Pelicans add wing depth with the signing of Javonte Green

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The New Orleans Pelicans have added some veteran help on the wing as they get closer to training camp.

Though it was reported by NBA insider Shams Charania a couple of days ago, the Pelicans officially announced the signing of former Chicago Bulls guard/forward Javonte Green. Contract details were not released.

He shot the ball well for the Bulls, making 60.0% of his field goal attempts overall, including 37.0% from beyond the three-point line.

Though it was a limited sample size, Green posted career highs in scoring, rebounding, steals (1.1), and blocked shots (0.9).

Green appeared in nine games for the Bulls last season, averaging 12.2 points and 7.4 rebounds in 25.6 minutes. In his five starts, he was even better, upping those marks to 14.0 points and 8.6 rebounds in 29.3 minutes per game.

He also played 10 games for the Santa Cruz Warriors of the G League, averaging 12.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.3 steals in 22 minutes per game.

Before the NBA, the Petersburg, Va. native played four seasons at Radford University averaging 14.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.7 blocks in 25.4 minutes across 133 games (122 starts).

He brings a veteran presence to one of the youngest rosters in the NBA. Green, 31, is one of only three Pelicans players over 30, along with guard CJ McCollum (32) and center Daniel Theis (32).

Green posts career regular season averages of 5.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 0.7 assists.

He has made two appearances in the postseason, with the Boston Celtics in 2020 and the Bulls in 2022, averaging 1.7 points per game in limited action.

In a league that puts a premium on shooting, Green has been a solid threat from beyond the arc in his career. Over 195 games, he has converted 78-of-226 three-point attempts (.345). Since the start of the 2022 season, Green has been shooting better than 36 percent from distance.

On-Off Basketball said in its postseason review that Green “is slightly undersized for a wing at 6’5″, making it harder for him to defend some of the bigger NBA wings, but he works hard on that end and generally has been a positive contributor. He also can be disruptive, demonstrated by his good steal and block rates.”

Green helps fill the absence created by the loss of Naji Marshall to the division-rival Dallas Mavericks. If he can be a consistent defender and continue to hit threes at a solid rate, he could be a low-usage, high-efficiency role player capable of making a start or two on short notice. 

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