It’s rumour season in the NBA. The trade deadline is rapidly approaching. Soon, we’ll see significant players around the league on the move.
Recently, some rumors have surfaced about the New Orleans Pelicans. It’s been said that they could have an interest in moving Herbert Jones. This feels like quite a surprise. Jones is in his third year in the National Basketball Association, and he’s already one of the most impactful defenders in the league.
With that said, the Pelicans do have a bit of a roster crunch. Trey Murphy III is a stout defender in his own right and a much more reliable floor spacer. Brandon Ingram is a wing, and Dyson Daniels deserves some time at the 3 as well. If Jones is the odd man out in New Orleans, here are three teams that we think should take a look at him.
Houston Rockets
The Rockets seem set on adding talent at this year’s deadline. Meanwhile, they’re clearly trying to establish a defensive identity. The Rockets added Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks this summer. New head coach Ime Udoka is infamously defensive-minded as well.
In a sense, Jones would be the perfect addition. The Rockets may also like that he’s young enough to grow with the rest of this core. This is a no-brainer – isn’t it?
No. The Rockets have plenty of defense, and they badly need floor spacing. Jones is shooting the three efficiently this season, but that hasn’t been a career-long trend. The Rockets could opt to double down on defense, but alternatively, they may look to add shooting instead. Is there a team in need of a defensive wing?
Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks could use a defensive wing. Frankly, they could use everything outside of shot creation. Dallas has a superstar duo in Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, but otherwise, this roster lacks depth.
Jones would be a sensible addition. Again – he’s one of the best defensive wings in the NBA. Meanwhile, he’s more likely to maintain his season-long shooting efficiency alongside two dynamic playmakers like Doncic and Irving.
At the same time, that is the risk here. If Jones’ shooting regresses to the mean, the Mavericks could regret landing him. Is there a team that’s badly in need of some defense that has the spacing to accommodate Jones?
Indiana Pacers
This wouldn’t be the biggest acquisition that the Pacers made this season. In case you’ve been living under a rock, they just landed Pascal Siakam. This team is looking to make a deep playoff run in 2023-24.
Jones could help. After all, the Pacers have the league’s best offense – and worst defense. Adding one of the NBA’s best defensive wings ought to help that balance. That’s why the Pacers acquired Siakam, but he’ll have too significant of an offensive burden to function as a defensive specialist.
Meanwhile, the Pacers have five-out spacing with Myles Turner in the middle. Even if Jones’ shooting regresses, the Pacers could benefit from adding him. Finally, this team has been the subject of rumors all season long – why stop now?
