Former Pistons wing Saddiq Bey has finally found his footing again with a bounceback season for the Pelicans. In the midst of a depressing season in New Orleans, Bey has been a positive as a frequent starter. He is averaging 14 points and 6 rebounds per game while having arguably his best season since being traded by the Pistons.
Saddiq Bey has overcome adversity since leaving Detroit
Bey was a beloved Piston during the first 3 seasons of his career. He had memorable moments as a microwave scorer in Detroit, including a career-high 51 points against the Magic in 2022. He set franchise records for threes in a season that have only been passed by Malik Beasley.
But it all came to an end for Saddiq when he was traded in return for James Wiseman. The rash trade quickly proved unfruitful as Wiseman struggled in Detroit and the Pistons lost one of their best scorers. Bey was redirected to the Hawks, where he shot the ball efficiently but had his season cut short by injury. He suffered a torn ACL that kept him out for most of 2024 and up until the beginning of the current 2025-26 season.
Now, Bey has finally found another home with a starting role for him. His decisiveness scoring the ball has always been one of his strongest traits, and it's needed on a Pelicans team lacking direction. Additionally, his availability is a big bonus when the team's normal stars are missing tons of games. Outside of his ACL tear, Bey has never missed significant time in his NBA career.
Looking back at the Pistons' stat sheets from a few seasons ago would severely underrate Bey's impact. He played at a time when the Pistons lacked almost any other outside shooting threats, forcing himself and Bojan Bogdanovic to provide all the team's spacing. His efficiency wasn't the greatest but he played an important role in Cade Cunningham's first couple seasons and he always showed heart even in terrible seasons.
It's nice to see Bey get another chance in the NBA. The Pelicans are far from an ideal situation, but it's a chance for him to prove he can still compete in the league. At the least, the Pelicans' frequent injuries give Bey plenty of opportunities to have his number called. If he can get back to some of the shooting he's shown in Atlanta and Detroit in better situations - 40% from three on 5 attempts per game - he could even be a potential contributor to today's Pistons. Such a homecoming is unlikely, but definitely something that Bey would welcome with open arms.