The New Orleans Pelicans didn’t go hunting for a major shakeup this offseason, and that leaves a familiar roster heading into the 2026-2027 NBA season after a 26-win year. If this team is going to climb out of that mess, it won’t happen without a handful of players taking a step forward. One name stands out above the rest: Herb Jones.
Jones is entering his sixth season in New Orleans, and the pressure on him feels different now than it has at any other point in his career. Injuries have interrupted his last two years, holding him to 76 games over that span. That total matched the number of games he played during his breakout 2023 season, the year he landed on the NBA All-Defensive First Team and posted career highs in both scoring and three-point shooting.
That season also lined up with the Pelicans’ best stretch in years. New Orleans won 49 games, the second-most in franchise history, and Jones was right in the middle of it.
The Pelicans’ shooting issues make his return to form even more important. Outside shooting has been one of the team’s glaring problems, with New Orleans ranking among the league’s worst over the last two seasons in three-point attempts and makes per game.
Jones gave them a real answer in 2023, when he knocked down 41% from deep. He’s a career 35% shooter from beyond the arc, but shoulder trouble, including a torn labrum, has clearly taken a toll on that part of his game.
Now he has been cleared to be fully healthy, and that opens the door for him to again function as a useful floor spacer.
Even in a small 20-game sample last season, the numbers pointed to how much he can matter. Databallr showed the Pelicans were +4 in offensive rating with Jones on the floor and -8.1 in net rating when he sat.
In lineups with Zion Williamson and Derik Queen, New Orleans’ offensive rating was 1.5 better than its average with Jones included. Without him in those Williamson-Queen groups, the offense fell off hard, dropping by -9.8.
That matters because Williamson and Queen are expected to share plenty of court time this season. Jones gives that pairing something the Pelicans badly need: spacing, plus the ability to keep the ball moving. Over the last two seasons, he has averaged more than three assists per game.
Of course, the defense is still the foundation. Jones has built his reputation there, and the résumé is strong: 1.6 steals per game for his career and nearly a block per game as well.
That kind of presence matters even more on a roster that doesn’t have many true rim protectors beyond maybe Yves Missi. New Orleans finished near the bottom in opposition points in the paint last season, and the easy drives teams were getting were a big reason why.
A healthy Jones could help close some of those gaps next season, while also tightening the communication and overall structure of the defense. That fits with the approach of new head coach Jamahl Mosley.
Over time, Jones has grown from pure stopper to corner three threat to a player who can also handle some playmaking responsibilities. That kind of two-way versatility has already meant a lot to New Orleans, and if the Pelicans are going to move forward, they’ll need more of it. He’s also in the middle of the three-year extension he signed last summer, which keeps him under contract through the 2028-2029 season with a player option for the following year.
For a team that figures to improve in stages, Jones looks like one of the players best positioned to lead that climb.
In Other News...
Pelicans Just Sent Another Clear Message About Their Frontcourt Priorities
The Pelicans kept trimming and reshaping the back end of their roster this week, waiving second-year center Hunter Dickinson to clear a two-way spot after adding Malik Dia on a two-way contract. Dickinsons time in New Orleans was brief after he went undrafted in 2025 and appeared in five games last season, but the move fits the teams continued search for the right mix of size and developmental depth around the frontcourt.
New Orleans is still not done sorting out those two-way slots, and the opening left behind should only sharpen the competition when camp gets going. Players like Kobe Bufkin and Christian Koloko are among the names now in position to fight for that space, which means the Pelicans roster churn at the bottom is still very much tied to how they want to build out the big-man group. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Frontcourt Battle Just Put One Young Forward Under Pressure
The Pelicans finished filling out their 15-man roster by signing forward Trendon Watford, and that move gives New Orleans another option in a frontcourt that already looks crowded. Both Watford and Karlo Matkovi are on one-year deals, and with the club expected to lean smaller and faster without a true starting center, the power forward picture suddenly has a lot less room than it did a week ago.
Training camp under new head coach Jamahl Mosley figures to sort out the fit, but the signing also adds pressure to a young forward trying to carve out a place in the rotation. Watford brings another body into the mix, and the battle in that spot could become one of the quieter but more revealing roster questions as the Pelicans settle into Mosleys first camp with the team. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Camp Battle Could Decide More Than One Key Roster Spot
The Pelicans have already done some of the housekeeping ahead of training camp, signing Trendon Watford to a one-year deal and Malik Dia to a two-way contract while building out a roster that still features established pieces like Dejounte Murray and Zion Williamson. Caleb Houstan is also under contract and expected to be around when camp opens, giving New Orleans another young name to sort through as it tries to balance immediate depth with longer-term development.
The two-way picture is where things get especially interesting, because the front office has left itself room to keep competing for one of the remaining openings. With Hunter Dickinson out of the mix after the move that cleared the spot, the Pelicans now have a camp battle that could shape more than a single line on the roster sheet, and the outcome may say plenty about how they want to blend upside, fit and readiness entering the season. [Read more 🡒]