The New Orleans Pelicans are a disaster. Somehow, every year things get worse and worse, not only for the Pelicans as an organization but for their fans, too. In a recent report from Pelicans insider Shamit Dua, he dropped intel surrounding the future of Herb Jones.
"Multiple league sources indicate teams are monitoring Jones' situation and could pursue him if the Pelicans' asking price changes... League sources say the Pelicans have held firm at an asking price near two first-round picks, though no team has met that figure.”
Jones has played no more than 18 minutes in a single game to start this season. This comes in spite of still being the team's best defender and the front office hiring Jamahl Mosley for his defense-first coaching style. Weird.
What does this mean for LA, you ask? It means the door has reopened for Rob Pelinka to potentially acquire Jones, who has been a favorite trade target of the Lakers fanbase for the last several years.
Herb Jones dreams may be closer than ever for the Lakers
As someone who has closely followed the Pelicans and watched almost every Herb Jones possession in the last year and a half, he is being extremely undervalued by the Pelicans, at least on the court.
If you still haven’t grasped how out of touch Joe Dumars is as New Orleans' lead decision-maker, let me put this into perspective for you. He reportedly wants two first-round picks for Jones, but Jamahl Mosley refuses to give him meaningful minutes, start him, or have him close games.
Dumars is doing 2+2=7 kind of math, which reflects how he evaluates that roster and makes decisions for the Pelicans.
At the current price point Dumars has set, I wouldn’t advise Pelinka to try and engage in trade talks, but if the losses continue to pile up, eventually that price is going to drop. While Jones' offensive numbers haven’t been great since 2023-24, the defense is still very high level.
According to Databallr, the Pelicans' defense gives up 31.1 more points per 100 possessions when he’s off the court compared to when he’s on the court this season.
I understand the combo of Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams has been great defensively in the Lakers' starting five, especially in passing lanes and from the point of attack. However, that doesn’t mean adding another high-level stopper wouldn’t be smart.
Come playoff time, the NBA becomes all about who can get the most stops because all the top teams are going to have a go-to scorer that can get a bucket on virtually anyone. That’s the type of situation where someone like Jones brings more value than, say, someone like Quentin Grimes.
Yes, the Lakers just signed Grimes to a multi-year deal this summer. That doesn’t mean he is safe, especially if a player with a skill set this roster needs more of becomes available.
The money lines up, and for the Pelicans, Grimes would give them something they have zero of: 3-point shooting. I’m not saying it’s a flawless one-for-one trade, but it would be something worth considering if Dumars ever got out of the fantasy land he lives in when discussing the value of his players on a team that won just 47 games combined over the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons.
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