Pelicans’ Herb Jones inks second-largest contract for 2nd round pick

The Pelicans signed second-round pick Herbert Jones to a three-year contract on Monday.

On Monday, the New Orleans Pelicans announced that they signed second-round pick and former Alabama Crimson Tide forward Herbert Jones to a contract.

Jones, who was the 35th overall pick, reportedly signed a three-year contract with the final season as a team option, according to Will Guillory of The Athletic. It was later reported by Andrew Lopez of ESPN that the contract will be worth roughly $5.4 million.

The contract is the second-largest ever signed by a second-round pick.

The 6-foot-8 standout was named the 2021 SEC Player of the Year and SEC Defensive Player of the Year after averaging 11.2 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. He became just the third player in conference history to win both honors in the same season.

Jones signed amidst a solid showing in the Las Vegas Summer League.

He is averaging 7.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.8 steals on 42.4% shooting from the field heading into the Pelicans’ final game on Tuesday. Jones turned in his best game of the week on Sunday, registering 10 points, three rebounds, two blocked shots and one assist.

The Pelicans certainly valued the addition of Jones after handing him the second-largest contract for a second-round pick. He projects to give the team depth in the frontcourt as they have added several young players to the roster recently.

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Herb Jones makes impressive plays on both ends of the court at NBA Summer League

Herb is showing what he can do!

Former Alabama basketball star Herb Jones was drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans in the second round of the 2021 NBA draft with the 35th pick. He joins fellow former Crimson Tide standout Kira Lewis Jr., who was drafted in the first round of the 2020 draft by the Pelicans.

Jones played over 21 minutes in the Pelicans’ summer league win over the Chicago Bulls. His stats, which consisted of 6 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks may not make headlines, but he is showing what he’s capable of.

Late in the fourth quarter, Jones made impressive plays on both ends of the court. He blocked a 3-point attempt and then had a beautiful bounce pass assist that led to two points for the Pelicans.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Jones throughout the summer league and his professional career as he prepares for his rookie season.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.

2021 aggregate NBA mock draft 7.0: Ranking the full class of prospects

The 2021 NBA draft is less than a week away and we finally have an idea of who is in — and who has withdrawn — from the class.

The 2021 NBA draft is less than a week away and we finally have an idea of who is in – and who has withdrawn – from the class.

In order to get a better sense of where all of the prospects stand as of right now, we compiled mock drafts from NBADraft.net, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report, Yahoo, The Athletic, The Ringer, Yahoo, NBA Big Board and USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s For The Win to see where the prospects rank at the moment.

Please note that these rankings reflect the composite score to get a feel for consensus, not our own opinion.

Since our previous update last month, some of the players with the most positive momentum include Quentin Grimes, Joe Wieskamp, Vrenz Bleijenbergh, Aaron Wiggins, Justin Champagnie, Jericho Sims, Jason Preston, Josh Primo, Neemias Queta, Trey Murphy and Bones Hyland.

Among players who ranked on our previous update who have since withdrawn from the draft include Roko Prkacin (32), Marcus Bagley (39), Terrence Shannon (48), Ariel Hukporti (50), Max Abmas (53), Johnny Juzang (54), Jordan Hall (66), Carlos Alocen (69) and Ochai Agbaji (75).

The most notable omissions who remain in this class but not these rankings are Yves Pons, Scottie Lewis, Jay Huff, Marcus Zegarowski, Aamir Simms, Dalano Banton, Matt Mitchell, Jose Alvarado, Carlik Jones, Derrick Alston Jr., Romeo Weems, Balsa Koprivica, Chaundee Brown, Isaiah Miller, Jordan Schakel and D.J. Carton.

Note that for the offensive roles, we borrowed a fun idea from Todd Whitehead (formerly of Nylon Calculus) with help from our friends at Bball-Index.com to create a slightly tweaked formula from the version they use.

The goal of that is not to explain how well a player scores but rather offer context for the way that he was used on his most recent team. This should help you predict how he might be used at the next level.

Meanwhile, you can learn the latest updates on every single prospect who has been included in recent mock drafts by scrolling below.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report

Herbert Jones: ‘I don’t care about how many points I score, I just want to have a long career’

Herbert Jones, a 6-foot-7 wing from the Alabama Crimson Tide, is considered to be one of the most versatile defenders in the 2021 NBA draft.

Herbert Jones, a 6-foot-7 wing from the Alabama Crimson Tide, is considered to be one of the most versatile defenders in the 2021 NBA draft.

Jones, the reigning Conference Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in the SEC, increased his three-point percentage from 7.1 percent as a junior all the way to 35.1 percent as a senior. He was the only player in a high-major conference to record a block percentage above 4.0 percent, steal percentage above 3.0 percent and assist percentage above 20.0 percent this past season.

He recently caught up with HoopsHype to discuss how he improved his shooting, how football helped him play better basketball as well as earning Academic All-District honors.

Please note this interview was minorly edited in its transcript for clarity.

John Petty & Herb Jones taken second round in 2021 NBA mock draft

Two former Alabama basketball stars are mentioned in this 2021 NBA mock draft. Both John Petty and Herb Jones have quite the resumes as …

Alabama men’s basketball went on a historical run in their 2020-2021 season, finishing in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament and bringing home both the SEC regular season title and the SEC Tournament championship.

Two of their biggest stars, John Petty and Herb Jones have announced they will be departing from the Crimson Tide program and entering the 2021 NBA draft.

Both prospects were fan favorites within the Alabama community. However, on a national level, neither has garnered too much attention.

In the latest 2021 NBA mock draft, published by NBADraft.net, Petty and Jones are selected in the second round.

