Looking back at the 2025 offseason, the New Orleans Pelicans front office made its fair share of mistakes. The biggest one critics point to is the decision to part ways with their 2026 first-round pick in a deal with the Hawks to land Derik Queen. With that pick now projected to be in the top three, it's understandable why so many have criticized New Orleans for that move.
Another move that has faced backlash was the decision to trade CJ McCollum, who was on an expiring deal, for Jordan Poole, who has another year at roughly a $34 million cap hit. This deal has faced even more criticism given the way Poole has performed this season, shooting just 37.4 percent from the field and, at one point, being removed from the team's rotation.
What has saved this deal for New Orleans is Saddiq Bey, who at the time of the trade was viewed as a throw-in, but his production has made Poole look like the throw-in.
On the year, Bey is averaging a career-high 17.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists per game while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from three. Bey's production this season has made it much easier for Pelicans fans to stomach another year of Jordan Poole's contract.
Since the break, a different gear
Since returning from the All-Star break, the Pelicans are 4-1, and Bey has been one of, if not the biggest, driving force behind this late-season surge.
Over the five games since the break, he is averaging 25.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. This stretch includes a 42-point explosion against Utah, where Bey closed out the Jazz by scoring 23 points in the fourth quarter alone.
What has made Bey so unstoppable for the Pelicans is his improved rim finishing. He is converting 62.5 percent of his attempts at the rim. Throughout his entire time in the NBA, he's been someone opposing defenses respect as a floor spacer and mid-range scorer, but now that he is getting to and finishing at the rim with ease, he's so hard to scheme for. He has consistently punished weaker defenders, creating angles, getting underneath the rim, and finishing over the top.
Getting Bey in the Poole-for-McCollum swap may actually make the Pelicans the winners of a deal they had been widely labeled the losers of. At 26 years old, it appears the Pelicans front office has found a gem and long-term piece going forward in Saddiq Bey.