Herb Jones, rookie 26-year-old forward for the New Orleans Pelicans, today inked a three-year $22 million extension. That’s one heck of a deal at $68 million! This deal extends and improves on his existing contract. He has effectively been signed by the franchise for five years and $97 million now. Most significantly, this extension carries a player option for the 2029-30 season.
Jones was picked in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft. He has raced to the front of the line as the Pelicans’ most indispensable player. Known for his elite defensive ability, he was named a member of the 2023-24 All-Defensive First Team. Over the last two years, he’s been one of the league’s ten best defenders on isolations each season. He has won or successfully defended over 150 isolations during that time period.
Despite facing challenges during the 2023-24 season due to shoulder and labrum injuries, which limited him to just 20 games—the fewest in his career—Jones demonstrated his value on the court. He achieved a career-best shooting percentage of 42% from beyond the arc, showcasing his ability to contribute offensively as well.
Jones’ defensive dominance is even further illustrated by his mind-boggling numbers since entering the league. He is perhaps most notably one of only eight players to record at least 350 steals and 150 blocks. His agents, Bartelstein and Kieran Piller of Priority Sports, were instrumental in landing this enormous extension.
As the Pelicans begin to fully build a competitive core around Jones, they’ve made it clear that they have full confidence in him. His prolific offensive two-way play, paired with his truly great defensive stalls on the courts, makes him a needed building block for the franchise going forward.
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