New Orleans Pelicans forward Saddiq Bey is forever grateful to the city and would have signed a 12-year extension if the team had offered him one.
Just two years ago, Saddiq Bey's NBA career was in jeopardy. Just a couple of weeks ago, he signed a three-year extension with the New Orleans Pelicans.
Nothing about his recent experience is lost on him. It has only come to make him love New Orleans as if it had been his home for a decade rather than just one year. Bey would spend the rest of his career with the Pelicans if he could.
"[I'm thankful for] them taking a chance on me. The organization, the city, how they embraced me," said Bey. "People were questioning, you know. They hadn't seen me play in a year and a half. Just giving me the opportunity to show what I can do and contribute, I'll forever be grateful to this place. Always another home for me in New Orleans. They could have said, 'I will give you a 12-year contract,' and I would have signed it. I just love being here."
Bey tore his ACL at the end of the 2023/2024 season. There is no good time to go through that type of injury, but it was extra tough for him as it was the end of his rookie deal. He had already been traded and had a career-low usage rate before that injury.
After the season, he signed a three-year, $18 million deal with the Washington Wizards in hopes of rebuilding his value. He actually never ended up touching the court in a Wizards uniform, missing all of that first season as he recovered. Then, the Pelicans made a deal revolving around Jordan Poole, but took on Bey as well.
While Bey was an interesting former first-round pick, no one expected him to be as perfect for New Orleans as he was. He ended up putting up a career year with 17.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists on 45.1/36.7/84.1 shooting splits. The team took a chance on him when he was at his lowest. It worked out, and Bey is forever thankful for it.
"I love this game so much. Just being able to walk and be able to work out again showed me how much I really loved it," said Bey.
It's safe to say that Bey did come back better than ever. He was a crucial piece to the good basketball that this team displayed last year. He plays a hard-nosed, old school, bully ball brand of basketball. Zion Williamson has talked in the past about how much fun he finds it to watch Bey play.
Maybe the most important part of Bey's game that this new coaching staff is going to like the most is just how selfless he is. The wing reminded people at times last year that he can score in bunches if he needs to. He's put up 50 before at the NBA level and dropped 42 last season, but he's just as happy sacrificing that to fit a role that will better lead to winning games.
It also isn't the first time that Bey has played for Jamahl Mosley. Mosley coached him as part of Team USA Select ahead of the Tokyo Olympics back in 2020. To no surprise, Bey is a fan of the culture that Mosley is building in New Orleans.
"He's commanded the team and commanded the gym as soon as he got here, man; it was great to see," said Bey. "He's a hard-nosed guy, but just getting a chance to know him more and more, I love him already. I can't wait for this to get started."
