The Los Angeles Lakers haven’t had the best of weeks. After Klay Thompson spurned them to sign with the Miami Heat, Jonathan Kuminga signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves for less than the Lakers offered him.
All things considered, the Lakers still need a starting-level small forward, preferably a player who can defend the opponent’s best perimeter scorer. An intriguing Lakers trade idea doing the rounds would add former All-Defensive wing Herbert Jones from the New Orleans Pelicans. As part of the deal, the Lakers would part with all their tradeable draft assets, including the precious 2032 first-round swap.
Lakers Trade Idea Lands Starting SF
Lakers would receive: Herbert Jones
Pelicans would receive: Dalton Knecht, Jaden Hardy, 2032 first-round pick swap, 2033 second-round pick (via LAL), 2031 second-round pick (via WAS), 2032 second-round pick (via WAS)
As part of the deal, the Pelicans would land three second-round picks and a future first-round pick swap — a price worthy of one of the best wing defenders in the league.
Why the Lakers Do It
The Lakers onboarded nine new pieces this offseason, but may not have done enough to shore up their defense around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Notably, Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton and Sandro Mamukelashvili are all offensively-skewed players, meaning the Lakers could once again face the issues as last year when they finished with the 16th-ranked defense. One NBA scout recently warned the Lakers to upgrade their perimeter defense or risk fighting for a play-in berth.
“Well, there’s certainly a lot of offense,” a scout told Spotrac’s Keith Smith of the new-look Lakers. “Defensively…well, they’ll score a lot of points! (laughs) If (head coach) JJ (Redick) can get this group in the top-20 on defense, give him Coach of the Year, because they’ll probably be awesome.”
The Lakers did add Matisse Thybulle and Zaire Williams, but neither wing projects as a starting-level small forward due to their offensive limitations.
Herb Jones, meanwhile, has improved his scoring game in recent years, making 1.4 threes per game last season. Those numbers would likely skyrocket playing next to Doncic, who is a master of getting shooters open looks with his dribble-penetration. Jones, 27, would also fit into the Lakers’ plan of building around players in their mid-to-late-20s. Most of all, he will help them solve their defensive issues.
Why the Pelicans Do It
The Pelicans remain adamant about seeking at least two first-round picks for Herbert Jones, which is why they’ve reportedly been unable to move him.
With Bennedict Mathurin on board, it may be time for the Pelicans to finally let go of Jones, whose three-year, $67M extension kicks this season. As part of his current deal, Jones will be owed $24M in 2029-30 — making him overpaid for a defensive specialist.
By letting go of Jones, the Pels can empower Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy, the newly-acquired Mathurin, Jordan Hawkins and the rest of their young core.
Lakers Projected to Trade for $67M All-Defensive Wing After Kuminga Miss