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The New Orleans Pelicans are under new management this upcoming season following the firing of David Griffin and hiring of Joe Dumars. After trading Brandon Ingram at last season’s trade deadline, the team continued to reshape their roster by trading CJ McCollum to the Washington Wizards for Jordan Poole. It’s the time of offseason where teams make roster moves on the margins, and the Pelicans did so with the signing of Jaden Springer, the team announced on Thursday.
While immediate terms of the contract were not available following the Pelicans’ signing of Jaden Springer, the team did have an open roster spot. Prior to adding Springer, the Pelicans sat at 14 standard contracts and three two-way contracts for the upcoming season. That doesn’t necessarily mean that Springer is automatically guaranteed the 15th roster spot.
Some teams prefer to keep a roster spot open for future flexibility heading into training camp. It’s likely that Springer will be given a chance to make the final roster in camp.
Springer joins the Pelicans after finishing last season with the Utah Jazz. The Jazz cut him during the offseason and he became an unrestricted free agent. During the 2023-24 season, Springer was part of the Boston Celtics’ championship team.
He appeared in a total of 17 games, including two starts, for the Jazz at a little over 13 minutes per game. He averaged 3.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists with splits of 41.1 percent shooting from the field and 70.6 percent shooting from the free-throw line. Springer’s best game in a Jazz jersey came on March 31 against the Charlotte Hornets when he finished with 11 points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals and one blocked shot.
Springer began his NBA career with the Philadelphia 76ers as the No. 28 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. The 76ers traded him to the Celtics during the 2023-24 season. Following the Celtics’ championship run, the team would trade him to the Houston Rockets at last season’s trade deadline, but he would never suit up for the Rockets. The Rockets cut him after the trade, and that’s when the Jazz scooped him up.
