Pelicans make pair of roster moves

The Pelicans have signed and waived a pair of undrafted rookies this week, shuffling the back end of their offseason roster.

New Orleans added forward/center Johnny O’Neil on an Exhibit 10 contract, then immediately waived him, per Keith Smith of Spotrac.

The 6-foot-10 O’Neil spent three years at American before transferring to Santa Clara, where he averaged 7.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.0 block while shooting nearly 40% from three last season.

By signing and waiving O’Neil, the Pelicans can now steer him toward their G League affiliate in Birmingham, where he’d be eligible for a bonus of up to $85,300 if he sticks for at least 60 days.

The team also signed Jalon Moore to a camp deal before waiving him, per the NBA’s transaction log.

Moore, a 6-foot-7 forward, averaged 15.9 points and 5.8 rebounds as a senior at Oklahoma but tore his Achilles during a pre-draft workout with the Spurs.

While he’s expected to miss the entire season, the move allows the Pelicans to retain his G League rights should they want to keep him in the system for 2026-27.

The Pelicans currently have the offseason maximum of 21 players under contract, including 14 on guaranteed deals and three on two-way pacts.