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Lakers head coach JJ Redick, right, listens as Rob Pelinka, President of Basketball Operations and General Manager, answers a question about the upcoming Lakers 2025-26 season at the UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo on September 25, 2025.
New Orleans Pelicans wing Herb Jones can’t be traded before Jan. 14, meaning the Los Angeles Lakers may have to wait a while to unwrap their “perfect” Christmas present.
Jones, widely regarded as the No. 1 Lakers trade target ahead of the Feb. 5 deadline, has been named the “perfect” acquisition for JJ Redick’s team by ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel in an article listing every NBA team’s ideal Christmas gift.
“The Los Angeles Lakers have Herb Jones at the top of their trade target list,” wrote Siegel. “…Jones is the exact type of player the Lakers need to make a serious championship push. As good as Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves are, this team has struggled at times defensively, and the lack of athletes on the wing stands out in Los Angeles.
“JJ Redick has made it known that he needs hard-nosed defenders on his team, and he’s spoken very highly of Jones before he became the Lakers’ coach when he was working with ESPN. If there is one player worth moving their future draft picks for, it’s Herb Jones.”
Pelicans Have High Asking Price
Siegel’s report added that the Pelicans have not been “actively shopping” their All-Defensive star, indicating to teams across the league that they prefer to hold onto him. That said, Jones could be had if a team is willing to pay a high price, according to Dan Woike of The Athletic, something the Lakers simply can’t afford to do.
The Lakers can offer only one tradeable first-round pick (2031 or 2032) along with the expiring contracts of Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent and/or Maxi Kleber. Woike noted that such a package simply does not interest the Pelicans.
“Maybe the view of the Lakers’ assets or the Pelicans’ view of Jones will change between now and the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline, but as of now, sources point out, New Orleans would need a whole lot to be convinced otherwise,” Woike reported earlier this month.
Lakers Trade Targets
The Lakers are reportedly scouring the league for 3-and-D players that can help their 24th-ranked defense, which has given up an average of 121.6 points over the last 10 games. Their defensive struggles came to a head Tuesday when they allowed the Phoenix Suns to 59% from the field, including 62 points in the paint.
After the loss, Lakers head coach JJ Redick blasted his players for not giving enough effort on the defensive end, questioning their commitment to defense.
“There are shortcuts you can take, or you can do the hard thing and you can make the second effort. Or you can sprint back or you can’t,” he said. “It’s just a choice. And there’s a million choices in a game, and you’re very likely not gonna make every choice correctly. But can you make the vast majority of ’em correctly?”
All future Lakers trade plans will be on hold for a while as Redick’s men try to snap a two-game losing streak against the Houston Rockets on Christmas Day. The game will mark the first clash between the West rivals this season. In a positive update, the Lakers are expected to get starters Luka Doncic and Rui Hachimura back from injuries.
Sai Mohan covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Based in Portugal, Sai is a seasoned sports writer with nearly two decades of publishing experience, including bylines at Yardbarker, FanSided’s Hoops Habit, International Business Times, Hindustan Times and more. More about Sai Mohan
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