The Pelicans have locked up Saddiq Bey on a three-year, $55.5 million extension, according to agents James Dunleavy and Jordan Gertler, who told Shams Charania of ESPN.
The deal is fully guaranteed and includes an unspecified trade kicker, Charania reported. Bey’s new contract will begin in the 2027/28 league year and runs through 2029/30.
New Orleans is clearly betting on the 27-year-old wing after a strong comeback season. Bey returned in 2025/26 after missing all of 2024/25 while rehabbing a torn ACL in his left knee, an injury he suffered in March 2024 with the Hawks.
Once back on the floor, he was a steady presence for the Pelicans, appearing in 72 games and making 64 starts. He averaged 17.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 0.9 steals in 31.2 minutes per night while shooting .451 from the field, .367 from three and .841 at the line.
Before the extension kicks in, Bey will make $6.56 million in 2026/27, a team-friendly number for a player who just delivered his best stretch in New Orleans. The total value of the agreement over the next four years is $62.06 million.
The Pelicans’ interest in keeping Bey around had been building for a while. Bey said at his April end-of-season press conference that he was open to staying long term, and Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported at the end of June that both sides were interested in an extension. Now they’ve made it official.
Will Guillory of The Athletic confirmed the news and noted that New Orleans’ front office is very high on Bey both on and off the court.
Bey’s path to this point has moved through several stops. He was the 19th overall pick and one of the first draft picks Troy Weaver made when he took over as Detroit’s general manager in 2020. Bey was traded to Atlanta in February 2023, then signed a three-year deal with Washington in 2024 before being dealt to the Pelicans last year.
There’s also a familiar Weaver thread running through the story. Weaver traded Bey to the Hawks, later joined Washington as a senior advisor a few weeks before Bey signed there, and then became New Orleans’ senior vice president of basketball operations and general manager last May, several weeks before the Pelicans acquired Bey.
For comparison, the reported total of Bey’s deal is similar to the $61.6 million Naji Marshall will earn over the same four-year span. Marshall is set to make $9.4 million this season after signing a three-year, $52.2 million extension with the Mavericks in early August.
In Other News...
Saddiq Bey Deal Hints At A Pelicans Rotation Shift Under Mosley
Saddiq Beys new three-year, $55 million extension gives the Pelicans a clearer picture of how they want to shape their second unit going into next season. The move points to a defined bench scoring role for Bey, with the kind of sixth-man responsibility that can stabilize a rotation and take some pressure off the starters when the offense bogs down.
For New Orleans, the bigger question is how that fits alongside the rest of the roster and how much flexibility it leaves in the back end of the rotation. The deal suggests a real commitment to Beys place in the mix, but it also opens the door to broader lineup tinkering as the Pelicans sort out which combinations make the most sense under Mosley. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Are Counting On Jamahl Mosley To Finally Unlock Zion
Zion Williamson is heading into his eighth NBA season with the Pelicans, and the question around him is still the same one that has followed him for years: how much more can the offense get out of one of the leagues most unusual talents? New head coach Jamahl Mosley has already signaled real optimism about Williamsons untapped potential, especially as a playmaker, and that matters for a team trying to make the most of a healthier roster and a fresh start on the sideline.
The fit, though, has to work in a few different ways. Williamson has not always had the kind of transition chances that maximize his game, and New Orleans has also dealt with defensive issues that can make life harder for everyone else on the floor. Mosleys challenge is bigger than simply designing more touches for Williamson, because the Pelicans are counting on his coaching to help unlock a version of Zion that has been talked about for years but never quite sustained. [Read more 🡒]
Former Saints DT Created A Surprise Pelicans Crossover In Kenner
Khalen Saunders turned up in an unexpected place this week, linking two corners of the citys pro sports scene by attending the New Orleans Pelicans G League tryouts for the Laketown Squadron. The former Saints defensive tackle even shared his performance stats and physical condition from the workout on social media, making his presence at the event feel more than just a casual appearance.
The tryouts came as the Squadron continue their move to Kenner, with new coach Brandon Demas on hand along with Jamahl Mosley. For a franchise that has spent plenty of time building local connections, a familiar name from the Saints side showing up at a Pelicans affiliate event added a little extra crossover energy to a busy day in the area. [Read more 🡒]