NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MARCH 27: LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers is defended by Herbert Jones #5 of the New Orleans Pelicans during the third quarter of an NBA game at Smoothie King Center on March 27, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. New Orleans Pelicans won the game 116 – 108. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
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Despite touting two of the greatest offensive players the NBA has ever seen in LeBron James and Luka Doncic, and another burgeoning one who becomes more and more lethal with each passing season in Austin Reaves, the Los Angeles Lakers aren’t yet a true inner circle contender.
Sportsbooks (like BetMGM) view them as a middle-tier team in the Western Conference, mainly because they don’t have great role players flanking their star-studded trio.
Given that only five players can be on the floor at once and you probably want James, Doncic, and Reaves out there as much as possible, the other two spots should be filled by a rim-running/rim-protecting center and a high-end defensive wing who can guard multiple positions and do enough not to kill you on offense.
It remains to be seen if their marquee offseason addition — Deandre Ayton — can fill that first need. His time with the Phoenix Suns offers some hope that he will be the right man for the job. Although, there is far less cause for optimism when it comes to whether someone on their current roster is capable of covering that other glaring weakness.
The Lakers certainly have a willing list of candidates – Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jake LaRavia, and Dalton Knecht. But all of them come with serious question marks.
LaRavia and Knecht project to be good complementary offensive pieces, but they both would be well out of their realm trying to be primary point-of-attack stoppers. Vanderbilt and Smart have great defensive pedigrees, but concerns about their offense and availability outweigh those reputations. Vincent is probably the most balanced player in this group, but his size (6’2) puts a hard ceiling on his defensive effectiveness. Meanwhile, Hachimura lacks the quickness and agility to be a premier perimeter stopper.
That means – barring an unforeseen leap from one of those guys – the Lakers will need to acquire a player to wear this hat for them. The problem is that those players are in high demand, and most of them are well-compensated by the team that employs them (see OG Anunoby, Jalen Johnson, and Jalen Suggs).
Fortunately, there is one player out there who fits exactly what the Lakers need, could be available for the right price, and isn’t already on an expensive contract.
Herbert Jones Would Be The Perfect Player For The Los Angeles Lakers To Trade For
If you hadn’t already guessed from the thumbnail or the brief description from the prior section, the player we are referring to is New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones.
Since entering the league in 2021, Jones has established himself as one of the best/most versatile wing defenders in the association. In each of his first four seasons, Jones has ranked in the 86th percentile or higher in Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus (per Dunks & Threes).
His blend of length (7’0 wingspan) and sneaky strength allows him to guard stars of all shapes and sizes. Last season, he spent 85% of his minutes playing power forward or center – a testament to his ability to defend all five spots on the floor.
All in all, Jones should have the power to uplift this shaky defense on his lonesome.
Herbert Jones 2024-25 Player Card.
BBall Index.
Jones isn’t nearly as impactful on offense as he is on defense, but he’s made significant strides on that end of the court. In 2023-24, Jones hit 41.8% of his threes (93rd percentile) while also attempting nearly four shots at the rim per 75 possessions (46th percentile). In theory, he should be able to capitalize on enough of the advantages Doncic/James/Reaves create for him to stay on the floor.
On top of his splendid on-court fit alongside the Big Three, Jones is cost-controlled through at least 2029. Over the next two seasons, he’ll eat up less than 10% of the salary cap, before his new deal kicks in, which still keeps him under 13%.
Since Jones’ 2025-26 cap hit is so small ($13.9 million), it would be easy for the Lakers to come up with the requisite matching salary (Rui Hachimura or Gabe Vincent should do the trick). Of course, given how flexible of a fit Jones is on high-level rosters, the Lakers would have to cough up valuable draft capital (my guess is at least two first round picks, but who knows with this new Pelicans’ front office), but it would be worth it because his age (he’ll be 27 at the start of next season) pairs well with Doncic (26) and Reaves (27).
Because Jones signed an extension this offseason, the Lakers would have to wait until January 14 to actually make this deal happen. But even then, they would still have a few months to integrate him into their lineup before the start of the playoffs.
With James’ illustrious NBA career nearing its end, it is uncertain how many assets the Lakers are willing to fork over to help him get his fifth NBA Championship. But if Los Angeles is trying to maximize this current core, adding Jones would be the perfect way to do it.