Pelicans Should Take a Chance on Pending Free Agent Center

The New Orleans Pelicans hope to rebound from another disappointing season after a 26-56 finish. New Orleans is in flux until they solidify their head coaching vacancy and looks to improve their roster before next season. Doing so may prove difficult, as the team does not own a first-round pick in this year’s NBA Draft. That selection will go to the Atlanta Hawks by way of the Derik Queen trade last season.

Free agency may be a quick way to turn the team’s fortunes around, but New Orleans will need to be smart in spending, because it won’t have an abundance of extra money to spend. The team has an $8 million team option on veteran center Kevon Looney, which they will most likely decline given his limited playing time and production this season. Currently, New Orleans is about $4 million below the luxury tax, so declining Looney would give them around $12 to use on an MLE option.

At that price, the Pelicans could look to upgrade their center position, adding depth and production alongside Zion Williamson and Derik Queen.

Perfect Vucevic sequence

Thought he defended the rim well in this game. Nothing special just stood tall and was stout

On offense he can be a real big piece with Philly being one of the best shot blocking teams in the league. Bona + Drummond will be attracted to drives pic.twitter.com/0NdpCKIJDy
— NikNBA🏀 (@NIKNBAYT) April 17, 2026

Nikola Vucevic Is the Floor-Spacing Center Zion Williamson Has Long Needed

One intriguing name is Boston’s Nikola Vucevic, who will be a free agent this summer. The 15-year veteran was traded from the Chicago Bulls to the Celtics before the trade deadline after spending the last five years in Chicago. Vucevic averaged 16.9 points, nine rebounds, and 3.8 assists in 48 games played with the Bulls, shooting a respectable 38% from beyond the arc.

The Pelicans have long coveted a stretch big man who won’t clog the lanes and open up space for Williamson and now Queen to operate. There were even rumors that the Pelicans were open to acquiring the former two-time All-Star a couple of seasons ago, but a deal never materialized.

The former first-round pick has a real shot at winning a championship this season with the Boston Celtics. His role with Boston has understandably diminished since being acquired, but insiders believe he will still be highly coveted as a free agent this summer.

NBA Insider Jake Fischer believes the market for the 35-year-old will be strong, saying he “will generate some strong interest from teams looking at a longtime starter believed to be open to a more complementary role in the right situation … similar to Al Horford during last summer's free agency.” The 39-year-old Hordford signed a two-year, $11 million contract with the Golden State Warriors last summer. Vucevic will surely command more than that on the market, but the Pelicans should give some serious consideration to offering him a deal.

This is the extra element Vuc gives you

A 5 man that has the ability to drive other bigs and finish with an array of moves + kick out

Loves the floaters and hooks with either hand pic.twitter.com/TzF8lwVNTG
— NikNBA🏀 (@NIKNBAYT) April 21, 2026

New Orleans is in desperate need of some frontcourt production, with Looney being a disappointment this season after signing with the Pelicans last summer. The former three-time NBA champion appeared in just 21 games, averaging 2.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. Veteran DeAndre Jordan also signed with the Pelicans this season, but it’s unclear if the 37-year-old will be on the roster next year.

That leaves Yves Missi and Karlo Matkovic as the only other big men on the roster currently. Vucevic may not be the athletic defender Missi is, but he’s a rebounding machine who has averaged a double-double in 12 of his 15 seasons in the NBA. His veteran presence could also continue to aid Missi and Matkovic’s development in their young careers.

The Pelicans could free up some additional money by trading Jordan Poole and/or Dejounte Murray this offseason. Both guards are due to make north of $30 million each this upcoming season, and the jury is still out on whether each will be a fit in the lineup. Murray returned in February from a season-ending Achilles rupture the year before, and Poole was in and out of the lineup for his inconsistent play.

Regardless of the changes in the backcourt, making a strong push for the offensively versatile Vucevic would be a welcome addition to a Pelicans team looking for some consistent production at the center position.

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