After getting an update a few days ago on the New Orleans Pelicans front office’s plans for Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones heading into the trade deadline, fans are now getting more clarity on what a deal for both players would look like. NBA insider for ClutchPoints Brett Siegel reported that the asking price for both Jones and Murphy III starts at two unprotected picks in the first round.
The minimum asking price for Herb Jones & Trey Murphy III is reportedly 2 unprotected FRPs.
per @BrettSiegelNBA pic.twitter.com/pGl39fjBos
— NBA Retweet (@RTNBA) January 6, 2026
Fans should be happy to hear this report because it shows that this won’t be another Brandon Ingram situation where the Pelicans low-sell a very talented winger. Obviously, Ingram’s situation is a little different as he was injured and was on an expiring contract. Nevertheless, fans can take comfort knowing that Troy Weaver and Joe Dumars have a good estimate of how valuable Jones and Murphy III are.
A story of two opposites
With the Pelicans starting this season 8-30 and without a first-round pick in the 2026 NBA draft, the idea of listening to offers for both Murphy III and Jones is the right one. I still believe the front office should remain cautious when it comes to parting ways with Murphy III, especially after performances like Tuesday night. In that loss to the Lakers, he continued to prove why he is one of the league’s most accomplished scorers, posting a new career-high of 42 points and bettering Luka and LeBron.
While Murphy III continues to rise – making it harder for decision makers to even consider moving him – Herb Jones is doing the opposite.
After seeing his season end after just 20 games last year, expectations were high for Jones entering this season. It was just two years ago that he finished in the top five in the Defensive Player of the Year voting, shooting at a 40 percent clip from three. But Jones’ production this season has been a far cry from what we saw from him so recently.
This season, Jones is averaging 9.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.0 shares (steals + blocks) per game while shooting less than 40 percent from the field and 33 percent from three. So if the Pelicans can convert a player who puts up these numbers into two first-round picks based solely on reputation, it seems like a no-brainer.
It’s also important to note that Jones no longer looks as elite of a defender as he once did, at least from my perspective. I don’t think this is his fault because given the number of injuries he’s had and the time he’s spent in and out of the lineup, it’s probably been hard for him to get into a flow. But whether that’s true or not, it still doesn’t bode well for the Pelicans in trade negotiations. If New Orleans can get two unprotected firsts for Jones at this point, they should seriously consider pulling the trigger.
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