Is Herbert Jones coming to the Los Angeles Lakers before the Feb. 5 trade deadline? That much is tough to say (but probably unlikely). What Lakers fans will want to hear is that Jones could be just as interested in Los Angeles as they are in him.
Kevin O'Connor made an appearance on The Slightly Biased Show a few days ago. The NBA insider thought Jones and the Lakers were not a one-way street. Both sides were believed to have mutual interest in a potential move.
"Herb Jones to the Lakers," O'Connor said. "This one, it's not quite a layup, but definitely there's interest there, I'd say on both sides — the Herb Jones side and the Lakers side."
The Lakers would probably do this trade today, if they could land it at a comfortable price. The real obstacle standing in the way of this one getting done is the New Orleans Pelicans getting a satisfactory return. That is something which might have to wait until the offseason.
Mutual interest between Herbert Jones and Lakers gives trade rumors real weight
Dan Woike reminded everyone recently that if the Lakers were to hold tight until the summer with regard to making any major moves that would require draft capital, they could have multiple picks to trade in a retool around Luka Doncic. If the big-game hunting of a name like Giannis Antetokounmpo is out of reach, Jones stands out as a natural trade target when the time comes.
The Pelicans wing has felt out of reach due to the price his franchise is asking for. NBA insiders like Jake Fischer and Brett Siegel have both suggested previously that New Orleans wants a lot for either Jones or Trey Murphy III. Chris Haynes said the pair are off the market right now altogether.
O'Connor did point out that Jones has barely played for the Pelicans of late. The defensive star has missed 14 of the last 15 games.
What was the one game Jones played? That would be Jan. 6 against the Lakers. Is that a mere coincidence? It's hard to believe that would be the case in these specific circumstances.
O'Connor speculated that Jones, or at least his camp, prefers a change of scenery. That switch-up would call for a contending team to come calling. The Lakers would be close to that desired status upon adding the talented defensive stopper.
Jones' offense has not been tremendously consistent in 2025-26. The efficiency leaves a lot to be desired. However, Doncic should be capable of providing a solution to those problems, just like Herb could provide a massive lift to the perimeter woes for the Lakers defense.
Mutual continues to be a word that hangs over this potential pairing, no matter the discussion. It's a union plenty of Lakers fans will be pleading for if (or when) the opportunity truly arrives.