Pelicans’ Herbert Jones proving to be a massive steal on $54 million contract

“I will say that Willie Green was well in front of the Herb Jones situation,” admitted Griffin. “Last year (2021), summer league practice, we were still in New Orleans working through free agency. After practice, Willie calls Trajan and I and says ‘Hey, Herb Jones. Didn’t you guys say you thought he’d be in Birmingham at some point?'”

“We said yeah, (Jones) would probably get some minutes in Birmingham at some point,” Griffin continued. “This is after one practice. He said, ‘Griff, I don’t think he is ever going to go to Birmingham. He does things you can’t teach.”

“Third practice of Summer League, this is a true story,” said Griffin. “‘(Green) says ‘Griff if it’s okay, and you may think I’m crazy, but I’m going to start him.’ I was like sure coach, go ahead and start him. It’s Summer League, it’s fine. Do whatever you want. He says ‘No, I mean with the varsity.’ He knew immediately what Herb Jones was going to mean to our team.”

Pelicans underpaying Jones through 2026-27 season

Second-round picks of the NBA Draft rarely pan out as well as the Pelicans ‘Not on Herb’ Jones selection. With apologies to Mike Jones, Herbert Jones is proving to be the one and only player capable of what he is doing on a night-in, night-out basis. He is also on one of the most team-friendly contracts in pro sports.

Only 43 players are making over 40% from beyond the arc and logging more than 24 minutes per game. Jones is on the list and only two players, Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler, have more steals. Just seven have more blocks per game. He is also 12th in field goal percentage when sorted by the same 24-minute, 40% from three-point range parameters. That’s value the front office can brag about for years.

Jones is averaging 11.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game. Jones is shooting 42.9% from three-point range, and 52% from deep since New Year’s Day, but traditional stat lines do not paint a complete picture.

Defense is hard to quantify beyond counting stats so the national media does not give Jones the proper respect. It is a disservice that has left Zion Williamson at a loss for words, especially after snatching seven steals against the Houston Rockets on Feb. 22.

“If Herb is not First Team All-NBA Defense, I don’t know what else someone could do to qualify for that,” Williamson sighed.

The Greensboro, AL native committed only one turnover while contributing 17 points, five rebounds, and four assists in the home win over Houston. That level of production is becoming the norm, second nature to the fan favorite. It is obvious that defense is a point of pride but his passing is very underrated.

For instance, Williamson is making 55% of all shots coming from a Jones pass. The improving outside shooting numbers are a sign of Jones’ work ethic, as explained in an on-court interview after beating the Rockets.

“It’s just a ton of reps. We don’t do anything special, we just stick to the fundamentals,” Jones explained. “(Fred Vinson) always harks on trusting my work and that’s what I come out here and do.”

Jones, the NBA’s 127th highest-paid player this year, has outplayed his salary cap hit in all three seasons with the Pelicans. The former SEC Player of the Year was paid approximately $1.7 million for each of the first two seasons, making him the cheapest starting caliber player in the NBA both years.

After emerging as one of the team’s most important building blocks during his first two years in the league, Jones signed a four-year, $53,827,872 contract in 2023. Going by comparable stats, Jones likely sacrificed well over $10 million to lock in a secured guaranteed salary last summer. That’s a bargain deal for the Pelicans but Jones is not one to worry about such things going by his Media Day comments.

“It was pretty simple on my end. I wanted to stay. I want to be here in New Orleans,” Jones said in October. “That was the easy part. I didn’t try to get too caught up in the numbers even though there was a lot of external advice on the amount I should have signed for.”

“Any amount that the Pelicans decided to give it was going to be life-changing for me and my family,” Jones concluded. “I wasn’t super pressed on trying to get X amount of money. I just wanted to be in New Orleans.”