Herb Jones signs 3-year, $68 million contract extension with New Orleans Pelicans

New Orleans Pelicans forward Herb Jones has agreed to a three-year, $68 million contract extension, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. He now has a total of five years and $97 million on his deal, which includes a player option for the 2029-30 season.

Jones averaged 10.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists for the Pelicans during the 2024-25 season. He just wrapped up his fourth season in the NBA after playing his college ball at Alabama.

“Herb Jones developed from a second-rounder to two-way stalwart and first team All-Defense in 2023-24,” Charania wrote on X. “He is one of eight players with 350 steals and 150 blocks since entering NBA in 2021, and ranks in top-10 in defense against isolations over last two seasons, per ESPN Research.”

Jones was only able to play in 20 games for the Pelicans during the 2024-25 season. He suffered a posterior labrum tear in his right shoulder in a game against the Portland Trail Blazers in January and missed the rest of the season. It’s the first injury that has made him miss significant time during his career, as he played in at least 66 games during his first three NBA seasons.

The Pelicans was selected with the 35th overall pick in the second round of the 2021 NBA draft after spending four seasons with the Crimson Tide. He’s been a steady hand for New Orleans since being drafted, averaging at least 9.5 points per game since his rookie season. He’s been the model for consistency in the Pelicans lineup, as his career averages are nearly identical to his stats from this past season before his injury.

One of the biggest differences, however, were his assist numbers. He was steady at a 2.5 assist per game average over the past two seasons before bumping that number up to 3.3 last year. Now locked up long-term in New Orleans, Jones will hope to be a major player in the Pelicans lineup next season once he becomes healthy.

It’s the latest move during a busy July for New Orleans. The team recently acquired Kevon Looney on July 7, as well as guards Saddiq Bey and Jordan Poole from the Washington Wizards on July 6. One day before, they signed rookies Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen to their rookie contracts. It remains to be seen if the Pelicans have any more moves up their sleeves this offseason.