Saddiq Bey's Breakout Season Complicates Pelicans' Trade Deadline Plans

The 24-year-old wing's impressive play has made him an integral part of New Orleans' young core.

Feb. 1, 2026 at 11:47pm

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With the NBA trade deadline just days away, the New Orleans Pelicans face a tough decision on whether to keep or trade Saddiq Bey. The 24-year-old wing has been a consistent scoring threat for the struggling Pelicans, averaging 16.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. Over his last five games, Bey has taken his game to another level, putting up 26.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per contest while shooting 50% from three-point range. Despite the Pelicans' 13-38 record, Bey's production and team-friendly contract make him a valuable piece that could be difficult to replace if traded.

Why it matters

As the Pelicans look to build around their young core of Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen, Saddiq Bey has emerged as an ideal complementary piece. His well-rounded skill set and ability to contribute in multiple facets of the game could be crucial to the team's long-term development. Parting with Bey at the trade deadline could create a hole that the Pelicans would struggle to fill, potentially stunting the growth of their young stars.

The details

Bey is under contract for two more seasons after this one at a reasonable $6.33 million per year, making him an attractive trade target for teams looking to bolster their rosters. However, the Pelicans' front office must weigh the short-term benefits of a potential trade against the long-term value Bey could provide as part of their young core. With the team in a rebuild/retool situation, keeping Bey and allowing him to continue developing alongside Fears and Queen could be the best path forward.

  • The NBA trade deadline is on February 5, 2026.

The players

Saddiq Bey

A 24-year-old wing player who has been a consistent scoring threat for the New Orleans Pelicans this season, averaging 16.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.

Jeremiah Fears

One of the Pelicans' young building blocks, along with Derik Queen, that Saddiq Bey could help develop as part of the team's long-term plans.

Derik Queen

One of the Pelicans' young building blocks, along with Jeremiah Fears, that Saddiq Bey could help develop as part of the team's long-term plans.

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What’s next

The Pelicans will have to decide whether to keep Saddiq Bey or trade him before the February 5th trade deadline.

The takeaway

Saddiq Bey's impressive play this season has made him an integral part of the Pelicans' young core, and trading him at the deadline could create a hole that would be difficult to fill. Keeping Bey and allowing him to continue developing alongside Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen could be the best path forward for the Pelicans as they look to build a sustainable contender.