Herbert Jones and Trey Murphy III better get suited for their Los Angeles Lakers jerseys after the recent news of a front office hire coming out of Hollywood. That is, at least, what fans will be immediately hopeful of after the report from Shams Charania and Dave McMenamin.
"The Los Angeles Lakers made their first significant move of the offseason by hiring Rohan Ramadas as an assistant general manager under president and GM Rob Pelinka, sources told ESPN on Monday."
The pair mentioned that Ramadas last worked as vice president of strategy and operations for the New Orleans Pelicans. Charania and McMenamin added that his responsibilities are expected to be similar with the Lakers upon his arrival.
It has been known that Los Angeles has been in search of front office help for Pelinka for at least a month. The name here is significant, considering the areas of need for the Lakers heading into the offseason, and the franchise that Ramadas is coming from.
Lakers fans will hope one of Herbert Jones or Trey Murphy III follows Rohan Ramadas to LA
It is no secret the Lakers are in the market for an upgrade on the wings. Jones and Murphy are also two names who have been linked to Los Angeles long before this latest hiring. That is what makes the New Orleans connection with Ramadas offer great intrigue.
The Pelicans held a high asking price for both Jones and Murphy during the regular season. Some reports at the time suggested the Pelicans were seeking multiple unprotected first-round picks for each of them. That is not something the Lakers could satisfy, even if they wanted to.
However, more recently, others have speculated the expected returns for the services of Jones and Murphy may not be as large. Should the proposed 3-2-1 system go into effect for the NBA Draft moving forward, the value of draft picks would be at a premium. That helps the Lakers' chances.
In theory, both Jones and Murphy have lots to offer for the Lakers.
Jones is a premier defender in the league, at his best. His offense leaves a lot to be desired, but Luka Doncic has done more with less.
Murphy, by contrast, is a strong secondary scorer who can support any star. The Pelicans wing is definitely the more well-rounded of the two, with his length and physical profile allowing him to hold his own on the defensive end. That should be even more true if alleviated of the increased offensive burden that New Orleans has thrust upon him in recent seasons.
Either of those names would be desirable fits in purple and gold. Lakers fans will hope that is something Ramadas is telling Pelinka in the coming work they will be doing together.
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