The Pelicans are lining up another body for training camp, with Caleb Houstan set to sign a one-year deal in New Orleans, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Scotto says the free agent wing will be in the mix for the team’s final standard roster spot.
That detail matters. New Orleans already has 14 players on guaranteed standard contracts, so Houstan appears headed into a competition for the 15th slot. His deal is expected to be non-guaranteed, and he’ll be battling Kobe Bufkin and Christian Koloko, both of whom are already on non-guaranteed training camp contracts.
Houstan comes in as a 6-foot-8 small forward and a former second-round pick, selected 32nd overall in the 2022 draft. He spent three seasons on a standard deal with Orlando before reaching free agency last summer. From there, his path took him to Atlanta on an Exhibit 10 training camp contract before he was moved up to a two-way deal shortly before 2025/26 started.
His stint with the Hawks last season was limited, but it still ended with a standard contract in February. Atlanta later waived him in early April to create roster room for Tony Bradley while trying to address a backup-center need after Jock Landale went down with an ankle injury.
Across his NBA stops, Houstan has shown the profile of a perimeter shooter first and foremost. In 168 games with the Magic, he averaged 4.1 points and 1.5 rebounds while playing 14.4 minutes per game. He logged 4.2 minutes per outing in 18 appearances for Atlanta in 2025/26, and he also spent plenty of time with the College Park Skyhawks, where he played 34 G League games at 33.4 minutes per contest and put up 16.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per night.
The 23-year-old Canadian played one college season at Michigan before entering the draft, and his shot diet tells the story: 84.4% of his career field-goal attempts have come from three-point range, and he’s hit 37.8% of those attempts.
Houstan is also no longer eligible for a two-way contract, and the move will reunite him with Jamahl Mosley, his former Magic head coach, who is now leading the Pelicans after being hired away from Orlando.
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