Lakers must complete dream trade for Luka Doncic's "biggest headache"

Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic recently told Jason Gay of The Wall Street Journal that Herb Jones and Marcus Smart are the defenders who have been his "biggest headaches." It's a quote that offers intriguing insight into why Doncic recruited Marcus Smart to the Lakers.

It's also confirmation of how badly the Lakers need to target Jones in trade conversations that would instantly resolve their biggest issue and solidify their status as contenders.

Jones, 26, has spent the past four seasons establishing himself as one of the best on-ball defenders in the NBA. He earned All-Defensive First Team honors in 2023-24 and was on his way to further establishing his elite status when a shoulder injury ended his 2024-25 season prematurely.

Considering Jones played in 220 of a possible 246 games between his first three seasons, it's safe to feel confident in his ability to avoid injuries moving forward—and return to the level Doncic has long praised.

As for Los Angeles, it's built quite an intriguing team around Doncic already. Unfortunately, the one area in which the Lakers must continue to search for ways to improve is at the point of attack on the defensive end of the floor.

With this in mind, Jones is more than just a headache for Doncic—he's a player whom the Lakers should go out of their way to target and acquire via trade.

Luka Doncic names Herb Jones one of his "biggest headaches"

It's unclear what the New Orleans Pelicans would be hoping to receive in a potential trade for Jones. They've made it known that he's valued, however, by signing him to a three-year, $67,580,892 extension that will commence in 2027-28.

Jones will make $13,937,574 in 2025-26 and $14,898,786 in 2026-27 before seeing a significant increase in annual salary to a first-year figure of $20,858,300 in 2027-28.

With this in mind, pursuing Jones must be coordinated with two simple facts in mind. For one, he's essentially entering the first season of a four-year contract with a fifth-year player option, thus requiring the Lakers to be willing to commit to him on a long-term basis.

The other factor that must be understood and emphasized is that the Pelicans view Jones as a key member of their team—meaning the Lakers will need to offer a considerable return for him.

The player whom Los Angeles could most easily offer would be Austin Reaves, who will make an identical salary to Jones in 2024-25. It's difficult to imagine Rob Pelinka parting with his coveted guard, however, which makes the conversation a bit more complicated.

The question then becomes whether the Lakers would be willing to offer a package including some combination of Rui Hachimura, Dalton Knecht, Adou Thiero, and draft compensation—and if New Orleans would agree to such an offer if Los Angeles is willing to take back additional salary.

Regardless of how it comes about, the Lakers should explore every possible avenue toward acquiring Jones. He not only has Doncic's respect, but he's a top-tier on-ball defender who's willing and able to guard multiple positions and is always up to the task of facing an opposing team's best scorer.

Depending on how well Doncic and Reaves develop their chemistry in 2025-26, a swap for Jones may be more rational than it immediately seems.