The Pelicans’ rough opening has already revived the usual noise around their roster, but one name apparently isn’t gaining any traction in trade talks: Herb Jones.
New Orleans is off to an 0-3 start entering Wednesday’s matchup with the Denver Nuggets, and that has naturally stirred up more speculation about what the team might do next. Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III and Jones have all surfaced in trade chatter at different points over the last couple of years. But according to NBA insider Marc Stein, Jones is not the kind of player the Pelicans are looking to move.
“…the team has not indicated a willingness to trade Herb Jones. Jones played sparingly in the Pels' first three games. They have maintained a high threshold on trade interest in Trey Murphy III and Jones for months,” reported Stein on X, formerly Twitter.
Jones’ limited minutes in the first three games had some fans reading between the lines, but that doesn’t appear to be where this is headed. The report makes it clear that the Pelicans have not treated his early-season usage as a sign they’re shopping him.
On the court, Jones still brings the kind of profile teams covet: strong perimeter defense with enough shooting to matter from deep. At the same time, a plateau in his development and a long injury history have kept his trade value from soaring any higher.
Murphy III, meanwhile, has been the bigger name in Pelicans rumors for much of the past season or so. Even so, the team has not appeared especially close to dealing him either.
Whatever the solution is, New Orleans needs one soon. The season has opened in ugly fashion, and the coaching change made this offseason hasn’t prevented the early slide.
The Pelicans and Nuggets are set for an 8:00 pm ET tipoff Wednesday in New Orleans.
In Other News...
Pelicans Get A Real Opening In Denver Rematch
The Pelicans get another crack at Denver after the teams needed overtime on Saturday, and this time the backdrop looks a little different. The Nuggets are still working through a pile of injuries, which matters in a rematch where the margins can shrink quickly and every rotation decision gets magnified.
New Orleans is not exactly at full strength either, with Yves Missi sidelined again and Jordan Poole still on the report, but the opportunity is real enough to notice. Nikola Jokic will still be the fulcrum for Denver, yet the Pelicans can look at this one and see a chance to press a thin opponent in a game that already proved the matchup can get tight late. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Get Immediate Shot To Answer That Denver Collapse
The Pelicans do not have to sit with that Denver collapse for long. After letting a 23-point lead slip away in the previous meeting, New Orleans gets the Nuggets again with a quick chance to show the first game was more of a bad ending than a revealing trend. For the Pelicans, the response starts with keeping Trey Murphy involved on offense, moving the ball with more purpose and protecting possessions a lot better than they did the first time around.
There is also the matter of Denvers new look, because the Nuggets arrive at 1-2 and coming off a loss to Golden State. New Orleans will need to be sharper on the details that mattered most in the first matchup, especially against Trevon Brazile, who was active enough to give the Pelicans trouble inside and on the glass. The first meeting left plenty of room for a reset, but this one will say more about whether the lesson actually stuck. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Slow Start Is Turning One Lineup Flaw Into A Real Debate
The Pelicans slow start has pushed their starting lineup into sharper focus, and the discussion is no longer just about effort or rhythm. Under Jamahl Mosley, the bigger issue has been how the offense is being arranged around its best pieces, with Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy III needing cleaner spacing and more reliable touchpoints to get into the game early.
One possible fix has emerged from the way the guards have fit together, with Jordan Poole giving New Orleans a different kind of offensive pressure when paired with Dejounte Murray. The current setup has left room for debate about who belongs in the first group and who might better serve the team in a different role, and that kind of adjustment could become harder to ignore if the Pelicans keep grinding through these early struggles. [Read more 🡒]