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The New Orleans Pelicans and veteran big man Daniel Theis have agreed to a 1-year contract, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
After Jonas Valanciunas decided to leave in free agency, opting to sign a 3-year, $30 million contract with the Washington Wizards, the Pelicans were left scrambling for answers in their frontcourt. This is especially true with Larry Nance Jr. being on the move as well due to the Pelicans' acquiring Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks.
Theis, 32, now joins the Pelicans, where he will have a chance to become the team's starting center. At this time, Theis is the only true big man on New Orleans' roster. Rookie first-round pick Yves Missi will join him on the roster once he signs his contract.
The German big man began his NBA career with the Boston Celtics during the 2017-18 season. Theis made a name for himself by being a reliable defender who could stretch the floor and knock down shots on the opposite side of the floor. He then went on to play for the Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, and most recently, the Los Angeles Clippers.
This past season, Theis played in a total of 59 games for the Clippers, averaging 6.3 points and 4.1 rebounds per game while shooting 53.6 percent from the floor and 37.1 percent from three-point range. His ability to play on the perimeter offensively will open up the floor tremendously for the Pelicans.
Theis' contract adds to busy Pelicans offseason
The Pelicans have been one of the busiest teams in the NBA so far this offseason. In addition to parting ways with Valanciunas in free agency and drafting who they believe to be their future center in Yves Missi, the Pelicans also made a big move to acquire Murray from the Hawks.
Murray, who had been linked to New Orleans dating back to before the trade deadline, now finds himself paired with CJ McCollum in the backcourt. He did come at a hefty price, as the Pelicans were forced to part ways with Dyson Daniels, EJ Liddell, Cody Zeller, Larry Nance Jr., and two future first-round picks.
After signing Theis, the Pelicans are by no means done making moves this offseason. Including both Theis and Missi, the Pelicans have a total of 13 players on their roster. However, the big elephant in the room revolves around Brandon Ingram and whether the franchise will be trading him.
Ingram has been with the Pelicans each of the last five seasons, yet the organization has failed to make it out of the first round of the playoffs. In fact, this team has only been to the playoffs two times, with Ingram as a focal point on their roster. As he enters the final year of his contract, the former All-Star wing remains one of the best players available around the league in trade chatter.
Executive David Griffin is going to have to get creative with finding ways to surround his stars with viable talents, especially because the Western Conference is a juggernaut. The Pelicans have proven that they can play at a high level and keep up with the best of the best around the league, but time is beginning to run out for this core group to prove that they are the winning equation in New Orleans.
