The New Orleans Pelicans are a team stuck in limbo. They clearly need to revamp their roster and potentially launch an entirely new era, but this season's circumstances might make it impossible for them to overhaul the team mid-year.
There's not a single player employed that's guaranteed to be a part of this team long-term, and, yet, there's also no guarantee that any of them will be moved this season either. So, the Pelicans are stuck with an expensive roster that's built to win now while they're also glued to the bottom of the Western Conference standings with virtually zero chance of making the postseason.
This campaign is already a lost cause, and the smart move would be to lose as many games as possible moving forward anyway. Tanking certainly isn't a new concept in the NBA. Still, it's different watching a young team take moral victories and grow throughout the season while racking up much-needed Ls to maximize their lottery chances versus trying to enjoy a team that was clearly built to compete underwhelm for an entire campaign.
This might be a lost year for the Pelicans and they might have difficulty making major roster changes but that shouldn't stop Vice President David Griffin and the rest of the brass from doing what they can to build towards the future still. For example, the Pelicans still desperately need center depth regardless of what direction they take the team moving forward, and a great young option just became available for them to jump on.
The Pelicans need to pick up Paul Reed
On Saturday, December 14, the Detroit Pistons announced that they waived fifth-year big man Paul Reed. With two young promising centers already on the roster in Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, they didn't have much opportunity for BBall Paul. ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the Pistons cut Reed in order to "give Detroit roster and salary flexibility with the NBA trade deadline less than two months away."
This season, he rarely saw the floor, averaging just 4.8 points and 1.9 rebounds in under 11 minutes per game. But, Reed steadily grew into a reliable rotation player in his early career with the Philadelphia 76ers.
In 2023-24 with the Sixers, he put up 7.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.0 blocks, and 0.8 steals in 19 minutes per game while shooting 54 percent from the field. He flirted with the idea of becoming a stretch big, hitting over 36 percent from deep on 57 total attempts. He's also gone 4-11 from 3-point land so far this year.
Reed would be a great foil and backup to Yves Missi for the Pelicans moving forward. Still only 25 years old, he could become a more well-rounded player with more opportunity and stability. In Philly, he became a versatile positional defender who could aptly protect the paint with timely rotations and a large frame. He showed enough foot speed to get the occasional stop on the perimeter too.
On offense, he's a solid finisher at the rim and has shown a willingness to expand his range. He's also a decent passer on the short roll and from the high post. Reed won't drop any jaws with his athleticism or highlights, but he's a proven rotation center who's shown growth and can be picked up for dirt cheap. He's exactly what the Pelicans need this season.