The New Orleans Pelicans lost their standout veteran, Herb Jones, to an injury on Monday night as they took on the Dallas Mavericks.
After seeing the court for 22 minutes of action, Jones went back to the locker room with a suspected ankle injury. After getting checked out, the Pelicans officially ruled him out for the remainder of the game.
When Jones left the court, he had nine points on 4-7 shooting from the field (1-2 from three). He also had four assists, one steal, and one rebound.
Lately, Jones has been a name to keep an eye on in the NBA trade market, specifically for the Los Angeles Lakers. As the Lakers are doing their annual hunt to land a quality role-player via trade, Jones has been pegged as one of their top targets in December.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, a “defensive wing upgrade” is the type of player the Lakers are hoping to add. While Jones wasn’t regarded as the lone target for LA, he was the only one name-dropped by the NBA Insider.
So far, the Pelicans have reportedly been hesitant to move away from Jones at this time. Despite their early-season struggles, the Pelicans are still operating as playoff hopefuls.
Heading into Monday’s action against the Mavs, the Pelicans hold a 7-22 record. They are at the bottom of the Western Conference, sharing the same record as the Sacramento Kings.
If the Pelicans can’t turn it around soon, they’ll be faced with a tough decision regarding multiple players. If they make Jones available, he’ll certainly have a ton of value in the trade market, being one of the league’s better 3-and-D veterans.
Through 21 games, Jones has averaged 9.8 points while shooting 40 percent from the field and 34 percent from beyond the arc. He is producing 3.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game.
Last season, Jones struggled to stay healthy. He appeared in just 20 matchups. In his limited action, he posted averages of 10.3 points (30 percent shooting from three), 3.3 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.9 steals.
The severity of Jones’ setback is unclear, but he’ll be a name to watch moving forward, as the results could have an effect on the Lakers and other interested suitors’ trade plans.