The New Orleans Pelicans must bolster their bottom-10 rebounding units to become a true contender. These veteran floor-stretchers and glass-cleaners can fortify the frontcourt without breaking the bank.
The New Orleans Pelicans have a lot of holes they'll need to plug before they can turn this roster into a contender. The pieces are there to start, but their deficiencies are glaring.
One major area that must be addressed this offseason is rebounding. They have some exciting young centers in Derik Queen and Yves Missi, but they aren't the fiercest rebounders in the NBA, mostly due to a lack of strength.
The Pelicans were a bottom-10 rebounding team in the league. They'll likely need to add another center to the team, while also not investing too much more into the front court. Someone who will mostly fill in when the matchup calls for it.
Here are four potential options for New Orleans to consider going after this offseason, with a wide variety of ways to get them:
Philadelphia 76ers C Andre Drummond
Drummond is clearly in the later years of his career and while he might not be someone who is capable of averaging 17.7 points and 15.2 rebounds, but he has adapted well with what it takes to be a modern big.
He's remained one of the best rebounders in the NBA, but has also developed to be able to stretch the floor. He tried the three-ball early in his career, but it wasn't efficient enough for volume. He shot 35.6% on 90 attempts this past season.
The 32-year-old averaged 6.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists on 47.2/35.6/63.1 shooting splits last season. It wasn't an overwhelming contribution, but would be perfect in the Pelicans front court.
Chicago Bulls C Nick Richards
Richards is trying to develop a three-ball, like Drummond, but it hasn't worked as well. Still, he would be a valuable addition to what New Orleans needs. He averaged 5.8 points and 5.1 rebounds last year. He will need a fresh start as well, so perhaps it could be a beneficial partnership at a reasonable price.
The former Kentucky Wildcat was technically drafted by the Pelicans in 2020, but was already traded to the Charlotte Hornets for a future second that was never used by the Pelicans. That pick actually used by the New York Knicks to get Tyler Kolek in 2024.
Cleveland Cavaliers C Thomas Bryant
Bryant is the most established floor stretcher of the three. He's a career 34.8% shooter on 1.6 attempts per night, which would be massive for the New Orleans offense. As an added benefit, he is at least a solid rebounder and has better size at around 6-foot-10, 250 pounds.
The 28-year-old also actually has a fair bit of postseason experience. He was teammates with DeAndre Jordan in 2023 when the Denver Nuggets won the NBA title, was on the 2025 Indiana Pacers team who went on a run and is now on the Cleveland Cavaliers.