The Los Angeles Lakers’ long defensive nightmare may soon be over.
The Lakers share mutual interest with New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones on the trade market, Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin O’Connor reported on Thursday during an appearance on the “Slightly Biased” podcast. O’Connor notes that Jones would ideally like to move to a contending team.
Jones, 27, is known as one of the top defenders in the entire league. A true 3-and-D wing with a 6-foot-7 frame and a 7-foot wingspan, Jones was an All-Defensive First Team selection with the Pelicans in 2024.
This season, Jones is averaging 9.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per contest for New Orleans (though he has made just six total appearances since November due to ankle and migraine issues). Jones also remains under contract through 2029, making him a very attractive trade piece.
The Lakers have plenty of offensive firepower to go around with Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and the currently-injured Austin Reaves leading the charge. But it is on the defensive side of the ball where the Lakers have been a major catastrophe as they currently ranked 23rd in the NBA in defensive rating (for a total of 116.4 points allowed per game). As they seek roster upgrades via trade, the Lakers do most notably have a first-round draft pick in 2032 to still work with.
New Orleans, meanwhile, sits at a Western Conference-worst 10-33 this season. It remains to be seen if they will actually decide to sell ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline this year. But Jones is just one piece whom rival suitors appear to be eyeing (along with this major name on the Pelicans roster).
