Report: Pelicans To Host Workout With Purdue Star Center Zach Edey

Will New Orleans upgrade their center position by drafting Edey in the first-round?

Purdue Boilermakers guard Lance Jones (55) high-fives Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15) during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Championship against the Connecticut Huskies, Monday, April 8, 2024, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. / Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY

New Orleans, LA - With less than a month to go for the 2024 NBA Draft, the New Orleans Pelicans are diligently formulating a plan of attack to get better this offseason. New Orleans currently sits at the No. 21 pick next month and has a few key decisions to make regarding their roster. One of which is who will play center for them next season. Jonas Valanciunas is currently a free agent, with the team not expected to bring him back again.

NBA insider Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson is reporting that the Pelicans will host a workout with former Purdue star center Zach Edey ahead of next month's draft. Edey is a highly decorated center who projects to be drafted anywhere from mid to late in the first round. He led the Boilermakers to a National Championship game appearance last season and is the two-time National College Player of the Year. Edey finished his senior season averaging a career-high in points (25.2), blocks (2.2) and assists (2.1).

Edey's NBA draft profile points to a lot of his strengths being his shot-blocking ability and his improvement as a passer. Here's an excerpt from Kyle Irving's draft profile on Edey from Sporting News:

Edey has shown more poise with his back to the basket. It feels like the game is slowing down for him when he's double-teamed in the post. That has led to major strides as a passer, dishing out a career-high 68 assists while cutting back on turnovers (74) compared to last year (77).

That is a vitally important skill for a player of his size. Even at the NBA level, Edey will almost always draw multiple defenders, meaning someone has to be open. Having the vision to find shooters and cutters will only benefit his own scoring ability, keeping defenses guessing if he'll dish the ball or look to attack.

Edey is still a rock-solid defensive anchor, shot blocker, and reliable rebounder, but a lot of his defensive limitations remain the same.

The Pelicans have not drafted a traditional center in the first round since the 2010 draft when they selected Cole Aldrich from Kansas. New Orleans could also bundle picks and players to get an established big man in the league to pair frontcourt with Zion Williamson. It won't be long before we find out what direction the team is heading.