Securing a Path in New Orleans
New Orleans Pelicans forward Julian Reese has entered a critical phase of his professional career, signing a two-way contract with the organization in late September 2026. The 23-year-old Maryland product, who went undrafted in 2025, is currently competing for a permanent spot in the Pelicans’ rotation during the NBA preseason. His transition to New Orleans follows a complex journey that included a stint with the Washington Wizards—where he appeared in 13 games and made 10 starts late in the 2025-2026 season—and a brief period with the Denver Nuggets, who waived him in August 2026. According to reporting by WVUE, this move marks a significant homecoming of sorts for the Reese family brand within the Louisiana sports landscape.
Reese brings a specialized, high-intensity skill set to a Pelicans roster actively seeking interior support. During his time with the Wizards, where he was signed in February 2026 after starting the season in the G League, he demonstrated significant efficiency on the glass, averaging 11.8 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. His performance included notable outings such as a 26-point, 17-rebound effort against the Utah Jazz, and a season-high 20-rebound performance against the same team. Pelicans head coach Jamahl Mosley has expressed confidence in Reese’s work ethic and spatial awareness, noting that the forward possesses a natural knack for dissecting rebounding opportunities. Mosley, who previously coached against Reese when he was with the Orlando Magic, praised the forward as a “workhorse” who consistently gets into the right position to collect boards, as reported by NOLA.com.
The Mentorship of a Shared Pedigree
The transition to Louisiana places Julian in the orbit of his older sister, WNBA star Angel Reese, who previously became a central figure in the state’s sports landscape while starring for LSU. As Angel prepares for the WNBA Finals with the Atlanta Dream against the Golden State Valkyries, the siblings continue to share a mutual support system built on their family’s deep history with the game. Their mother, Angel Webb Reese, was a standout player and prolific rebounder at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, establishing a family lineage that both siblings credit for their aggressive style of play. Julian has noted that rebounding runs in the family, though he considers it a “lost skill” in the modern NBA, one that he views as his primary path to longevity in the league.
Julian attributes his patience and professional persistence to the “stay ready” mantra his sister frequently shares. After being waived by the Denver Nuggets in August, Reese remained focused on his physical preparation, ensuring he was ready when the Pelicans opportunity materialized. For Julian, the move to New Orleans is not just a professional step, but an opportunity to reciprocate the support Louisiana fans gave his sister during her collegiate tenure. He acknowledges that seeing the love fans showed her in Baton Rouge is inspiring, and he aims to channel that same energy by playing hard and giving everything he has every night for the Pelicans organization.
Professional Stakes and Future Outlook
Under his current two-way contract, Reese is eligible to split time between the NBA roster and the Pelicans’ new G League affiliate, the Laketown Squadron, which operates out of Kenner. This structure provides him with the necessary floor time to maintain his rhythm while providing the Pelicans with a low-cost, high-intensity option in the frontcourt. The upcoming final stretch of the preseason, including a game against his former team, the Washington Wizards, serves as the primary evaluation period for his roster sustainability. While his minutes have been limited in the early preseason, the coaching staff is expected to increase his workload as the regular season approaches.
Reese remains grounded in his approach, emphasizing that his goal is to contribute to team success through defensive intensity, communication, and relentless rebounding. At 6-foot-9, he has built his game around toughness; at the University of Maryland, he became one of only two players in program history to record at least 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds, finishing second on the Terrapins’ all-time rebounding list. As the league evolves toward more versatile frontcourt play, his ability to secure possession remains his strongest asset. Whether he secures a standard NBA contract will depend on his consistency in translating his rebounding output from the G League and limited NBA appearances into reliable production within the Pelicans’ system. For now, Reese is focused on proving that his rebounding prowess is not just a statistical anomaly, but a sustainable professional niche that warrants a long-term place in the league.
Contextualizing the Rebound
The convergence of Julian’s NBA aspirations with Angel’s WNBA success highlights a unique moment for the Reese family. Angel, recently named the WNBA’s Defensive Player of the Year, continues to set records, having led the WNBA in rebounding for three consecutive seasons and recording a league-record 521 total rebounds in a single season. Julian views his sister’s success as “very inspirational,” noting that she is “proving everybody wrong and just living in her truth.” This shared focus on the glass—a fundamental aspect of basketball that both describe as taking things “personal”—serves as the backbone of their professional identities. For Julian, the challenge is clear: he must replicate the high-level rebounding and defensive communication he displayed in his 13-game stint with Washington to convince the New Orleans front office that he is a permanent solution for their frontcourt depth. As he navigates this transition, the support from the New Orleans fanbase, already familiar with the “Reese” name, provides a unique layer of pressure and motivation. He is determined to prove that his rebounding gene is a tangible asset that can help the Pelicans win, regardless of the competition level, effectively closing the gap between his G League development and the demands of an NBA rotation player.