Pelicans' Herb Jones Increases Trade Value in Injury Absence

Herb Jones proved his worth to the New Orleans Pelicans while he was sidelined with ankle sprain.

Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Pelicans are in the midst of a disastrous season. With less than a month left before the trade deadline, the expectation is that the Pelicans would be sellers to accelerate their rebuild. One of the names that has been at the forefront of trade speculation is Herb Jones.

Jones is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, and he combines his defensive versatility with improved shooting, making him a solid three-and-D option. He is only 27 years old, makes $13.9 million this season, and is under contract until the end of the 2028-29 season, making him a very attractive option on the trade market.

One complicating matter is the fact that Jones has missed 15 games this season, after missing all but 20 games last year. Earlier in the season, the veteran forward was dealing with a calf injury. After his return, he sprained his ankle before the new year and has been sidelined for the last seven games. One would think that these injury concerns would make his suitors reconsider his trade value.

On the contrary, Jones' absence has made him more valuable, not only to the Pelicans, but also for the rest of the league.

Herb Jones Should Draw Plenty of Trade Interest Despite Injuries

The Pelicans are 1-14 in the games Jones missed this season, including losing the last seven. With him, on the other hand, they are a much more respectable 7-15. This follows the same trend from last season. The Pelicans had their worst season in two decades after Jones underwent season-ending shoulder surgery.

Jones has the second-best on/off differential on the team. The Pelicans are 6.5 points per 100 possessions better with him on the floor than off, per Cleaning the Glass. Most of this difference comes on the defensive side of the ball, as the Pels have a 116.1 defensive rating with him on the court, a mark that would rank middle of the pack in the league. Without Jones, however, the Pelicans have the second-worst defensive rating in the NBA.

This was the case for the Pelicans last season as well. The Pelicans had a -0.2 net rating with Jones on the court, making them a play-in caliber team. Without him, they had a -11.5 net rating, the second-worst in the league, which was the reason they went 21-61 for the season.

Very few role players in the NBA have this type of impact on their teams. Jones has had a positive on/off differential in every season of his career, and the Pelicans have had a much better defensive rating with him on the floor than off in all five of his seasons.

How big a part Jones plays for the Pelicans has been made clear once again this season, and should catch the eye of interested teams around the league. He almost single-handedly turns a horrible Pelicans defense into a respectable unit. The Pelicans' helplessness without him should send a message to the rest of the league that Jones is worth giving up significant draft capital. It also means that the Pelicans shouldn't be willing to part ways with their defensive stalwart for anything less than at least one unprotected first-round pick.