Saddiq Bey’s new three-year extension does more than keep a productive wing in New Orleans. It gives Zion Williamson another piece who fits cleanly next to him, and that may be the biggest win of all for the Pelicans.
Bey is coming off a season in which he averaged a career-high 17.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, and New Orleans paid to make sure that production stays in the Big Easy. The deal is worth over $55 million, a sign the Pelicans saw enough last season to make the investment now.
For Williamson, the appeal is obvious. New Orleans has spent years looking for frontcourt help that can stretch the floor while still helping on the glass, especially in lineups built around Zion’s unique blend of size and power.
Bey fit that need last season, and he did it with real scoring punch. After the All-Star break, the former Villanova standout averaged more than 20 points and shot 40% from three.
He also posted three of the highest-scoring games of his career, dropping 42, 36, and 34 points.
That kind of versatility matters even more because the Pelicans still don’t have much size behind the scenes. They didn’t sign any major contributing centers this summer, which points toward more small-ball combinations for new head coach Jamahl Mosley.
Bey spent 46% of his minutes at power forward last season, according to Basketball-Reference, and that setup allowed Williamson to log time at small forward. That’s a matchup where Zion’s size, agility, and strength can overwhelm opposing forwards on the offensive end.
The numbers when Bey and Williamson shared the floor back up the fit. They played 595 minutes together last season, and Databallr shows New Orleans posted a +6.8 net rating in those minutes.
The Pelicans’ offense hummed at 120.8, and the team shot better than 36% from three with both on the court. Bey can score on his own around the rim, but his three-point volume is just as important because it helps keep defenders from collapsing into the lane around Williamson and Derik Queen.
Bey’s value isn’t limited to offense, either. At 6'8", he doesn’t solve every rebounding issue New Orleans has, but he did finish with the third-highest defensive rebounding percentage on the roster, thanks in part to his willingness to crash the glass.
That edge and that mentality are part of why the Pelicans wanted to keep him around. Joe Dumars said as much in the team’s statement announcing the signing: “Saddiq represents the culture we are establishing in New Orleans with his toughness, work ethic, and commitment to the team,” Pelicans executive VP of basketball operations Joe Dumars said in the release.
“He approaches every day with a professional mindset, and we are excited about the role he will play in our future.” That kind of steadiness matters for Williamson, who has spent his career under scrutiny, fairly or not, for his conditioning, commitment, and work ethic.
Bey should have a slightly different job this season with Dejounte Murray back and Bennedict Mathurin joining the roster, but his minutes still figure to matter. A sixth-man role looks like the cleanest fit, and even then he should remain in the late-game mix the way he did a year ago.
For the Pelicans, the extension brings a little stability. For Williamson, it brings a teammate who plays hard, fits the roster, and can ease some of the pressure on him on the floor. And considering this will be Zion’s fifth head coach since joining New Orleans in 2019, that kind of consistency has value all by itself.
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