Playing Keep or Cut with Each of New Orleans Pelicans' Free Agents
The core of the New Orleans Pelicans will be back next season.
Anthony Davis, Tyreke Evans, Ryan Anderson, Jrue Holiday and Quincy Pondexter are all under contract. Eric Gordon, who has a $15 million player option, would be out of his mind not to opt in.
The supporting cast is more unsettled, however, with seven free agents from last year’s roster. As Alvin Gentry takes over the sidelines and institutes a more up-and-down, fast-paced attack next season, some of last year’s key contributors are no longer great fits.
Let’s take a look at each one.
Jeff Withey: Keep
1 of 7
Status: Unrestricted
Who?
If you bleed Kansas basketball or cheer for the Pels, you’re familiar with Jeff Withey. But if you fall outside of those groups?
Well, it’s doubtful you know much about the 7-footer.
Truth be told, there isn’t a whole lot to know—at the NBA level, at least.
Withey, whom the Portland Trail Blazers drafted with the 39th pick in 2013 and later traded to the Pels, amassed just 259 minutes in his second pro season.
Granted, Davis, Omer Asik, Ryan Anderson and Alexis Ajinca were playing in front of him. But still, that’s strictly garbage-time PT.
Here’s how Zach Lowe described Withey, who landed an honorable mention on Grantland’s list of free-agent steals: "He’s a large human, he blocks shots, he just turned 25, and he has played so little that you could probably get him at the minimum salary. You could do worse with the 15th roster spot."
Lowe’s assessment rings true. Withey really isn’t a game-changer, but coaches can’t teach height. If injury strikes NOLA’s frontcourt, it’d be nice to have a capable 7-footer ready to go.
Withey isn’t worth more than the minimum, but he’s worth keeping around.
Jimmer Fredette: Cut
2 of 7
Status: Unrestricted
Ah, Jimmer.
Former coach Monty Williams praised Fredette back in January, per NBA.com's Jim Eichenhofer.
"I like guys who work their tails off in practice," Williams said. "The thing I’ve been impressed with with Jimmer is even in the games where he didn’t play, he’d be the first guy in the gym. He gets there right after I get there, which is pretty early. He’s on the floor working."
And yet, despite the kind words, the coach still barely played the shooting guard. Fredette's six double-digit scoring outings paled in comparison to the 32 games he did not play.
Fredette’s ticket to the pros was his long-range sniping ability. He could never really defend or run an NBA offense, but Jimmer could shoot. This year, though, he made just 38 percent of his field-goal attempts and—run and hide, kids!—18.8 percent of his three-pointers.
Of course, there were games the 26-year-old went into that Jimmer buried shots from unbelievable distances. But his highest-scoring total was just 14 this year, which came in a contest against his former team, the Sacramento Kings.
Is he still worth keeping around in New Orleans?
It’d be kind of understandable if the Pels re-signed him, being that his stock is low and won’t fetch much of a price. Plus, the size of Fredette's fanbase is mind-blowing.
But, as I wrote back in November, spending a year or two overseas, refurbishing his damaged NBA resume and improving his game in expanded playing time looks like Jimmer’s best bet to land a long-term contract.
It’s probably best for both sides—the Pels and Jimmer—to part ways.
Dante Cunningham: Keep
3 of 7
Status: Unrestricted
When the Pelicans signed Dante Cunningham in December, the lanky forward brought toughness, leadership and strong defense to the young, offensive-minded roster.
Here’s an excerpt from Fox Sports on why the Pels should bring him back…at the right price:
"Cunningham's versatility on both ends allowed Pelicans head coach Monty Williams to tinker with different rotations, which made everybody's life much easier. …
The most important variable here is Cunningham's price tag, which shouldn't be more than a veteran's minimum deal. On that contract he has value, and is definitely worth keeping. Anything higher and the Pelicans should consider cutting ties and seeking other, cheaper options on the open market.
"
That’s a fair judgement. Overpaying Cunningham—who is offensively challenged, to say the least—would be foolish, especially when players such as Danny Green, Khris Middleton, Jae Crowder and DeMarre Carroll could potentially be on the market.
However, if Cunningham is willing to accept a minimum deal, the Pelicans should re-up with the versatile forward and bulk up their bench.
Norris Cole: Depends
4 of 7
Status: Unrestricted
This is a tough call.
After arriving at the trade deadline as part of the Goran Dragic trade, Norris Cole shined with the Pels. All general manager Dell Demps did was dump John Salmons, and he gave New Orleans the reserve point guard it was desperate for all year.
Cole averaged 9.9 points (44.4 percent) and 3.2 assists in about 24 minutes a game as Tyreke Evans’ backup. He made an immediate and lasting impact on the Pelicans, as he could speak to his teammates about what it's like to play in the NBA Finals.
But here’s the problem: Will there be minutes for him next year?
Cole’s role was created when Holiday went down with an ankle injury in January. He returned for the team’s final regular-season games as well as the playoffs but never fully healthy. Next season, with both Holiday and Evans, who became the starter, at 100 percent, where will Cole fit in?
One solution could be a dual-PG lineup with Evans as the starter and Holiday/Cole forming a strong one-two punch off the bench.
Assuming Cole even wants to come back to the bayou, that is.
