The news

A New Orleans Pelicans official stated that the organization has not indicated a willingness or openness to trading Herb Jones, per @TheSteinLine. The clarification arrives after Jones played sparingly across the team's opening three games of the 2026-27 NBA regular season. Management has also held a high trade bar for wing Trey Murphy III, maintaining a steep threshold on trade interest for both perimeter players for months.

Outside trade chatter often builds around the league whenever a rotation regular logs limited early-season floor time. By reaffirming a multi-month asking price on both Jones and Murphy, the New Orleans front office is signaling that it is not discounting core talent during the opening week of the 2026-27 campaign. The Wire Report team notes that the Pelicans fell to 0-3 following a 141-135 loss on Oct. 24 ahead of their Oct. 28 schedule.

Prior context

The front office stance on both wings comes as New Orleans evaluates early usage distribution and rotation patterns through its first three contests. While Jones logged limited action across those opening three games, Trey Murphy III remained in the starting lineup for the Pelicans. Even with that starting role, Murphy has seen his scoring dip to 15.3 points per game through three appearances, per @Yahoo NBA.

That early scoring reduction has occurred despite efficient perimeter shooting from Murphy during the opening week of the 2026-27 regular season. Through three games, Murphy is shooting 48.6% from the field overall and 41.2% from three-point range. His scoring dip corresponds with a drop in usage rate to 18.1% behind two healthy New Orleans starters averaging 20.7 points per game and 20.3 points per game.

Murphy's early 18.1% usage share represents a notable adjustment compared to his recent offensive volume with the Pelicans. Over the previous two seasons, Murphy averaged at least 21.2 points per game while carrying usage rates of 23.7% and 22.7%. Meanwhile, the Pelicans frontcourt rotation has already been tested early in the schedule, as a New Orleans center remains out with a left knee contusion and bone bruise.

What it means

Holding a firm line on both Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III underscores that the New Orleans Pelicans separate early three-game statistical fluctuations from long-term roster valuation. A rotation regular playing sparingly across three contests or a starter adjusting to an 18.1% usage rate can prompt external inquiries from rival front offices. However, keeping a steep multi-month threshold in place shows management views both wings as core pieces rather than discount trade candidates during an 0-3 start.

For Murphy, shooting 48.6% overall and 41.2% from beyond the arc demonstrates that his efficiency remains intact even as offensive touches are shared with healthy starters producing 20.7 and 20.3 points per game. For Jones, the organization's denial of trade openness removes immediate speculation that his sparse floor time through three games signals an impending move. Both perimeter pieces remain central to how the Pelicans structure their rotation while navigating the opening stretch of the 2026-27 regular season.

What reporters are saying

A Pelicans official communicated directly that the team has not indicated a willingness to trade Herb Jones following his quiet opening week, per @TheSteinLine. A high trade bar also continues to hold for wing Trey Murphy III after management maintained a steep asking price on both players for months, per @TheSteinLine. Around the league, outside trade chatter frequently surfaces when an established rotation regular sees limited early-season playing time, but New Orleans is not discounting its perimeter core.

Early statistical trends further illustrate how usage distribution and durability shape the outlook for New Orleans, per @Yahoo NBA. Murphy's scoring average of 15.3 points per game on 18.1% usage contrasts with the previous two campaigns in which he posted at least 21.2 points per game on 23.7% and 22.7% usage, per @Yahoo NBA. At the same time, the continued absence of a Pelicans center with a left knee contusion and bone bruise leaves frontcourt depth in focus as the team works to recover from its 141-135 defeat on Oct. 24, per @Yahoo NBA.

What to watch next

The immediate schedule test for the 0-3 New Orleans Pelicans centers on their home matchup on Oct. 28 at 8:00 PM ET. Observers will track how much floor time Herb Jones receives after playing sparingly through the opening three games of the 2026-27 season. Lineup deployment in that contest will also show how New Orleans balances perimeter minutes alongside Trey Murphy III in the starting group.

Moving forward, any absence among the Pelicans' healthy top-scoring starters averaging 20.7 and 20.3 points per game would immediately reshape wing and frontcourt usage for Murphy and Jones. Whether Murphy's usage climbs from 18.1% closer to his prior marks of 23.7% and 22.7% while maintaining his 48.6% field-goal and 41.2% three-point shooting will be a key offensive storyline. Until management indicates otherwise, the multi-month trade threshold surrounding both Jones and Murphy remains firmly in place as the Wire Report team monitors New Orleans through the early regular season.

Companion to our earlier report: Pelicans deny willingness to trade Herb Jones, per Stein.