The New Orleans Pelicans declined their $1.8 million team option on forward Herb Jones’ contract for the 2023-24 NBA season on Thursday.

That set up the former Alabama standout to become a restricted free agent on Friday, but it didn’t mean the Pelicans weren’t interested in retaining Jones.

Instead, when the NBA’s free-agent negotiating period opened at 5 p.m. CDT Friday, New Orleans reached an agreement for a four-year, $54 million contract with Jones, his agents, Mark Bartelstein and Kieran Piller of Priority Sports, told ESPN.

The contract can’t be executed until July 6.

After winning the SEC Player of the Year and SEC Defensive Player of the Year awards for the 2020-21 season with the Crimson Tide, Jones entered the NBA as a second-round selection in the 2021 draft.

Jones has averaged 9.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.6 assists in 144 regular-season games with New Orleans. He has started his past 128 regular-season appearances plus six postseason games.

Jones’ defensive ability against the best players in the NBA has given rise to a rallying point for the Pelicans as they say: “Not on Herb.”

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Jones won the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s Class 4A Player of the Year Award for the 2016-17 season when he led Hale County to the AHSAA championship.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.