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Lakers head coach JJ Redick and Rob Pelinka, President of Basketball Operations and General Manager, arrive for press conference
An anonymous NBA scout has advised the Los Angeles Lakers to trade for New Orleans Pelicans wing Herb Jones, while arguing that their starting lineup of Deandre Ayton, Rui Hachimura, LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves is not good enough defensively to compete for an NBA championship.
Speaking to Lakers Daily’s Ashish Mathur, the scout said the Lakers don’t have the defensive personnel to match up with the OKC Thunder and Denver Nuggets.
“A starting five of Luka [Doncic], Austin [Reaves], LeBron [James], Rui [Hachimura] and Deandre [Ayton] is not competing for a championship,” the NBA scout stressed.
“That’s five guys who can’t play a lick of defense. LeBron can do it a little when he tries, but he’s 40, man. Give him some slack and trade for a guy like Jones who can cover for him, Austin and Luka.”
Lakers Defense not Elite
Further to the scout’s point, the Lakers rank 16th in defensive efficiency, and as presently constructed, are unlikely to crack the top 10. JJ Redick’s men are conceding 114 points per 100 possessions, which is nearly 12 points more than the defensive juggernaut Oklahoma City Thunder, and three more than the Houston Rockets.
Jones, a former All-Defensive First Team selection, would instantly be the best defender on the Lakers, a team that could use a quality perimeter stopper.
“Rob [Pelinka] should be calling New Orleans non-stop trying to trade for Herb once he’s eligible to be moved,” the scout advised the Lakers.
“Their best perimeter defender is a 31-year-old Marcus Smart who doesn’t even start. Vando (Jarred Vanderbilt) is a great defender, but he’s unplayable in the playoffs because of his offensive limitations.
Is Herb Jones the Answer?
As the scout noted, Marcus Smart has been the Lakers’ only quality defender through the first month of the season. With the ex-Defensive Player of the Year on the floor, the Lakers are conceding 106.7 points per 100 possessions, nearly eight fewer than when he goes to the bench. However, he remains an offensive liability, averaging 9.3 points on 25.4% shooting from three.
Jones, meanwhile, is having a career year as a three-point shooter, making a career-best 1.6 threes a game at 36.2%. Mind you, those numbers will only increase when the elite playmaking trio of James, Doncic and Reaves feeds him open threes.
“As currently constructed, the Lakers will get waxed by Denver, OKC and Houston because they don’t have athletic defenders on the perimeter,” added the scout.
“They need a stout defender who can also hit 3s. Herb fits that bill perfectly and New Orleans is open for business.”
If the Pelicans are indeed “open for business,” the likes of Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III and Jose Alvarado will reportedly command a lot of interest. Jones, who signed a three-year, $68 million extension last summer, can’t be traded until January 14, 2026.
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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