According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Cole attended the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Game 5 against the Chicago Bulls in the conference semis. Jason Lloyd of Ohio.com reported a day later that Cleveland tried to acquire LeBron James’ former Miami Heat teammate at the trade deadline.
Would it be surprising to watch Cleveland—given Kyrie Irving’s injury history and Matthew Dellavedova’s offensive deficiencies—make a push for Cole? Perhaps the flat-topped PG and James have already spoken about reuniting.
NOLA already has two capable point guards, so it can’t afford to shower Cole with cash if the Cavaliers are breaking the bank for him.
Luke Babbitt: Keep
5 of 7
Status: Unrestricted (Pels have Bird Rights)
Luke Babbitt couldn’t guard his new 60-year-old coach, a former point guard at Appalachian State University. But Gentry’s up-and-down offense requires capable shooters on the wing.
And the shaggy-haired sniper led the league in three-point percentage with a mark of 51.3 from beyond the arc.
Babbitt is just 25 and super coachable. Back in February, Williams raved about the forward.
“When he takes that shot, we feel like he’s going to make it every single time,” Williams said, per Eichenhofer. “Guys have a lot of confidence in him shooting the ball.”
While Babbitt shined in his minor role, ESPN TrueHoop’s Nick Lewellen points out that another team might throw more money—and more minutes—at him:
"Now, when Ryan Anderson is hurt, Babbitt can come in and fill his role admirably. But how much are you willing to pay for an insurance policy you may not use? Also, consider the other teams that could use a [three-point] splasher like Babbitt. It isn’t hard to imagine that some team comes in promising slightly more money and a much more significant role than the Pelicans can reasonably offer. If that happens, then we have likely seen the last of [Babbitt’s] beautiful locks in a Pelicans jersey.
"
If Babbitt is willing to take the minimum and return to New Orleans, the team should welcome him back with open arms. After all, the Pels do have his bird rights, which means they can offer him more money than another suitor.
Still, Babbitt isn't worth getting into a bidding war.
Omer Asik: Cut
6 of 7
Status: Unrestricted
Omer Asik didn’t dazzle with stats in 2014-15, but he was big for the team—both literally and figuratively.
The 7-footer averaged just 7.3 points on 51.7 percent shooting, but he hit the boards like Steph Curry hits three-pointers and carried the Pels with 9.8 rebounds per game, second only to Davis’ 10.2.
Asik really isn’t much of an offensive threat—his offensive game is limited almost exclusively to dunks and layups—which is why he’s not a great fit now that Gentry’s calling the shots.
Sports Illustrated’s Ben Golliver wrote that with the Golden State Warriors associate head coach in charge, Davis will be used a lot more as the lone big rather than alongside Asik:
"Look for the Pelicans to regularly use [Davis] as a center, structuring spread lineups around him to create space for pick-and-roll after pick-and-roll. When New Orleans does play big, Davis will likely be given free reign to create from the elbow, and it wouldn't be that shocking if he started to work the corner three into his offensive repertoire either.
"
Gentry wants to run a fast, high-powered offense. Asik, who earned close to $15 million last year, doesn’t fit.
The money it would require to re-sign him could be put to better use elsewhere, such as strengthening the wing and a bench that ranked 18th in scoring, per Hoops Stats.
Alexis Ajinca: Keep
7 of 7
Status: Unrestricted
Ajinca is a better fit in the middle than Asik.
The 7-foot Frenchman broke out in 2014-15, scoring more points, grabbing more rebounds and blocking more shots than he ever had in his five-year career.
When a shoulder injury forced AD to the sidelines in late February, Ajinca stepped up and gave NOLA 11.7 points, six boards and 1.7 swats per game. On February 27, the beanpole big fella erupted for a career-high 24 points (nine of 10 field goals)—and the game-winner—in a 104-102 victory over the Heat.
Ajinca is a slight 220 pounds and won’t push too many defenders around. But he’s a versatile scorer who shot 48.2 percent from 10-14 feet out and 47.7 percent from 15-19 feet, according to NBA.com.
Back in March, after creating some buzz with his February surge, Ajinca talked about why he chose New Orleans following his decision to play in Europe during the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons. Per NBA.com’s Eichenhofer:
"There was more than one team that was interested, but I knew New Orleans was one of them. [General manager Dell Demps] was very interested in bringing me over. I feel very good about it, very excited. He was confident I could bring something to the team. Also for me, I thought I could (earn) playing time, to grow with a team. It was the right fit for me.
"
The team is still a great fit for Ajinca, who deserves a big payday after earning less than $1 million last season. With Anderson starting alongside Davis, Ajinca would be an ideal backup center for this team.
As David Fisher of The Bird Writes (SB Nation) points out, New Orleans has Ajinca’s Early Bird Rights:
"Ajinca is an interesting salary cap case. As a minimum contract player his cap hold is for just the two year minimum. However, since the Pelicans have had him under contract for two seasons they also maintain Early Bird Rights. This allows the Pelicans to sign him for up to 104.5% of the average NBA salary on a contract that must be at minimum two seasons long.
"
Other teams will be interested in his services, but Ajinca would have a hard time finding a better fit than the one he has in NOLA.
All stats are accurate courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com. Contract information was sourced from HoopsHype.
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