The New Orleans Pelicans offseason hasn’t been looked upon fondly by most NBA fans, writers, prognosticators, etc. Kevin Pelton of ESPN gave them an F in his offseason grades, the only team that received that failing grade. Joe Dumars has been the butt of many jokes since recently taking over as the head of basketball operations for New Orleans. On Friday, they added Jaden Springer, a move that likely won’t change many people’s opinions of their offseason, but one that could pay dividends.
Former NBA Champion To Join New Orleans Pelicans
Jaden Springer Joins The Pelicans
As announced by the team, the Pelicans have added Jaden Springer to the roster. While details of the contract are not known as of this writing, it’s presumably a one-year deal that could be non-guaranteed.
Welcome to New Orleans, Jaden Springer!
https://t.co/VI29aK3lPi pic.twitter.com/JGXWYeE4G8
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) July 31, 2025
A four-year veteran, Springer was selected with the 28th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. He has since also played with the Boston Celtics and Utah Jazz. Last season in 43 combined outings for the Celtics and Jazz, he posted averages of 2.5 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in just 8.5 minutes.
While his NBA career hasn’t been all that productive, Springer does own a championship ring. The 6-foot-4 guard was a member of Boston’s 2024 championship team. He did receive playing time in Game 4 of those NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks where the Celtics lost in blowout fashion. Springer did not see any time in the other four contests, all Boston wins.
At last season’s trade deadline, Springer was dealt to the Houston Rockets, who subsequently waived him. He later signed a 10-day deal with the Jazz, before signing with them for the rest of the season. Utah waived Springer on July 24, making him an unrestricted free agent once he cleared waivers.
Team Has One Open Roster Spot
There is a pathway for Springer to potentially make his way onto the team. The Pelicans have one open roster spot and they could use it on a young player such as Springer. He turns 23 years old on September 25. Since he has been in the league for four years, he is not eligible to receive a two-way contract.
New Orleans would love to see Springer provide the outside shooting he showed in college. He played just one year at Tennessee before entering the 2021 NBA Draft. In that collegiate season, Springer connected on 43.5% of his three-point tries (albeit on just 46 attempts). He has only knocked down 24 of his 101 three-point attempts in the NBA (23.8%).
Photo credit: © Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
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