Ex-Alabama forward Herb Jones agrees to lucrative contract extension, per report
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Ex-Alabama forward Herb Jones wrapped up his 4th season with the New Orleans Pelicans, and he now looks set to receive a massive pay increase.
Jones has come to terms on a 3-year contract extension worth $68 million, his agents told ESPN’s Shams Charania. As Charania notes, Jones’s deal locks him into the franchise for the next 5 years, though he has a player option in 2030.
Jones, a 2nd-round pick by the Pelicans in 2021 after being named the SEC Player of the Year, was an NBA All-Rookie Second Team selection. In 2024, he landed on the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team.
His 2024-25 season was cut short by injury, though, as on Jan. 10 he suffered a right shoulder injury before being shut down on Feb. 12 after surgery.
That hasn’t stopped the Pelicans from offering him an extended contract as they look to emerge from the doldrums of the league. They went 21-61 a season after winning 49 games and finishing 8th in the Western Conference.
In the 2025 NBA Draft, they selected Oklahoma‘s Jeremiah Fears with the 7th overall pick before acquiring Maryland center Derik Queen, the Atlanta Hawks’ pick at No. 13 overall, via trade.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
