The New Orleans Pelicans were hoping that this season could be different for them with all the moves they made last season and over the summer. However, through a quarter of the year, it has been the same dreadful story that has plagued them over the last few seasons.

At 4-22, they are far and away the worst team in the Western Conference, and a complete teardown seems imminent. While the end product doesn’t make it evident, the team has some wildly valuable assets on the roster. As a result, the trade market could become very active for them in a hurry.

New Orleans Pelicans Want the Farm for Their Assets

Despite their record, there are specialists on the Pelicans roster that could be valuable to a ton of teams across the NBA, particularly those who are on the fringes of being contenders. A player like Jordan Poole could be the ideal spark plug, while a young center like Yves Missi has immense upside.

However, the cream of the crop when it comes to tradeable players in New Orleans are the two wings dominating the conversation. With athletic, defensive perimeter players among the most valuable assets in the entire league, the Pelicans have two excellent pieces to offer.

Both Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III have continued their development. While the latter has become a more complete player as a 3-and-D threat, the former is developing into one of the best point-of-attack defenders in the entire sport.

As a result, interest for both men is at a high across the league. The Pelicans clearly understand that and are keen on keeping a high price for them. As Marc Stein detailed in the latest episode of the Stein Line, the organization is happy to see a bloodbath for their players.

“It’s likewise believed that the price point to convince New Orleans to part with either Murphy or Jones, swingmen who both possess favorable contracts on top of their highly desired skill sets, is extremely high and intended to discourage inquiries.”

So far, the trade market for Jones has already seen rumors flying around, with the Los Angeles Lakers near the top of the list of teams that want to add a potential DPOY candidate into their mix.

Unfortunately, as Stein reiterated, they will have to wait a while before something can come to pass. “Jones, for the record, is not even trade-eligible until Jan. 14 after signing a three-year, $67.5 million contract extension in July.”