New Orleans Pelicans Bolster Wing Depth by Signing Multi-Year Veteran

The New Orleans Pelicans made a move, but it wasn't one that too many people might have expected by adding even more depth to their wing.

Mar 20, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Javonte Green (24) reacts after a score against the Philadelphia 76ers during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

After the New Orleans Pelicans made an aggressive move to land Dejounte Murray this summer in a blockbuster deal with the Atlanta Hawks, there was a glaring hole on their roster as they lost one of their big men in free agency and two others as part of that trade.

The front office addressed it partially by signing veteran Daniel Theis to come in and likely fill that starting role. Backing him up will be two rookies, Yves Missi from Baylor, who was their first round draft pick this year, and Karlo Matkovic, who is joining the Pelicans for the first time after he was taken in the second round of the 2022 NBA draft out of Croatia.

Since that's not quite the frontcourt that screams contender, speculation began to grow that New Orleans would look to move their star Brandon Ingram to land a starting caliber center.

But, nothing has come to fruition.

It's looking more likely the All-Star will be on this roster for the start of the season and the Pelicans will actually employ more of a small-ball type of lineup like their president of basketball operations, David Griffin, hinted at during the summer.

However, New Orleans did make another move, it just wasn't the one that many were expecting.

According to NBA insider Shams Charania, they have signed veteran wing Javonte Green to a one-year deal.

The 6-foot-5 forward spent last season with the Chicago Bulls after he spent time with the Golden State Warriors' G League affiliate. It was his second stint with the Bulls, initially joining them in a three-team trade back in 2021 after he was shipped by the Boston Celtics in a deal that also involved his newly minted teammate Theis.

Green only got in 16 games with Chicago to close out that season, but he was featured in 65 contests the following year, averaging 7.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.0 steal per game.

Unfortunately, he was limited the next season to 32 contests and eventually hit the open market.

While Green rejoined the Bulls late last year, only getting into nine games after signing a 10-day contract, he was able to put up 12.2 points and 7.4 rebounds in 25.6 minutes.

He's not a gamechanger by any imagination, but the Pelicans clearly felt bringing in another veteran wing to this roster would be beneficial, especially if they aren't able to move Ingram and need to use their forwards in small-ball lineups more often.