The Los Angeles Lakers overhauled their roster this offseason, but still lack quality perimeter defense to aid the offensively-skewed duo of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
One player who has been linked to the Lakers since last year’s training camp is New Orleans Pelicans wing Herbert Jones, who made an All-Defensive Team in 2024 and continues to rank as one of the NBA’s best perimeter defenders.
An X account has floated a potential Lakers trade proposal that would flip second-year forward Adou Thiero and veteran wing Jarred Vanderbilt for Herbert Jones.
Lakers Trade Target: Herbert Jones
Lakers would receive: Herb Jones, 2031 second-round pick via Pelicans
Pelicans would receive: Jarred Vanderbilt, Adou Thiero, 2032 pick swap, 2030 second-round pick via Wizards, 2033 second-round pick via Lakers
Per multiple reports, the Pelicans have set a steep asking price of two first-round picks for Jones, a price that none of the interested suitors are willing to match. The Lakers, of course, don’t have any first-round assets left at their disposal after using all their draft capital to land Walker Kessler in a sign-and-trade from the Utah Jazz.
Pelicans writer Terry Kimble believes that the franchise may be willing to move on from Jones due to the surplous frontcourt players on their roster.
“While the Pelicans wouldn’t ideally want to part with a culture-foundational player like Jones, his downward offensive output proves he’s more than likely reached his potential ceiling as a player. With his shooting output declining, the Pelicans must upgrade their shooting on the roster to compete in today’s NBA.
“The hiring of head coach Jamahl Mosley, a defensive-minded coach, has many believing Jones is his kind of player. On the flip side, if Mosley can maximize the entire team’s defensive ceiling, then the pressure to keep Jones solely for defense lessens a bit if young players like Micah Peavy can fill some of the gaps.”
Lakers Need to Make Defensive Upgrades
The Lakers signed free agents Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Collin Sexton this offseason, besides trading for Jaden Hardy. Those moves would definitely help Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, but no so much on the defensive end, reckons former NBA player Antonio Daniels.
“I am not a fan of what the Lakers did this offseason,” Daniels told SiriusXM’s “NBA Radio” this week.
“The whole purpose of this summer being the summer of Luka — I get the thought process surrounding it and all. And maybe this is a conversation we should save 360 days from now, but among the available players in the free agency pool, nobody was really going to help the contend for a championship,” added the former NBA champion.
For what it’s worth, Doncic is reportedly “thrilled” with the moves made by the Lakers this offseason after he laid out a list of requests to the front office.
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