A Denver Nuggets champion and fan favorite from the past few seasons officially has a new home, as ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reported on Friday morning that DeAndre Jordan agreed to a one-year, $3.6 million deal with the Pelicans. Jordan, 37, is entering his 12th season in the league.
He spent the last three seasons in Denver, the longest he has spent with a team since his first four seasons with the Clippers. Jordan played in the most games in a single season with the Nuggets in 2024-25, averaging 12.3 minutes over 56 games.
He's a great veteran to have in the locker room, but for the Pelicans, he could be more than that. New Orleans signed center Kevon Looney over the summer, but the team announced last week that he'd miss the first few weeks of the season with a left knee injury. Yves Missi, who played in the Pelicans' season-opening loss on Wednesday, is questionable for Friday's game against the Spurs.
New Orleans has dealt with numerous injuries the past few seasons, a trend that has carried over to the start of this season. Jordan is limited in what he can do at this stage in his career, but he gives the Pelicans another big man to throw into the mix.
Pelicans sign DeAndre Jordan to a one-year deal
Given that the regular season officially started on Tuesday, fans wondered if Jordan would get another opportunity in the NBA after he spent the entire offseason as a free agent.
Denver didn't have a reason to bring Jordan back, not after trading for Jonas Valančiūnas and with the return of DaRon Holmes II, who missed all of last season with an Achilles injury.
Jordan shared a post on Instagram a couple of days ago, thanking the Nuggets, the city, and the fans for the past few years, including the one in which he won his first-ever title. He hinted that something was in the works, leaving fans to wonder what it might be.
Now, we know that something is the Pelicans. And guess what? Jordan will be back at Ball Arena in a few days, as Denver will host New Orleans on Oct. 29. It will be bittersweet to see him on the opposing sideline, but it's also good knowing that he's still in the NBA. Maybe Jordan will hit 'crow' in the hallways pre-game for good times' sake.