Pelicans May End Up Regretting Their Trade Deadline Decision on Herb Jones

The New Orleans Pelicans made the questionable decision to stand pat at the trade deadline, much to the frustration of their fans. Since then, they have been playing much better, going 9-6 after the deadline. Yet, they are still headed to the lottery without actually controlling their draft pick. Many wondered whether the Pelicans would end up regretting not converting their valuable veterans to draft picks and future assets. This is especially the case for Herb Jones, who is in the midst of the worst offensive season in his career.

Herb Jones' Trade Value May Never Be Higher Than It Was at the Deadline

Despite plenty of reported interest in Jones, the Pelicans held onto the defensive stalwart. The 27-year-old continues to be a defensive difference-maker, guarding multiple positions, providing intensity, and contributing as a help defender. He is one of the best wing stoppers in the entire NBA.

On the other hand, one has to wonder whether Jones' trade value may have already peaked. He has always been a limited offensive player due to his shortcomings as a shooter and scorer. But things have gotten even worse for Jones this season. The 6'7" forward is shooting 29.3% from three on a career-high 4.6 attempts per game. He is also making a career-low 48.4% of his two-point attempts. As a result, Jones is one of the least efficient players in the league with a 48.6% True Shooting.

For a player who rarely takes self-created shots, that level of efficiency is not acceptable. Jones almost never gets to the free-throw line and is only taking 31% of his shots at the rim, a career-low by a mile, per Cleaning the Glass.

This makes Jones a tough fit, not only on the already shooting-challenged Pelicans, but also on a contender. Perimeter players who can't space the floor or be a scoring threat are difficult to play next to other non-shooters. Considering that most teams have non-shooting bigs, Jones may not be the ideal option for teams looking for wing upgrades.

The fact that Jones is making less than 30% of his threes over the last two seasons will make teams hesitant to give up significant assets for him. At this point, it's too big a sample size not to be concerned.

Plus, Jones' contract will start to look less team-friendly than it was a few months ago. He currently makes $13.9 million this season and will make $14.9 million. One can argue that Jones is a bargain on that deal. In his age-29 and age-30 seasons, however, Jones' contract extension kicks in, and he is due $20.8 million and $22.5 million, respectively. He also has a player option for $24.2 million for the 2029-30 season.

If Jones' impact on the defensive end falls, as it usually does when players approach 30, that deal will age poorly, significantly reducing his trade value.

Unless Jones hits another level offensively or starts making shots, it's hard to imagine the Pelicans getting a haul in return for Jones. Let's hope that we don't look back at the 2026 trade deadline as a missed opportunity for the Pelicans when the front office deals Jones for a lower-than-expected return.