The Lakers have an obvious need on their roster for perimeter athleticism, speed and defense. Or, put more simply, a 3-and-D wing.
However, every NBA team is searching for 3-and-D wings, especially during the season. No team is ever particularly satisfied with the number of 3-and-D wings on their roster and is always looking to acquire more.
As a result, the market for wings is always competitive and busy. The Lakers are doing their best to be part of it as, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes on
“The Kevin O’Connor Show” on Yahoo, they have called the Pelicans about Herb Jones.
On one hand, that’s great because Jones is arguably the top 3-and-D wing in the NBA. At the very least, he ranks high on that list.
However, because of that, the cost to trade for him will be a steep one, likely steeper than what the Lakers can offer during the season. Longtime reporter Marc Stein noted in his latest piece on Substack that, while the Lakers have interest in Jones, it’ll be at a price point too high for them to meet.
We mentioned the other day that the Pelicans would insist on a significant haul to part with Herb Jones. It’s a price point is presumed to be beyond the Lakers’ current trade means.
The Pelicans aren’t under any pressure to move Jones. He’s just 27 years old and is guaranteed to be under contract through the 2028-29 season with a player option for the 2029-30 season. If they’re interested in trading him, waiting until the summer when they can field the best offers from the wides variety of teams makes the most sense.
Now, a fair counterargument is that New Orleans doesn’t often do what makes the most sense. But without their first round pick this year and without any urgency to deal Jones — or Trey Murphy III — teams would need to blow the Pelicans away with a trade offer. The Lakers do not have that capability.
Things could change and last season taught Lakers fans not to rule out anything when it comes to trades, but don’t hold your breath when it comes to Jones and the Pelicans.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
