The Pelicans have come to terms reality with Herb Jones and tough decisions may be made this season regarding where the star plays ball. It is not because the star is underperforming or affecting the team negatively. Rather, it is because the Pelicans aren’t in the financial circumstances to keep the player.
With the deadline around the corner, the Pelicans have to find a potential buyer, who would be interested in acquiring Jones’ services.
Pelican open to move Herb Jones
As their financial burden looms, the New Orleans Pelicans have decided to trade small forward Herb Jones, to create a financial cushion that will bring about relief for them.
According to Matt Moore, the Pelicans are open to trade for Herb Jones. Drafted in the 2021 NBA Draft, Jones established his role with the Pelicans with his efficient ability to create space and play with spectacular speed, despite his immense length.
Putting all these attributes to good use, the team had an efficient structure on offense with the presence of Jones as a wing player and pristine defender.
This season, Herb Jones was quite an integral piece for the team and has put in great effort for the team to comfortably sit at the 5th seed in the Western Conference of the NBA.
The decision comes after a huge financial burden has overcome the team following the whopping contracts of superstars Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson who have essentially decapitated the pay structure of the team, limiting the team to play with a very makeshift and handicapped roster.
Herb Jones stats this season
Hailing from Alabama, Herb Jones has etched his presence as a massive wing-player and has played most of his minutes as a defensive player for the Pelicans. This season, the star has been invaluable and has started in all 40 games the team has played while doing a stellar job on both ends.
Through his three seasons in the league, the 25-year-old is averaging a very modest 9.9 points per game, 3.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists for the Pelicans. However, this season, Jones is playing some of the best basketball of his career and has thwarted several teams with his supreme defense.
In 40 games this season, Jones is averaging 10.7 points per game along with 3.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists. He was just the player that the Pelicans needed to maintain their balance of defense and offense and it is quite unfortunate that they have to let him go. With Jones on the market, it will be interesting to see which teams engage in a battle to acquire the services of the player.
What are your thoughts on a potential Herb Jones trade? Will the Pelicans be able to keep Jones despite their financial condition? We are eager to know your thoughts and opinions, so feel free to comment below.
