The Los Angeles Lakers have been linked to New Orleans Pelicans defensive ace Herb Jones in consistent trade rumors. It's information that's been shared rather consistently in recent weeks, particularly as the Pelicans continue to lose games and face the reality that they don't have their own first-round draft pick in 2026.
While landing Jones would be a dream outcome for the Lakers, the bigger takeaway is that Rob Pelinka is no longer willing to settle for decent or indifferent defenders.
Jones isn't just one of the best defensive players on the open market, but one of the top defenders in the NBA. He earned All-Defensive First Team honors in 2023-24 and could secure the same recognition in 2025-26 despite the Pelicans' woeful team results.
It should thus come as no surprise that Michael Scotto of HoopsHype is the latest to confirm that the Lakers are interested in trading for Jones.
"The Los Angeles Lakers are monitoring the trade market for a defensive wing upgrade, league sources told HoopsHype. Among the 3-and-D wing upgrades on their wish list is New Orleans Pelicans forward Herb Jones, league sources say."
Whether or not Los Angeles succeeds in trading for Jones, it's clear that they're looking at elite defenders and not just quality rotational fits.
Lakers prioritizing elite defenders, no longer accepting inadequacy
The NBA's worst-kept secret is that the Lakers are in the market for defenders who excel at the point of attack. It's the primary weakness they've struggled to address in recent years. With an offensively inclined star duo in Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, the lack of an elite perimeter defender has never been more detrimental.
Los Angeles has managed to overcome the issue by jumping out to an 18-7 record, but there's rational skepticism in regard to their ability to win in the playoffs unless the defense improves.
Jones would certainly help in that regard as a 6'7" wing who has a history of playing lockdown defense. Moreover, he's displayed remarkable positional versatility by spending 32.79 percent of his minutes guarding point guards—an issue the Lakers struggle with due to Doncic and Reaves' inconsistency.
Jones also thrives in on and off-ball scenarios, ranking in the 99th percentile in perimeter isolation defense, the 94th percentile in ball screen navigation, and the 89th percentile in passing lane defense, per Basketball Index.
For as obvious a fit as he would be with the Lakers, the bigger reason for optimism is that the front office is setting a high bar. Los Angeles has backed itself into corners in the past by failing to prioritize defense at the point of attack, but the Jones rumor appears to represent a shift in ideology.
The Lakers aren't just looking for a quality defender who can slightly elevate the quality of the team's defense, but a player who can legitimately lock opposing teams' best players down.
In a Western Conference dominated by the Oklahoma City Thunder, it's a necessary pursuit. Top contenders consistently roll out lineups with multiple high-level or even elite defenders, and the Lakers simply lack the personnel to match that increasingly common strength.
Jones would be the ultimate slam-dunk acquisition, but he's also a standard-setting trade target who epitomizes how the Lakers have altered their priorities.