The Summer League is truly the land of opportunity for unproven young players seeking to establish a name in the NBA. The Pelicans have two open roster spots and could be willing to upgrade one of their three two-way contract players into one of those final roster spots. Lester Quinones is a name that stands out, as he has spent 3 seasons in the NBA.
With Trey Alexander and Hunter Dickinson both signing two-way deals recently, if someone is going to get their contract upgraded, it'll be Quinones. The 24-year-old guard has a crafty play style similar to Pelicans guard Jordan Poole. He is coming off an extremely impressive year in the G-League for the Pelicans' affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron.
He averaged 21.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game. This was a very impressive season in the G League and helped earn Quinones multiple call-ups to New Orleans' main roster. One of these call-ups, he scored 17 points and was 4 of 5 from beyond the arc against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Quinones has consistently demonstrated his skill, particularly as a shooter, dating back to his three seasons at the University of Memphis, where he was a career 36.9% three-point shooter. The skillset is undeniable; his issue has been finding a consistent role to buy into.
Quinones needs to buy in as a three-and-D guard, as defensively he is solid, averaging 1.5 steals per game in the G last season. He possesses good size at 6'5", and if he can become more consistent from three, he'll carve himself a role in the NBA.
Summer League is the perfect chance for Quinones to buy in and show Joe Dumars he's ready
Quinones is the most experienced player on the Pelicans' summer league roster, as the only player with over a year of NBA experience. This is an excellent opportunity for him to demonstrate to the front office his maturity and willingness to take on a winning role. With Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen both part of this team, ball-handling touches will likely be hard to come by. So, for Quinones to be effective, he'll need to operate off-ball.
This is an excellent chance for him to flash his potential as a three-and-D guard. Quinones has never been an incredible finisher at the rim or playmaker, but he thrives on defense and creating his own shot. These are skills he needs to develop and could help him earn the trust of the Pelicans' front office.
The Summer League is a perfect chance to show what you're made of. And with the Pelicans having two open roster spots, it's the ideal opportunity for Lester Quinones to get his two-way contract upgraded to a standard NBA deal.