Amid a chaotic Pelicans offseason, one addition to the roster slid under the radar: the acquisition of small forward Saddiq Bey.
The Pelicans landed Bey in the trade that sent CJ McCollum to the Wizards. While Jordan Poole was the centerpiece of the deal, Bey’s arrival shouldn’t be overlooked.
The fifth-year forward missed all of last season after tearing his ACL in 2024. That injury raises questions about his potential effectiveness. However, at just 26 years old, Bey still has the chance to return stronger and provide New Orleans with quality 3-and-D minutes.
There is no shortage of questions regarding this year’s Pelicans team, and Bey’s health is one of them. Still, his age suggests he’s entering his athletic prime, and if he can regain form, he could prove to be more than just a throw-in.
New Orleans’ addition of Bey, while not groundbreaking, could pay dividends for a young, inexperienced team.
Bey’s Road to the Pelicans
After two seasons at Villanova, Bey entered the 2020 NBA Draft as one of the most polished prospects. He had one of the highest floors of any player in the class, and he proved that right away.
After the Detroit Pistons selected him with the 19th overall pick, it didn’t take long for him to carve out a role as an above-average defender and floor spacer.
He earned All-Rookie First Team honors in his first season. He averaged 12.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game while shooting 38% from three. Bey’s above-average shooting, combined with his ability to guard multiple positions, made him a valuable member of the Pistons from the jump.
Bey’s second year in the Motor City was more of the same, but with a noticeable dip in three-point percentage. He did, however, drop 51 points in a game against the Orlando Magic—one of the most random 50-point performances of all time.
Bey’s 51-point eruption had some fans envisioning star-level potential, but that never came to fruition. Still, he continued to be the tough, versatile wing he’s always been.
Less than a year after his career performance, he was shipped to the Atlanta Hawks ahead of the 2023 trade deadline.
A Devastating Injury
Bey, unsurprisingly, was a solid addition for the Hawks, providing scoring off the bench while also playing both forward positions.
His three-point percentage nosedived from 36.1% to 31.6% in his second season with the Hawks, underscoring his streaky nature.
To make matters worse, Bey suffered a torn ACL in 2024, ironically in a game against the Pelicans.
That ended up being Bey’s last game as a Hawk, marking a bitter end to his tenure in Atlanta. The timing couldn’t be worse, either, as he was set to become a restricted free agent that offseason.
As expected, the Hawks didn’t offer him a qualifying deal, making him an unrestricted free agent. Bey then signed a 3-year, $20 million deal with his hometown team, the Washington Wizards.
After a year of rehabbing in D.C., Bey was quietly shipped to New Orleans this offseason and is looking to revive his career on a new-look Pelicans team led by first-year head of basketball operations Joe Dumars.
What’s Next?
While the Pelicans made headlines for the wrong reasons this summer, Bey is a forgotten pick-up that could bolster the bench unit.
The range of outcomes for him in New Orleans is vast. In a best-case scenario, Bey provides steady perimeter defense, knockdown shooting, and veteran leadership for a team trying to take the next step in the Western Conference.
For a Pelicans team desperate to steady the ship, Bey’s return could quietly become of their most important offseason moves.
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