Herb Jones is one of the NBA's best defenders. Standing 6'8 "with a 7'0 " wingspan, Jones uses his God-given frame to be a defensive nightmare for opposing offenses nightly. His incredible defensive skillset, awesome vibe, and constant energy have made Herb a fan favourite in NOLA. But the 2024-25 season wasn't easy for Jones or the Pels fan base. New Orleans finished 4th worst in the entire NBA, and Jones' season ended due to a shoulder injury.
Herb only appeared in 20 games last season and didn't look like the same offensive player we've grown used to seeing, as he shot a career-low 30.6% from 3. Despite the shoulder injury Jones suffered coming on his non-shooting arm, it could still significantly impact his jumpshot long term.
With a new front office looking to shake things up this summer and reports of the Pelicans not having anyone considered untouchable, Jones could be on the way out.
So, what does life without Herb look like?
Life without Herb may not be the brightest. Over the last three years, the Pelicans have had a top-six defense twice. In both of those years, Jones played in 66 and 76 games. The one year they weren't a top-six defense was last season. Ironically, Herb played 20 games, and the Pels had the second-worst defensive rating in the NBA. This definitely is a cause for concern as the Pels will likely struggle defending without Herb as the backbone.
All hope isn't lost, though, because when trading someone like Herb, you are bound to get a hefty return. Let's use someone like Rudy Gobert as an example, a purely defensive player who was traded for four first picks, Walker Kessler, four other players and a pick swap. Obviously, Herb isn't a 4 time defensive player of the year, but if Rudy gets four firsts, and young players. The Pelicans should get at least two firsts and a quality player in return for Jones. Here's an example of a potential deal with the Memphis Grizzlies.
In this deal, the Grizzlies get one of the league's best defenders in Jones, who can provide size on the wing between Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. For the Pelicans, this solves their backup center issue by bringing in a high-quality rim protector in Brandon Clarke, as well as adding to their treasure chest of draft picks. A return like this is exactly why trading Jones is the way to go for the Pels.
This team can't return with the same core as last year, there needs to be some change. Trading Jones would also help the Pels brace for the worst. If next season doesn't pan out, this team could very well enter a full-scale rebuild, and a trade like this allows them to be ahead of the curve. Even though trading Herb would leave a massive dent in the Pelicans' defense, there are plenty of players the Pels could add to fill that hole, like Keon Ellis.
With Joe Dumars becoming the new President of Basketball Operations, change is expected. The easiest change to make is trading Herb Jones. He is on a friendly contract at just over $13 million a season, is only 26 and is one of the NBA's best defenders. Trading him is the right move as this is the right time to capitalize on his value.