Saddiq Bey isn’t hiding how he feels about New Orleans. If the Pelicans had put a 12-year extension in front of him, he says he would have signed it.
That kind of loyalty makes sense after what the wing has been through. Two years ago, Bey’s NBA future was in real doubt.
A couple of weeks ago, he locked in a three-year extension with New Orleans. In between those two points, he went from fighting just to get back on the floor to becoming one of the team’s most useful pieces.
He said the Pelicans and the city gave him something he badly needed when people were wondering what he had left.
"[I'm thankful for] them taking a chance on me. The organization, the city, how they embraced me," said Bey.
"People were questioning, you know. They hadn't seen me play in a year and a half.
Just giving me the opportunity to show what I can do and contribute, I'll forever be grateful to this place. Always another home for me in New Orleans.
They could have said, 'I will give you a 12-year contract,' and I would have signed it. I just love being here."
The road here was rough. Bey tore his ACL at the end of the 2023/2024 season, and the timing couldn’t have been worse. It came as his rookie deal was ending, after he had already been traded and while his usage had dipped to a career low.
He then signed a three-year, $18 million contract with the Washington Wizards with the goal of rebuilding his value. Instead, he never played a minute for them, sitting out the entire first season while he recovered. New Orleans later got him in a deal centered on Jordan Poole and took Bey along with it.
What followed was the kind of bounce-back season players dream about. Bey turned in a career year with 17.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists while shooting 45.1/36.7/84.1. The Pelicans bet on him when his stock was at its lowest, and he rewarded them.
"I love this game so much. Just being able to walk and be able to work out again showed me how much I really loved it," said Bey.
He wasn’t just productive - he fit. Bey brought a hard-nosed, old-school, bully ball style that helped shape the good basketball New Orleans played last season. Zion Williamson has spoken before about how much fun he finds watching Bey.
And there’s another layer to his game that should matter to the new coaching staff: Bey is willing to sacrifice. He can still explode for points when needed - he has scored 50 at the NBA level and dropped 42 last season - but he’s just as comfortable doing the little things that help a team win.
"He's commanded the team and commanded the gym as soon as he got here, man; it was great to see," said Bey. "He's a hard-nosed guy, but just getting a chance to know him more and more, I love him already. I can't wait for this to get started."
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Pelicans Face One Roster Question That Could Define Mosleys Reset
At the Pelicans annual Media Day, Jamahl Mosley put a clear stamp on the start of his tenure by centering the conversation on defense and a reset of the teams culture. The new head coach, who pointed to similarities with his previous run in Orlando, made it sound like New Orleans is trying to build from the ground up rather than force a quick fix, with Herb Jones and Dejounte Murray expected to help set the tone on the perimeter.
The bigger roster question is up front, where Mosley said the Pelicans are likely headed toward a center by committee approach because they do not currently have a starting-caliber anchor at the position. In a Western Conference that rarely gives teams much room for error, how New Orleans handles that spot could shape everything from its defensive identity to how competitive it can be while Mosley tries to turn the page. [Read more 🡒]
Joe Dumars Left Pelicans Fans With One Big Reason To Worry
Joe Dumars used Media Day to talk up a more competitive Pelicans group this season, but the bigger takeaway for New Orleans fans was what he did not fully answer. As the executive vice president of basketball operations, he framed the franchises immediate goal around playing harder, yet left a lot of the long-term picture hazy, especially for a team trying to balance short-term relevance with a more durable plan.
The uncertainty matters because the Pelicans are still trying to sort out how they will fix the weaknesses that have held them back while also keeping player development pointed toward a playoff timeline. With outside analysts and rankings already questioning the quality and direction of the front offices decisions, Dumars comments did little to calm the sense that New Orleans still has some big-picture clarity to find. [Read more 🡒]
Zion Williamson Could Unlock Something Huge For The Pelicans Offense
Zion Williamson has spent the offseason and training camp working on the part of his game that could change how defenses have to treat the Pelicans. His long-range shot has never been a major part of his NBA profile, even though he flashed it early with four 3-pointers in a short span during his debut back in January 2020, and the volume has fallen off sharply since then.
That makes this preseason development worth watching from New Orleans side. Williamsons three-point attempts have dropped over the past several seasons, down to just four last year, but coach Jamahl Mosley and teammate Saddiq Bey have both pushed him to keep extending his range, and they expect that number to climb this season. If it does, the Pelicans may have a very different kind of offensive pressure point to lean on. [Read more 🡒]