The New Orleans Pelicans fan base has fallen hard for the idea of trading for Brooklyn Nets wing Michael Porter Jr. as extension talks between the two sides appear to have hit a standstill.
Porter Jr. would give New Orleans an elite rebounding wing and three-point shooter, but there is a Jamahl Mosley factor that may be putting a hold on the Pelicans pursuing MPJ. Mosley has always been a defensive-minded coach and someone who loves having a defense-to-offense style of play. MPJ doesn’t fit that, and the idea of including a perfect fit for that system, like Herb Jones, in a package for him seems unlikely.
When you look at the construction of a potential trade to get MPJ to the Big Easy, a Jones, Jordan Poole, plus draft picks feels like one of the more realistic frameworks. Also, given Jordi Fernandez's emphasis on defense, Jones feels like the perfect wing for him. On top of that, the Nets likely want to have flexibility next offseason, and Poole’s expiring salary gives them a path to staying flexible.
While the Pelicans' offense would see a massive uptick by swapping out a combination of Poole and Jones for MPJ, the defense would suffer. Given Mosley’s coaching style, that doesn’t seem like a trade-off the front office would look to make.
Herb Jones stands in the way of an MPJ trade
The immediate argument against excluding Jones from an MPJ deal is that, over two straight years, his offensive production has declined and he has dealt with injuries. That’s fair, but when you subtract Jones and slot in Porter Jr., who in New Orleans' projected starting five is going to pick up from the point of attack? Dejounte Murray, lol?
Do I think the Pelicans' starting five is perfect or completely balanced? No. But Jones does help balance it. Between Trey Murphy III, Zion Williamson, and Murray, Mosley has three good creators to play through. He has Yves Missi at the five to finish plays and be a monster defensively. And Jones is his stopper, the player who gets the toughest assignment defensively every night and is tasked with just being a connector offensively.
You put Porter Jr. in there instead of him, and defining roles becomes much harder. In theory, Mosley could ask Murphy III or MPJ to buy into being that shutdown wing defensively. But then the question becomes: what was the point in trading Jones just to bring someone in and change the way they play?
I understand the appeal of Porter Jr. and why the fan base has become extremely interested in bringing his services to New Orleans. However, given the coaching hire made this summer and the continued commitment to being a defensive team, I can't see a realistic path to acquiring him at this time. Maybe that changes depending on how the season starts, but I fully expect no deals involving Herb Jones to happen in this final stretch of the offseason.
