The New Orleans Pelicans reportedly have no desire to trade veteran forward Herb Jones at this season’s deadline, according to The Athletic’s Dan Woike.
Jones, 27, has been linked to one team in particular: the Los Angeles Lakers. The Purple and Gold are seeking another wing option to help superstars Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
Pelicans Expected To Retain Herb Jones
During the offseason, Jones and the Pelicans agreed to a three-year, $68 million contract extension. Jones now has a total of five years and $97 million on his deal, with a player option in 2029-30.
Per ESPN’s Bobby Marks, Jones will earn $20.9 million in 2027-28, which is the full 140% allowable increase on the final year of his current contract as a veteran player.
If the Pelicans decide to make Jones available for a potential trade, he cannot be moved until Jan. 14 because he signed that three-year extension with New Orleans in July.
That, however, could be a moot point as the Pels seem committed to their former second-round pick.
“While Lakers fans can fantasize about some all-out liquidation of the three-win Pelicans’ roster, team and league sources tell The Athletic that New Orleans is not interested in moving Jones,” Woike wrote.
New Orleans Seeks Multiple Draft Picks
Woike also noted that New Orleans wouldn’t be interested in the Lakers’ expiring contracts and a single first-round pick, as that future first-rounder, which could be in 2031 or 2032, is less valuable than it was viewed both before the Luka Doncic trade and since Mark Walter’s purchase of the franchise.
Jones, who the Pelicans selected 35th overall in the 2021 draft out of the University of Alabama, was limited to just 20 games last season due to a torn posterior labrum in his right shoulder.
He averaged 10.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.9 steals, and 32.4 minutes per contest while shooting 43.6% from the floor and 30.5% from 3-point territory.
The Pelicans announced in February that Jones would miss the remainder of the season after he underwent successful surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff.
Through 17 games (all starts) this season, Jones is averaging 9.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.6 steals, and 30 minutes per outing while shooting a career-low 40.4% from the field and 34.7% from deep.
The 2026 NBA trade deadline is Feb. 5.
