New NBA Trade Rumors Update Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III Buzz Amid Pelicans Struggles

A New Orleans Pelicans official told NBA insider Marc Stein that the team hasn't "indicated a willingness" to trade Herb Jones amidst a 3-0 start to the season, with Jones averaging just 17 minutes per game off the bench thus far.

Stein added that the Pelicans have "maintained a high threshold on trade interest in Trey Murphy III and Jones for months."

Jones, 28, is only averaging 3.3 points and two rebounds per game thus far in the 2026-27 campaign, though he is shooting 40 percent from three and remains an impactful defensive wing.

"Herb is the ultimate professional," head coach Jamahl Mosley told reporters Tuesday when asked about Jones' decrease in minutes. "Finding more time for him is going to be a key priority for me. I know that, as a defensive coach. ... We talked about [evaluating the team] in a five-game sample size."

The 26-year-old Murphy, on the other hand, remains one of the team's starters and is putting up 15.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, shooting 41.2 percent from three. There would obviously be plenty of interest around the league if he was put on the trade market, though he remains an important part of the team's core alongside Zion Williamson, Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears, among others.

Just how precious the Pelicans should be keeping that group together is debatable, however. New Orleans has had two playoff appearances in the past eight years and is coming off back-to-back seasons with less than 30 wins. This season's rough start hasn't inspired much confidence that the team is about to reverse that trend.

But for now, the Pelicans are maintaining the status quo. By February's trade deadline, that stance might change.