Pelicans Defensive Star Emerges as Kings' Ideal Trade Target

New Orleans Pelicans forward Herb Jones could be the perfect trade target for the Sacramento Kings.

Dec 4, 2023; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0) and New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones (5) talk during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The NBA rumor mill is heating up as we round the corner towards mid-December, with December 15th marking the day that most free agents signed during the offseason can be traded. It is widely regarded as the beginning of the association's trade season.

While most eyes are on the Brooklyn Nets, another name to keep an eye on this trade season is New Orleans Pelicans wing Herb Jones, who according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, teams have already begun reaching out on.

Teams have begun to call the Pelicans about the potential availability of Herb Jones, per @ShamsCharania.

If New Orleans made Jones available, they would receive a significant amount of assets in return.

Jones is viewed as one of the NBA’s most versatile perimeter defenders. pic.twitter.com/4IvgbdsDxI

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) December 10, 2024

The Sacramento Kings have been linked to Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith, but Herb is as near a perfect fit for Sacramento as you can ask for.

The 26-year-old wing stands at 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-0 wingspan and is under contract for three seasons at $13.0 Mil, $13.9 Mil, and $14.9 Mil.

Jones has only played 7 games this year due to injury but is back on the court and averaging 10.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.9 steals, and 0.6 blocks per contest. His three-point shooting is lower this season than years past at 29.2 percent, but in his three games since his return, he’s shot 38.5 percent.

He’s shot 37.0 percent career from deep in his career and 41.8 percent last year, so that number is likely to rise as the season continues.

While the offensive output is great for Herb, his calling card is his defense. He made the All-Defensive first team and was fifth in the Defensive Player of the Year voting last season. Pairing him with Keegan Murray in the front court would give the Kings one of, if not, the best wing-defender duos in the NBA.

Questions around starting spots and rotations would arise, but adding a player like Herb to the mix isn’t something you turn down because of starting spot limitations. You bring him in and make it work. For a Kings team with goals of making a deep playoff run, it’s the type of splashy all-in move that could take them to the next level.

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