Lakers Land $53 Million All-Defensive Wing for Steal in Trade Proposal

The Los Angeles Lakers enter the offseason needing a starting center and a decent wing defender. It won’t be easy for the Lakers to accomplish both with their limited assets, but if they could get creative and find a way to add both, they’d be one of the better teams in the NBA.

In a proposed trade idea from Fade Away World, they’d accomplished just that in a deal with the New Orleans Pelicans. The trade would move on from Dalton Knecht, Gabe Vincent, and a second-round pick in the 2025 NBA draft for Herb Jones.

“The Los Angeles Lakers, aiming to capitalize on their championship window, acquire Herb Jones from the New Orleans Pelicans. Jones, known for his defensive acumen, averaged 10.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists before a season-ending injury and already has an All-NBA Defensive First Team selection to his name. 

“His addition would bolster the Lakers’ perimeter defense, providing support alongside LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves. Los Angeles trades Dalton Knecht, Gabe Vincent, and a second-round pick, maintaining their core while enhancing their defensive capabilities tremendously,” Eddie Bitar wrote. 

Would Trade With Lakers Make Sense for Pelicans?

Now, unless the New Orleans Pelicans want to sell for whatever reason, giving up Jones for an older second-year player in Knecht and one second-round pick doesn’t make much sense. Vincent doesn’t have much value, so he’s essentially a non-factor in this trade. 

Jones is one of the top defenders in the NBA. 

It’s tough to measure defensive value, but Jones defends one to five and can hit the three-point shot at a somewhat decent clip. He shot 41.8% from 3-point range during the 2023-24 season on 3.6 attempts per game. 

Having a player who can guard the best player on the court every single night is very valuable around the NBA, and something the Lakers would love to have. However, this type of trade doesn’t seem likely unless the Pelicans want to send him to Los Angeles for whatever reason. 

What Do Pelicans Want for Herb Jones

Regarding what an actual deal could look like, some believe the New Orleans Pelicans could be looking at multiple first-round picks. 

Forbes Morten Stig Jensen believes Jones has incredible trade value, adding that there should be multiple teams around the NBA interested in trading for him. 

He noted that it’s possible that teams could have to trade multiple first-round picks to land the Alabama product. 

“Jones has two years left on his contract after this season, at just $13.9 million, and $14.9 million respectively. At 26, and in the prime of his career, Jones should have oodles of trade value, despite a shoulder injury, which has him sidelined for the rest of the year. At 6’8, with the ability to cover guards, wings, and even big men, the defensive side of the ball alone is enough to draw significant attention from outside teams.

“Whether Jones fetches multiple first-round picks comes down to several factors, such as how outside teams gauge his value, as well as where such picks would end up landing… Regardless of where the Pelicans land, in regards to trade value for Jones, he’s a name they should be silently gaging the market for, just to know what to expect if they were to make him available,” Jensen wrote.

If the Los Angeles Lakers are willing to move on from more, they could land Jones. 

However, on the surface, it’d take a miracle.