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The Los Angeles Lakers’ defense has been a liability all season long, culminating in a 119-96 blowout loss to the Houston Rockets on Christmas Day and a frustration-fueled rant from head coach JJ Redick about the team’s efforts and willingness to do what is necessary to win.
LeBron James, Luka Dončić, and Austin Reaves have fueled the team’s offense but their sub-par defense has cost the team wins and left the front office having to look for help on that side of the ball.
Brett Siegel of Clutch Points reported that New Orleans Pelicans forward Herb Jones remains high on the team’s trade wishes.
“Jones has remained a top trade target for Western Conference contenders like the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors, sources said. The Lakers are continuing to evaluate the trade landscape as a whole using their plethora of expiring contracts,” he wrote.
There is one significant hiccup with that: the team has very little in the way of trade assets currently on its roster.
Expiring contracts, such as those belonging to Gabe Vincent, Rui Hachimura, and Maxi Kleber, carry little to no value at this point. Dalton Knecht has not played enough to re-establish his, either.
The team does have first-round picks in 2026, 2028, 2031, and 2032 to utilize in necessary situations.
Such as trading for Jones.
The 27-year-old is an elite defender with extraordinary on-ball pressure. He would bring that defensive edge the Lakers need to stunt some of the offenses they face out in the Western Conference and instantly improve them in a key area where they have struggled mightily of late.
He would also bring with him 9.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.7 steals, and a 40.7 percent field goal percentage.
Los Angeles can score with anyone but they have proven incapable of stopping the other team from doing the same. Jones would not be the full solution to the organization’s struggles on that side of the ball, but he would give them an opportunity to stay more competitive in match-ups such as the Christmas Day beatdown from Houston.
Failing to put together a package and make a realistic offer for Jones would be a failure on the part of the front office, which must now recognize that the team cannot win as it is currently constructed. There is not enough talent on both sides of the ball around its three stars for the team to beat opponents who are six to eight quality players deep.
Acquiring Jones would go a long way toward fixing that problem.
Failure to address the issue with a player of Jones’ caliber will result in further mounting frustration, more press conferences like Redick’s Christmas outburst, and a team that falls out of contention rather than emerges as a threat to the Oklahoma City Thunder.