The Pelicans have quietly had a nice offseason, adding plenty of young talent around Anthony Davis.
Buddy Hield, Solomon Hill, E’Twaun Moore -- and now Terrence Jones.
Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports:
Free agent forward Terrence Jones is nearing agreement on a one-year deal with the New Orleans Pelicans, league sources tell The Vertical.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 14, 2016
Jones is an unrestricted free agent, because the Rockets didn’t extend a qualifying offer -- a surprising development on the talented 24-year-old. He has dealt with a spat of injuries, and -- perhaps relatedly -- his development has stagnated.
Still, he’s young and talented. His quickness gives him an offensive advantage, and a developing outside shot could give him an even bigger one.
Jones’ inability to guard bigger players inside makes him a tough fit with Davis, who counts that among his rare weaknesses. But Davis won’t play 48 minutes, and he and Jones can jell against certain lineups.
This is a pure talent upgrade for New Orleans, though it signals more minutes for Solomon Hill at small forward when his strengths are most pronounced at power forward.
For Jones, returning to the market in a year must be appealing. There’s plenty of room for his stock to rise.
