Free agent forward Terrence Jones has agreed to a one-year deal with the New Orleans Pelicans, reports The Vertical's Shams Charania.
Terrence Jones signs a 1-year deal with Pelicans
New Orleans fills out its frontcourt depth by taking a shot on Jones.
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The Rockets had the opportunity to make Jones a restricted free agent, which would have given them the chance to match any offer he received, but declined that option to make him an unrestricted free agent. The fact that the four-year forward has missed 81 combined games over the past two seasons surely had a lot to do with it. When healthy, Jones flashed a lot of potential as a playmaking forward with good defensive tools, but he simply couldn't stay on the court for long enough to make an impact.
Despite those health issues, Jones is an intriguing signing. He’s just 24 years old and has the potential to be a starting power forward or at least an energy guy off the bench for years to come. He’s a career 31 percent shooter from beyond the arc, so he needs help in that area in order to reach his ceiling, but he has the mobility and athleticism to earn minutes even when his offense struggles. He only needs to bring consistent effort and develop a better feel for the game.
He will have another opportunity to do so with Pelicans. If Jones finally gets healthy, he could prove to be a steal, as he can contribute right away and could still grow into a more well-rounded player. Considering the contracts some veterans have been getting, betting on Jones could end up being a good decision as New Orleans looks for depth behind Anthony Davis.
The Pelicans have had a busy offseason, drafting Buddy Hield and Cheick Diallo and bringing in Jones, E'Twaun Moore, Solomon Hill and Langston Galloway as free agent signings. The team is still all about Davis, Jrue Holiday and Tyreke Evans, but it's looking much deeper than a year ago.
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