Official signing in New Orleans

The New Orleans Pelicans have signed Julian Reese to a two-way contract effective September 24, adding him as a free agent for the NBA 2026/27 season. The move is official and fills the franchise's third and final two-way roster slot before preseason.

The transaction appears in NBA.com oficial and was picked up by CBS Sports — NBA, which confirms the two-way agreement and places Reese in the last available two-way spot alongside Jaron Pierre Jr. and Malik Dia.

Julian Reese's profile

Reese, a 6-foot-9, 23-year-old forward, went undrafted after four college seasons at Maryland, where he played alongside current Pelicans center Derik Queen. He spent most of 2025/26 in the G League with Raptors 905 before signing a two-way deal with the Wizards in late February.

CBS Sports — NBA notes that in Washington's closing stretch he averaged 11.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.4 steals in 30.9 minutes across 13 regular-season games, including 10 starts. He was traded to Denver in August in the five-team Peyton Watson deal and was waived about a week later.

Roster fit

With Reese, the Pelicans complete a two-way trio that includes Pierre Jr. and Dia, a familiar structure for a project that splits development minutes between the main roster and G League affiliate Laketown Squadron. The interior profile adds rebounding and physical presence in a role compatible with G League rotation when he is not on the NBA roster.

The brother of WNBA star Angel Reese strengthens a young frontcourt that already features Queen, his Maryland and St. Frances Academy teammate from Baltimore. For the Pelicans, the move adds a player with recent NBA minutes rather than a purely developmental gamble.

Market context

The signing came on September 24, in the final procedural movement window before training camp. As an effective two-way contract, Reese is already part of the franchise's contractual ecosystem and can split time between the NBA and the G League based on staff needs, with a 50-game cap on NBA appearances.