Pelicans Exercise Third-Year Option on Sharpshooting Guard

New Orleans Pelicans guard Jordan Hawkins enters his second season in the NBA with a chance to be a key rotational piece.

Jan 13, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Jordan Hawkins (24) drives to the basket past Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) during the second half at the American Airlines Center. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

On Friday, the New Orleans Pelicans announced they are exercising the third-year option on guard Jordan Hawkins. The former UConn sharpshooter averaged 7.8 points and 2.2 rebounds in a little over 17 minutes per game his rookie season. New Orleans hopes for a significant leap from Hawkins in his second year in the league.

Given increased minutes in the lineup, the former first-round pick shined during the first month and a half of last season. Hawkins averaged 11.5 points on 38% shooting from beyond the arc, including a 31-point outburst on the road against the Denver Nuggets. That stretch of basketball saw him score double-figures in 10 of the first 15 games of the season.

Those averages sharply fell once Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III returned to the lineup. Once the calendar turned to February, Hawkins spent most games on the end of the bench. He scored in double-figures just once after the All-Star break. Still, the Pelicans need him to be a consistent contributor this year.

New Orleans lost valuable wing depth off the bench when Naji Marshall signed with the Dallas Mavericks and Dyson Daniels was traded to the Atlanta Hawks. Hawkins entered Summer League eager to prove he'd improved upon his rookie debut in the NBA. Unfortunately, it was not a good showing for the former NCAA champion. He led the team in turnovers during his time in Las Vegas and shot just 24% shooting from three. Hawkins injured his ankle and sat out the remainder of Summer League.

Despite his struggles during the summer, Hawkins possesses supreme three-point shooting skills, a skill NBA writer Grant Hughes reveals makes him the biggest X Factor for the Pelicans this upcoming season.

"Despite a tough shot diet of on-the-move threes, Hawkins hit 36.6 percent of his 9.2 three-point attempts per 36 minutes. That's serious volume, the kind that can bend a defense to the point of breaking. Unsurprisingly, Hawkins was automatic with his feet set, making 41.2 percent on wide-open looks. If the Pels can feature Hawkins, and if he can sustain his per-minute rates in a larger role, the sky's the limit for this offense."

Like last year, Murphy III will miss the season opener after injuring his hamstring during a training camp session in Nashville. The 6-foot-10 forward will be evaluated in three weeks to see his progress toward making his season debut. That opportunity allows Hawkins to showcase his skill set and vie for more consistent minutes for the entire season. New Orleans opens its regular season at home against the Chicago Bulls on Oct. 23.