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Pelicans Nightly Desk · transactions · Monday, September 21

Solomon Washington joins the New Orleans Pelicans

Free agentNew Orleans Pelicans
Solomon Washington
F · 23 · rookie
The move
Joins the Pelicans
official roster · Sep 21, 2026
2026-27 cap hit
Not on file yet
public salary data lags a signing by a day
Pelicans payroll
$204.3M
in the tax · cap $165.0M · tax $200.4M
Roster
21 players
standard limit 15 + 3 two-way
By the Pelicans Nightly Desk · 2 h ago

Solomon Washington, a 23-year-old rookie forward, is on the New Orleans Pelicans roster as of Monday, September 21. No report preceded the move, and his contract is not on file yet.

The move

Solomon Washington joins the New Orleans Pelicans off the roster confirmed Monday, September 21. He arrives from free agency, having had no NBA roster spot before this move. No report preceded the signing; it was detected directly from the official roster. He is 23 years old and enters the league as a rookie forward.

The money

Washington's cap hit and contract length are not on file yet; public salary data can lag a signing by a day. The Pelicans carry a payroll of $204.3M across 19 contracts for 2026-27, which puts them over the luxury tax. The league cap sits at $165.0M, the tax line at $200.4M, the first apron at $209.0M and the second apron at $221.7M.

The fit

Washington has no NBA line from last season. He joins a Pelicans roster now at 21 players, against a standard limit of 15 plus three two-way spots. Last season's rotation included Trey Murphy III at 35.5 minutes and 21.5 points, Saddiq Bey at 31.2 minutes and 17.7 points, Zion Williamson at 29.7 minutes and 21.0 points, and Herbert Jones at 28.4 minutes and 8.9 points, among others.

Where did Solomon Washington come from?

Free agency. He had no NBA roster spot before joining the Pelicans.

Was Washington's signing reported in advance?

No report preceded it. The move was detected from the official roster on Monday, September 21.

What is Washington's contract worth?

Not on file yet. Public salary data can lag a signing by a day.

How big is the Pelicans roster now?

21 players, against a standard limit of 15 plus three two-way spots.

Are the Pelicans over the luxury tax?

Yes. Their payroll is $204.3M across 19 contracts for 2026-27, above the $200.4M tax line, with a cap of $165.0M, a first apron of $209.0M and a second apron of $221.7M.

By the Pelicans Nightly Desk, from the data on this page, rewritten when the data changes. How the desks work.
No contract on file yet: public salary data usually catches up within a day.

Pelicans rotation

tracker →
Trey Murphy III35.5 min · 21.5 pts
Saddiq Bey31.2 min · 17.7 pts
Bennedict Mathurin30.0 min · 17.6 pts
Zion Williamson29.7 min · 21.0 pts
Herbert Jones28.4 min · 8.9 pts
Dejounte Murray27.8 min · 16.7 pts

Moves are detected from the official rosters, so the mechanism (trade, signing, waiver claim, two-way conversion) comes from the linked report when there is one. Salary figures are cap hits from public salary data.