Ex-Warriors, Pelicans Guard Agrees To Deal With Orlando Magic

This offseason, the Pelicans have made several moves, such as trading for Jordan Poole and trading up to draft Derik Queen 13th overall. The move for Queen came with some backlash, given the Pelicans gave up their unprotected first-round pick in 2026, in which Atlanta will get the more favorable of New Orleans' or Milwaukee's first.

Earlier on Monday, the Pelicans made a move to shape out the rest of their roster, signing free agent forward Jalen McDaniels. As is the case in most teams' offseasons, the Pelicans let some players go, as one of their two-way players from this past season has found a new team.

Reported by HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, the Orlando Magic have agreed to a deal with guard Lester Quinones. Prior to his stint with the Pelicans, Quinones played briefly with the Philadelphia 76ers last season and spent the beginning years of his career with the Golden State Warriors.

Lester Quinones' Basketball Journey

Before making it to the NBA, Quinones played for the Memphis Tigers across three seasons. He never had any eye-popping stats, averaging 10.1 points and 4.3 rebounds across his three years. He did impress as a three-point shooter, though, shooting 39.4% from deep in his final two seasons.

During his time with the Warriors, Quinones appeared in 41 games, averaging 4.2 points and 1.8 rebounds. However, he was productive in the G-League, averaging over 20 points per game in both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.

Looking at this addition for Orlando, Quinones will look to compete for a standard contract or join the team on a two-way. The Magic have plenty of star power with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner leading the way, but shooters like Quinones are exactly what they need to take that next step as a contender.