Pelicans Are Reportedly Turning Down Trade Offers for Veteran Starter

The New Orleans Pelicans are not in a rush to sell off their valuable veterans.

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

After losing eight straight, the New Orleans Pelicans are once again stuck at the bottom of the Western Conference with an 8-30 record. While the injuries have certainly prevented them from finding continuity and building chemistry, the Pelicans are clearly nowhere near where the front office thought they would be at this stage of the season. This naturally created an expectation that the Pels would be sellers at the trade deadline, turning their valuable veterans into draft capital and future assets. It turns out, Joe Dumars & Co. are not in a real rush to do so.

Sam Amick of The Athletic shared on Run It Back on Tuesday that he doesn't expect the Pelicans to aggressively sell before the February 5 deadline. In addition to saying that the trade buzz around Zion Williamson is quiet and that the Pels have a very high price tag on Trey Murphy, the NBA insider added that they "are putting up a good face saying no on trade inquiries for Herb Jones."

Jones is obviously a very important part of the Pelicans, highlighted by the team going 1-14 in his absence. The 27-year-old forward is one of the best and most versatile defenders in the league, so the Pelicans' desire to keep him around is understandable.

Pelicans Should Make Herb Jones Available Ahead of Trade Deadline

At the same time, the front office has to understand that this era of Pelicans basketball has come to an end. The future belongs to Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears, and it will take a few years before the Pelicans are a competitive team in the Western Conference. Therefore, it makes more sense to have younger players and draft capital that set up the Pelicans for the future rather than keep Jones around in his late 20s.

Jones is currently on a team-friendly deal that pays him $13.9 million this season and $14.8 million next. Before the 2027-28 season, his contract will balloon up to $20.8 million per year, making him more difficult to trade. The star defender's trade value may be as high as it will ever be right now due to his age and contract situation.

If the Pelicans can get two first-round picks with lottery upside in a deal for Jones, it would be organizational malpractice not to accept that offer. While it would hurt to lose the team's best defender, the Pelicans have to prioritize adding young talent and assets.