The Scoring Is Settled. The Defense Is Not.

Saddiq Bey's three-year, $55.5 million extension makes the offensive picture in New Orleans about as clear as it gets for a 26-win team. Murphy at 21.3 points, Williamson at 20.7, Bey at 17.4 — that's a legitimate top three, and the front office has now committed to all of them. That part of the rebuild has an answer.

The part that doesn't is what happened on the other end last April. New Orleans allowed 126.3 points per game over its final 10 contests — a jump of nearly 11 points from what the team had been surrendering in the 20 games before that. They went 1-9 to close the year. The offense didn't fall apart; the defense did, and it did so in a way that looked less like fatigue and more like structural failure.

The offseason additions — Bennedict Mathurin signed in August, the draft class coming into Summer League — are pointed at that problem. Mathurin's athleticism on the perimeter is the most obvious bet. Herbert Jones is still on the roster and has the profile of a stopper when healthy. But none of that has been tested yet against real competition, and the Pelicans face a brutal travel schedule in 2026-27 that will stress a young, thin rotation early.

Locking in Bey was the right call. He came back from an ACL tear and had the best season of his career. But the extension just clarifies what the Pelicans already had. What they still need to find is a defense capable of protecting a lead — something this group has not yet shown it can do when the games get long.