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Herb Jones Identified As Primary Trade Candidate For Surging Pelicans
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- Herb Jones Identified As Primary Trade Candidate For Surging Pelicans
Mandatory Credit: Larry Robinson-USA TODAY Sports
After a 0-4 start, the New Orleans Pelicans are showing signs of life. While expectations remain low for the Pelicans, their future looks bright with a loaded roster of young, talented players. For a while, young swingman Herb Jones was seen as a core part of their long-term plans, but something has changed in recent months.
According to the latest reports, the Pelicans have designated four players as untouchable, and Jones is not one of them. The once prized two-way swingman has apparently fallen out of favor in New Orleans, leading some to suspect he'll be on a different team by February's deadline.
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"We expected them to be major sellers, a team that isn't going to be successful in the West. Now, they're trending up in the Western Conference picture," reported Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints . "We know that Jeremiah Fears, Saddiq Bey, Derik Queen, and Bennedict Mathurin are completely off limits in trade talks. They don't have much interest in trading Trey Murphy or Zion Williamson either."
"The big question is Herb Jones. The Pelicans say that they want to keep him, but they've been open to hearing trade offers for him, and they have not shut down those trade offers coming to them. I think this is finally the trade deadline that Herb Jones gets dealt."
At this point, the Pelicans don't have much to lose. Their roster is young and developing, and their chances of making the playoffs are slim, at best. Still, they want to preserve the young core they've built, and that means giving them the time and space to learn from their mistakes. At 28, Jones doesn't quite fit their timeline, and he's already falling out of the rotation.
This season, in eight games, he's averaging 6.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game on 41.2% shooting from the field. He's down to just 23.9 minutes per game, a career low. Unless something changes soon, the Pelicans are likely to move on from Jones, and the market is hot right now for a veteran three-and-D player in his prime.
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One team frequently connected to the veteran role player is the Golden State Warriors . In the wake of Kristaps Porzingis ' injury, they need all the help they can get, and Herb Jones is a relatively safe, realistic option who could bolster their three-point defense.
Depending on the price, Jones would also be a dream acquisition for the Lakers . They've been looking for perimeter defenders ever since the Luka Doncic trade, and Jones would more than suffice as someone who finished top five in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2024.
The Oklahoma City Thunder also make a good landing spot for Herb . They've been decimated by injuries this season, but he would offset some of their losses. With a mountain of draft picks and plenty of tradeable contracts, the Thunder have both the means and the motive to strike a deal with the Pelicans.
Ultimately, only time will tell how the situation plays out with Herb Jones, but he has the kind of game that could help a lot of teams right now. Plus, with another four years and $70+ million, he's on a relatively fair contract that only makes him more valuable. If the Pelicans move on this now, they can get a respectable haul in return, but it doesn't seem like they're in any rush to make big decisions.