59. Phoenix Suns – John Petty

Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

41. New Orleans Pelicans – Herbert Jones

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Roll Tide Wire will publish any news or information regarding Petty and Jones ahead of the 2021 NBA draft.

2021 aggregate NBA mock draft 4.0: Checking in after March Madness

Which future NBA players played the best during March Madness? Who has made the most significant improvements to their draft stock since our last update?

Which future NBA players played the best during March Madness? Which prospects made the most significant improvements to their draft stock?

In order to get a better sense of where all of the prospects stand right now, we compiled mock drafts from ESPNNBADraft.netCBS SportsBleacher ReportSports IllustratedYahooThe Athletic, SB Nation and USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s For The Win to see where the prospects rank at the moment.

Since our previous update last month, these are the players who have improved their stock and are trending up on mock drafts: Davion Mitchell (Baylor), Josh Giddey (Adelaide), Chris Duarte (Oregon), Miles McBride (West Virginia), Aaron Henry (Michigan State), Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona), Kessler Edwards (Pepperdine), Trey Murphy (Virginia) and Neemias Queta (Utah State).

Some of the names that did not make the list last time but now appear among the Top 60 include Isaiah Todd (G League Ignite), Johnny Juzang (UCLA), Max Abmas (Oral Roberts), RaiQuan Gray (Florida State), Santi Aldama (Loyola Maryland and Austin Reaves (Oklahoma).

Below are the full rankings based on the latest mock drafts from top analysts and experts.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report

LOOK: Herbert Jones declares for 2021 NBA draft

Former Alabama forward Herbert Jones will not return to the Crimson Tide in 2021, he will instead be entering the 2021 NA draft.

Former Alabama forward Herbert Jones has announced via Instagram that he will not return to the University of Alabama in 2021, but will instead be entering the 2021 NBA draft.

Jones, who spent four seasons with the Crimson Tide was originally recruited and coached by Avery Johnson, who parted ways with the team after the 2018-2019 season.

As one of the last remaining members of the Johnson-era of Alabama basketball, Jones was a veteran leader whose presence was not only felt on the court, but throughout the entire program.

Jones will leave the program as one of the largest contributors to the culture change surrounding the Crimson Tide program.

In a message posted to Instagram, Jones thanks the University, the coaching staff and the fans. He also mentions that by entering the draft, he is continuing to pursue his dream of playing in the NBA.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CNa80IcJlbT/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Alabama MBB wins SEC tournament, first since 1991

Alabama CrimsonTide basketball has won the 2021 SEC basketball tournament, their first win in 30 years.

Alabama men’s basketball entered the SEC Tournament as the No. 1 seed, having only lost two conference games and the regular season champions.

Today, the Crimson Tide defeated the LSU Tigers by one point, with a final score of 79-80.

These two teams have a bitter history, and it was evident in the two regular season games they played. Before today’s championship contest, the rival programs had to be separated.

Sophomore guard Jaden Shackelford led the team in scoring with 21 points, he also tallied five rebounds and four assists.

Anyone who has regularly watched Alabama basketball probably knows who led the team in rebounds. Herbert Jones got 11 total rebounds. However, Juwan Gary managed to grab eight.

The first win for the Crimson Tide in 30 years is massive for the program, it is also the first time in nearly two decades that an SEC program has won conference titles in both football and basketball.

Nate Oats is in his second season with Alabama, but has already received an extension through the 2027 season.

Alabama will now move on to the NCAA Tournament, where they are expected to be a No. 2 seed.

Alabama basketball demolishes Mississippi State in first game of SEC Tournament

Alabama basketball continues their reign of dominance in the SEC, as their first game of the conference tournament is a monster win.

Alabama basketball earned the No. 1 seed, as well as a first-round bye, in the SEC tournament. With their first game of the tournament against Mississippi State, the Crimson Tide did not hold back.

The final score of the contest was 48-85.

The outcome of the game is a perfect example of Alabama’s style of play: fast-paced, high scoring offense, and strong defense.

Offensively for Alabama, scoring was evenly distributed, with Jahvon Quinerly being the leading scorer with 14 points.

On the defensive side of things, Herbert Jones, who was recently named the SEC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the year, recorded seven rebounds.

Freshman guard Josh Primo went down in the second half with an apparent knee injury. He was helped to the lockerroom, and his status for tomorrow’s contest is unknown.

Mississippi State struggled to get moving on offense, and was unable to limit the Crimson Tide’s scoring opportunities.

Nate Oats and Alabama will face off against the winner of Tennessee vs. Florida tomorrow afternoon.

2021 aggregate NBA mock draft 3.0: Checking in before March Madness

Which future NBA players will be playing during March Madness? Who have been the best players on the inaugural G League Ignite squad?

Which future NBA players will be playing during March Madness? Who have been the best players on the inaugural G League Ignite squad?

These are the kind of questions that many basketball fans are asking right now, especially if their favorite team is projected to have a lottery pick in the 2021 NBA draft.

Now that the NCAA tournament is on the horizon, and as the G League Ignite’s first year nears the end of the regular season, players have started separating themselves as potential top picks.

So in order to get a better sense of where all of the prospects stand right now, we compiled mock drafts from ESPNNBADraft.netCBS SportsBleacher ReportSports IllustratedYahooThe Athletic and USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s For The Win to see where the prospects rank at the moment.

Since our last update back in December, these are the players who have improved the most: Kai Jones (Texas), Sharife Cooper (Auburn), Taevion Kinsey (Marshall), Moses Moody (Arkansas), Jalen Suggs (Gonzaga), Davion Mitchell (Baylor), Nah’shon Hyland (VCU) and Corey Kispert (Gonzaga).

Below are the full rankings based on the latest mock drafts from top analysts and experts.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report