The New Orleans Pelicans are still hunting for that last roster spot, and the search is pointing toward the wing. After adding guard Kobe Bufkin and center Christian Koloko, the next move feels pretty clear: find someone who can fit a defensive-minded approach and compete in training camp.
That’s where Brooklyn Nets wing Ochai Agbaji comes into the picture. He’s the kind of low-cost swing the Pelicans could make on a player with real defensive value, even if the offensive ceiling hasn’t fully come around yet.
Agbaji entered the league as the No. 14 pick in the 2022 NBA draft, with the expectation that he’d grow into a more complete player. That hasn’t happened consistently, and he’s already been through enough movement early in his career to make development a little bumpier than expected. Still, there’s plenty in his game that keeps teams interested.
He brings a hard edge on defense, rebounds well for a wing, blocks shots, takes care of the ball and can draw contact. Even in his rough stretches, his defensive value has stayed around average. At his best last season, he was among the best in the league at his position.
That lines up with what Jamahl Mosley said the Pelicans want to prioritize. The focus, he made clear, is defense first, with the belief that stops can lead to offense. New Orleans also just turned things around with the Orlando Magic, so there’s at least a blueprint behind that thinking.
At 6-foot-5, Agbaji fits the profile of a versatile wing who could round out the roster. He wouldn’t bring the kind of scoring punch Bennedict Mathurin offers, but that’s not the lane the Pelicans are in right now. They’ve already been linked to Ziaire Williams this offseason, which suggests they’re looking for players in that same mold.
The biggest concern is the three-point shot. In 24/25, Agbaji knocked down 39.9% of his threes on 4.0 attempts per game, which is more than enough for a player in his role.
But this past season, that number fell to 26.6% on 2.1 attempts. Some of that can be tied to environment and role, but it still leaves a question mark.
For his career, he’s a 33.9% shooter.
Even with that inconsistency, Agbaji still looks like the kind of end-of-bench wing the Pelicans could use. He’d bring defense, some versatility and just enough shooting to make him worth a look in camp.
In Other News...
Former Pelicans Forward Josh Oduro Just Closed The Door On One Path
Josh Oduros next stop takes him well beyond the Pelicans orbit, after the former New Orleans forward spent time with the Birmingham Squadron in the NBA G League. For a player who had been working to carve out a pro role, the move keeps his career moving and gives him a fresh stage after his stint in the organizations developmental pipeline.
Oduros time with the Squadron offered a steady look at what he can bring as a big-bodied frontcourt piece, and he now heads overseas with a chance to reset his path. For New Orleans, it is another reminder of how quickly the back end of the roster can turn over, especially for players trying to turn G League minutes into a longer-term NBA foothold. [Read more 🡒]
Another Former Lakers Big Just Found The Opportunity LA Still Needs
Christian Koloko has landed another NBA opportunity, agreeing to a one-year contract with the Pelicans after a winding stretch that included a waiver from the Lakers last November and later stops with the Spurs G League affiliate, the Grizzlies and the Hawks. For New Orleans, the move is a low-risk look at a big man whose path has been anything but straightforward, but whose size and defensive profile still make him worth a closer examination.
Koloko now enters a crowded fight for a roster spot, with training camp likely to determine whether he sticks for the season. Under new head coach Jamahl Mosley, the Pelicans are giving him a chance to carve out a role as a rim protector, and the appeal is obvious if he can translate that into reliable minutes when the competition tightens. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Just Sent Another Frustrating Message About Zion's Frontcourt Help
Christian Koloko is the latest big man to land in New Orleans as the Pelicans keep sorting through the edges of their training camp roster, and the move is another reminder of how unsettled the frontcourt picture remains. Drafted by Toronto in 2022, Koloko has already bounced through multiple NBA stops and arrives with the reputation of an athletic shot-blocker, the kind of low-risk addition teams make when they want to see if size and timing can translate into a real role.
For the Pelicans, though, the larger issue is what Kolokos signing says about the center room around Zion Williamson. New Orleans still looks light on proven interior help, with Karlo Matkovic, Derik Queen, Yves Missi and Koloko all in the mix, and the search for a more experienced, bruising presence continues to hang over the roster. Koloko gives them another body to evaluate, but not the sort of answer that would quiet the questions about how this group plans to protect the rim and support Williamson on the glass. [Read more 🡒]