NBA Rumors: Pelicans' CJ McCollum, Herb Jones Drawing Interest amid Team's Struggles

The sharks are starting to circle with the New Orleans Pelicans watching their playoff hopes dwindle by the day.

ESPN's Shams Charania reported the last-place Pels are starting to receive interest in some of their supporting pieces, with forward Herb Jones and guard CJ McCollum specifically cited.

New Orleans is only a few months removed from giving up Dyson Daniels and two first-round picks in order to acquire Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks. However, the more the injuries and losses continue to mount, the harder it's going to be to ignore the temptation to pack it in and hope for the top pick in the 2025 NBA draft.

When stars Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram remain out indefinitely, there's little hope the Pelicans can turn things around soon. Admitting this is a lost season is better than trying to maintain a fruitless quest for contention.

There should be limits to how much the front office is prepared to tear the roster down, though.

Dealing McCollum makes sense because he's an aging guard on a sizable contract. His two-year extension carries a $30.7 million salary for 2025-26.

The 33-year-old is on pace to average 20-plus points per game, but he's shooting a career-worst 31.4 percent from beyond the arc. His defensive deficiencies are more glaring too.

Especially after the Murray trade, it's hard to see why McCollum should be considered an instrumental part of the franchise's future.

Jones, on the other hand, is in the second year of a pretty modest $53.8 million contract. While his perimeter shooting has cratered—29.2 percent on threes—that's partially attributable to a small sample. He has been limited to seven appearances so far. That should stabilize to complement the positive value he provides as a defender.

At 26, the 6'7" forward is a key contributor now and should remain one when the Pelicans are better positioned to contend down the road.

Unless New Orleans gets a massive offer that's simply too good to pass up, there's little reason why a Jones trade should garner serious consideration internally.