NBA Market: The Pelicans sign one of the most legendary players of the century

The 2025/26 season of the NBA has begun, but the market is still active. There are still interesting players available in Free Agency, and the New Orleans Pelicans have seized the best opportunity among the available centers by signing DeAndre Jordan.

The veteran center will continue his career in the NBA after agreeing to a one-year, $3.6 million contract with the New Orleans Pelicans, as confirmed by sources close to the negotiations. The deal comes after the player, represented by Jeff Schwartz and Mike Lindeman, completed three seasons with the Denver Nuggets, where he was part of the veteran core of the 2023 championship team.

At 37 years old, Jordan remains one of the few survivors from the 2008 Draft still active in the league—only 5 players from that class are still competing—a testament to his longevity and ability to adapt to the different roles he has taken on throughout his extensive career.

During the previous season, the veteran big man played 56 games with Denver, averaging 3.7 points and 5.1 rebounds in just 12.3 minutes per game. Although his on-court impact was limited, his presence in the locker room and his experience proved valuable for a team seeking stability and leadership on the bench.

Jordan, ready for a new challenge

However, the shift in direction in Denver was foreseeable. The Nuggets bolstered their interior rotation in the preseason with the arrival of Lithuanian Jonas Valanciunas, further reducing the available space for Jordan in the roster. Faced with this scenario, the center decided to seek a new opportunity with a team with competitive aspirations, but also with room for his veteran presence to carry added weight.

In New Orleans, Jordan will share responsibilities in the paint with Kevon Looney, another recent addition to the team. The signing of both players aligns with the Pelicans' strategy of adding experience and physical strength to the interior game, following several seasons marked by injuries and inconsistency at that position.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Mercado NBA: Los Pelicans fichan a uno de los jugadores más míticos del siglo