Pelicans Will Regret Not Trading Herb Jones This Summer

There have been a ton of questionable offseason decisions by the New Orleans Pelicans. Or, lack thereof.

The Pelicans have been shockingly quiet all summer, not making a single addition to the team that went 26-56 last season. Understandably, there is frustration among the fanbase.

Much has been said about the Pelicans' inability or unwillingness to add more shooting or size. The Joe Dumars & Troy Weaver regime deserves all the criticism for not addressing the team's weaknesses. As things stand now, the Pelicans will once again have minimal shooting and one of the worst center rotations in the league.

Amid all of this, one mistake has gone under the radar. The Pelicans' decision to hold onto Herb Jones makes very little sense, and it will come back to bite them.

This Was the Right Time to Trade Herb Jones

For the second straight season, Jones hit less than 31% of his threes. He was one of the least efficient players in the league, averaging 8.9 points per game on 49.1% True Shooting. The 27-year-old forward has failed to take a step forward offensively in his fifth season in the league.

However, he still has some trade value. He is one of the best and most versatile perimeter defenders in the league. He guards almost all positions, forces turnovers, and provides rim protection. Despite his offensive struggles, he is genuinely a net positive. There is a reason the Pels were 22-34 when he played and 4-22 when he was unavailable last season.

That is exactly why the Pelicans should have traded him. Jones will make $14.9 million next year, in his age-28 season. After that, he begins a three-year, $68 million extension that will take him into his early 30s. This means that he will go from a team-friendly contract to a player-friendly contract very quickly.

Jones and his team-friendly deal could have brought back at least a first-round pick to the Pelicans this summer. Teams are always looking for forwards with size and versatility. He is a better fit on a team that is trying to win now than a team like the Pelicans that is a few years away.

If Jones has another season like the one he just had, where he misses over 25 games and shoots 30.9% from three, it's unlikely that a team will be willing to give up a first-round pick so that they can pay him over $20 million per year.

The Pelicans are clearly not going anywhere next season. They aren't making the playoffs. It would be a successful season if they won over 30 games. What is the point of holding onto Herb Jones? Wouldn't an additional future first-round pick be more valuable for a lottery team?

This may seem obvious to most Pelicans fans, but the front office operates in an alternate reality. Let's hope that it's not too late when they come to their senses.

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