New Orleans Pelicans Wing Would Be Extremely Popular on Trade Market

A New Orleans Pelicans perimeter player is considered one of the most desirable trade assets in the NBA.

Feb 23, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III (25) hugs forward Herbert Jones (5) during the first half against the Miami Heat at Smoothie King Center. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Pelicans are a team that many people are going to be keeping an eye on as we get closer and closer to the 2024-25 NBA season.

Looking to move up the ranks in the Western Conference, they made a huge splash in the offseason acquiring Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks. His presence is going to raise the team’s floor and ceiling on both ends of the court.

His playmaking will help late in games, where the Pelicans struggled to execute without a traditional point guard. Defensively, he is another long, athletic player who will fit in perfectly with Willie Green’s system.

His fit should be a seamless one. Figuring things out on the wing, however, will be a challenge.

New Orleans has a logjam at the small forward spot with Brandon Ingram, Trey Murphy and Herbert Jones. That could leak into the shooting guard position as well, as CJ McCollum, Jordan Hawkins and Javonte Green provide even more depth on the wing.

Coach Green is going to have some very difficult decisions to make with his lineup as someone is going to be disappointed with their role and playing time. Jones, a second-round pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, could become a second-unit player for the first time in his career.

He has come off the bench only nine times as a pro, quickly cementing his status as a key defensive piece in Green’s system. But, with his penchant for starting a traditional center, two of McCollum, Murphy and Jones will be coming off the bench.

The Pelicans aren’t going to be shopping their emerging defensive star any time soon, but he is someone who would have incredible trade value on the market. Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report named the Alabama product one of the most desirable trade assets in the league.

“Jones finished fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting last season and uses his size and length to swallow up opposing wings and disrupt passing lanes. He also averaged a career-high 11.0 points and made 41.8 percent of his three-pointers,” wrote Swartz.

Not only has he made an impact on the court, Jones has one of the best-valued contracts in the NBA. On July 6th, 2023 he signed a four-year, $54 million deal that he has quickly outproduced.

His defensive ability alone was enough to warrant that deal; now that he is taking his offensive game to another level, it is one of the biggest steals.

Given how cap-conscious New Orleans is, Jones isn’t someone who they will look to move. With an under-market contract locked in through 2027, he is extremely valuable to the franchise.

Alas, everything that makes him valuable to the Pelicans is why Swartz listed him as such a desirable asset.