Trade chatter around the Los Angeles Lakers (17–7) continues to intensify, but the team’s most frequently linked target may not be attainable. According to a Thursday report from The Athletic’s Dan Woike, New Orleans Pelicans wing Herbert Jones sits atop the Lakers’ internal wish list — yet league signals indicate the Pelicans have no interest in making him available.
Woike wrote that rival scouts and executives most often identify Jones as the Lakers’ preferred target. However, he noted two immediate barriers: Jones cannot be traded until Jan. 14 due to the three-year extension he signed in July, and New Orleans has shown no willingness to discuss a deal.
“While Lakers fans can fantasize about some all-out liquidation of the three-win Pelicans’ roster, team and league sources tell The Athletic that New Orleans is not interested in moving Jones,” Woike wrote. “And considering what LA would have to offer in a deal, expiring contracts and a single first-round pick, the Pelicans almost certainly wouldn’t engage at that price point.”
Jones, 27, earned All-Defensive First Team honors in 2024 and is widely regarded as one of the league’s best point-of-attack defenders. He is averaging 9.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 40.4 percent from the field and 34.7 percent from three across 17 appearances. Jones signed a three-year, $68 million extension in July, though that contract does not begin until the 2027–28 season. He is making $13.9 million this season on his current deal.
Pelicans unwilling to move Herb Jones, limiting Lakers’ trade hopes
Woike’s report also outlined skepticism around the Lakers’ draft capital, noting that their future first-round pick — likely in 2031 or 2032 — is not viewed as highly as it once was. The belief around the league, he wrote, is that owner Mark Walter’s track record with the Los Angeles Dodgers reduces the likelihood of a dramatic franchise downturn that would make such a pick significantly more valuable.
Even beyond Jones, the broader market for defensive-minded guards and wings remains thin. Woike mentioned Sacramento’s Keon Ellis as another example of a player valued enough that prying him loose would require meaningful assets — something the Lakers may not be positioned to offer.
The lack of available high-level defenders leaves Los Angeles relying on internal improvement. LeBron James continues to work back into rhythm after missing preseason and the season’s opening month, while Marcus Smart — the Lakers’ top individual defender — has already missed 10 games and has shared the floor with James only four times.
Los Angeles begins a four-game road trip Sunday against the Phoenix Suns (14–11) at 8 p.m. ET, following its NBA Cup quarterfinal loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night. New Orleans, meanwhile, will attempt to halt a seven-game losing streak when it hosts the Portland Trail Blazers (9–15) on Thursday night.
