Herb Jones Locks In $68 Million Extension with Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans have secured defensive standout Herb Jones with a three-year, $68 million contract extension, his agents Mark Bartelstein and Kieran Piller told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Thursday.
The deal keeps Jones in New Orleans for the long haul, giving him a total of five years and $97 million with the team. He’ll also have a player option for the 2029-30 season.
Jones will earn $20.9 million in 2027-28, which is the maximum 140% increase allowed on his current contract’s final year.
The 26-year-old wing (turning 27 in October) joins Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy III as the only Pelicans locked up through at least the 2027-28 season.
New Orleans clearly values what Jones brings to the table despite his injury-shortened 2023-24 campaign.
The 6-foot-8 defensive specialist was originally a second-round steal, taken 35th overall in the 2021 draft after his time at Alabama.
Since joining the Pelicans, Jones has started 231 of his 240 regular-season games, averaging 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.6 steals in just over 30 minutes per game.
He’s also developed into a reliable shooter, hitting 47.7% from the field and a respectable 36.6% from three-point range during his career.
Shoulder Surgery Derailed Last Season
Jones’ extension comes after a tough year where he was limited to just 20 games due to a torn posterior labrum in his right shoulder.
Before the injury, he was averaging 10.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.9 steals per game.
The Pelicans announced in February that Jones would miss the remainder of the season after undergoing successful rotator cuff surgery. At the time, then-executive VP David Griffin mentioned Jones had “sought an additional opinion” before proceeding with the operation.
Griffin himself was later fired in April after the team’s disastrous 21-61 season, which saw them miss the playoffs for the first time since 2022-23.
Injury Nightmare Doomed Pelicans’ Season
The Pelicans’ 2023-24 campaign was essentially a medical disaster.
Their star trio of Brandon Ingram, Dejounte Murray, and Zion Williamson never played a single minute together due to various injuries.
Only three players on the entire roster – CJ McCollum, Yves Missi, and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl – managed to appear in more than 60 games.
Key injuries to Williamson and McCollum eventually forced the team to become sellers at the trade deadline, including shipping Ingram to the Toronto Raptors.
The team’s rotation was in such constant flux that they used an incredible 47 different starting lineups throughout the season.
The result? Their worst win total since the 2011-12 season.
Roster Overhaul Continues
The Pelicans have been busy reshaping their roster this offseason.
Last month, they traded McCollum, Kelly Olynyk, and a future second-round pick to the Washington Wizards, bringing in Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey, and the No. 40 pick in the 2025 NBA draft.
Olynyk didn’t stay in Washington long. On Tuesday, the Wizards flipped him to the San Antonio Spurs for Malaki Branham, Blake Wesley, and a 2026 second-round pick.
With Jones now locked up long-term, the Pelicans are hoping their core of Williamson, Murphy, and Jones can stay healthy enough to finally realize their potential.
