New Orleans Pelicans Young Forward Has One of Best Contracts in NBA

A New Orleans Pelicans wing player has one of the best contracts in the NBA right now.

Apr 19, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones (5) reacts to making a three point basket against the Sacramento Kings in the second half during a play-in game of the 2024 NBA playoffs at Smoothie King Center. / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA has seen an incredible boom in the size of contracts over the last few years. New television money is providing players with opportunities to sign megadeals, which the New Orleans Pelicans know all about.

They agreed to a max contract with Zion Williamson in 2023. He is one of four players on the roster, along with Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum and Dejounte Murray who are making at least 21 percent of the salary cap.

That doesn’t leave much wiggle room to fill out the remainder of the roster. Front offices have to get shrewd and creative when finding a talented player to fit around their high-priced stars.

Players on rookie deals performing at a high level is the most valuable thing for an NBA team. But, some established players signed extensions that have developed and exceeded the worth of those deals.

One player who would fall into the latter category is Herbert Jones. Jones signed a four-year, $53.8 million contract last summer that was a bargain at the time and will increase in value as the league’s salary cap continues to climb.

In the opinion of Eric Pincus of Blecher Report, Jones’s deal with New Orleans is one of the best in the NBA. Pincus listed Jones at No. 5 on the list ranking the best contracts in the league right now.

“Jones is excellent value for the Pelicans at $13.9 million a season over the next three years. In addition to earning first-team All-Defensive honors, Jones averaged double digits last season at 11 a game while shooting 41.8 percent from three-point range,” Pincus wrote.

That is something the Pelicans love to see. They inked Jones to a team-friendly deal that looks even better after he put together the best all-around season of his professional career. Last season, he finished fifth in the Defensive Player of the Year voting as well.

It will be interesting to see where he fits into the rotation this season as Willie Green has his hands full on the wing. With the addition of Dejounte Murray, Jones may be kicked to the second unit unless Green opts to go super small and play Williamson at the center spot.

Whether he is a starter or coming off the bench, Jones is someone who has earned a prominent role in the rotation. He is imperative to the team finding success defensively and his 3-point shooting is a perfect fit around ball-dominant players willing to make the extra pass.