The New Orleans Pelicans and free agent center DeAndre Jordan have reached an agreement on a one-year, minimum-salary contract, agent Jeff Schwartz informed ESPN’s Shams Charania on Friday.
Pelicans Signed DeAndre Jordan After Waiving Jaden Springer
New Orleans opened a spot on its standard 15-man roster Thursday by waiving guard Jaden Springer. Springer’s $2.46 million salary for this season was non-guaranteed.
Jordan, 37, is a three-time All-NBA center who has led the league in rebounding twice, finished second in blocks three times, and won a championship with the Denver Nuggets in 2023.
The 6-foot-11 big man was selected 35th overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in the second round of the 2008 draft out of Texas A&M. He’s appeared in 1,111 regular season games (791 starts) for a total of seven teams.
Jordan no longer makes the same offensive impact he did earlier in his career, but he still saw some playing time for the Nuggets in recent years as one of Nikola Jokic’s backups.
Last season, Jordan made 56 regular-season appearances (five starts), averaging 3.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 12.3 minutes per contest while shooting 65% from the field and 42.2% from the free throw line.
In Denver’s 126-103 home win over the Clippers on Jan. 8, the two-time All-Defensive member recorded a season-high 12 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 23 minutes of action.
New Orleans Added Jordan Amid Frontcourt Injuries
Since the Pelicans already had 14 players on guaranteed standard contracts, they opted to add another center to fill their 15th roster spot, as their frontcourt has been decimated by injuries.
Projected starting big man Kevon Looney is currently sidelined due to a left knee sprain, while centers Yves Missi (right ankle sprain) and Karlo Matkovic (low back spasms) are listed as questionable to play against the San Antonio Spurs on Friday.
Rookie center Derik Queen is now available, but he missed the entire preseason while recovering from wrist surgery. The Maryland product played just 15 minutes in Wednesday’s opener.
After the Spurs matchup on Friday, the Pelicans are scheduled to host the Boston Celtics on Oct. 27 before beginning a three-game road trip at Denver, the Clippers, and Oklahoma City.