Utah Jazz waived him. That being said, I'm incredibly excited about this pickup.
Springer is an excellent defender who has an incredibly strong frame that he uses to bully players defensively. Offensively, he has great instincts around the rim and is good at drawing contact. His three-point shot is shaky and needs to improve. Overall, his offensive game is still an unfinished product.
For someone who has been in the NBA for only 4 years, Springer has experienced so many different parts of the NBA. Most recently, he was in Utah playing for a bottom-feeder. Prior to that, he was in Boston as part of the 2024 championship team, and before that, he was a youngster fighting for minutes on the 76ers. These different experiences mean he'll be ready for whatever this season throws at the Pelicans.
Springer is going to have a major chip on his shoulder
This is about to be one of those posts where I talk about a player's stats and all the great things their numbers show, because with a career average of less than 9 minutes per game, numbers aren't going to tell you anything.
His career average of just 8.8 minutes per game tells us that teams see something in Springer. It's borderline impossible to stick around for four years in the NBA, especially when you aren't a consistent part of some team's rotation, unless you are hard-working and talented.
Springer is still just 22 years old and has tons of untapped potential. Although he may not bring the same level of veteran presence that Malcolm Brogdon or Amir Coffey could have, he is going to play with hunger. Springer is at a point now where he's bounced around, been traded, and waived a couple of times, meaning he's probably ready to find a home and stay there. It's like that saying that someone is rapping like the rent is due, while Springer is going to be hooping like the rent is due, because this could be a make-or-break year for him.
I like that Joe Dumars is willing to take a flyer on Springer, I like the risk-taking. He fits perfectly into Dumars' agenda of having extremely hard-working players, and who knows, maybe the formerly ranked 13th recruit in the class of 2020 will finally break out.