5 Pelicans who definitely won't be back, 2 who shouldn't return next season
By Tyler Watts
Won’t be back: Jeremiah Robinson-Earl
JRE was a second-round draft pick in 2021 who spent two years with the Thunder. Oklahoma City’s mountain of draft capital turning into young talent created a roster squeeze and Robinson-Earl was the odd man out. He was traded to the Rockets before this season and quickly waived.
The 23-year-old big man landed a two-way contract with the Pelicans before being converted to a standard deal in March. New Orleans has a $2.1 million team option for next season, but do they bring Robinson-Earl back? The 6’9 big man is making virtually the minimum but must make an on-court impact if the Pels plan on contending.
He averaged just 2.9 points and 1.9 rebounds in 8.6 minutes per game over 39 contests. JRE played more than 20 minutes just seven times and nearly all of those were blowouts. He rarely saw action and is behind a plethora of talent on the Pelicans depth chart.
The 23-year-old has untapped potential, but will he reach his ceiling in New Orleans? He did not play in the G League this season and needs minutes to continue his growth. The best solution for both sides may be parting ways. The Pelicans can search for a big man capable of playing an impactful role, and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl can find minutes elsewhere.