If the Los Angeles Lakers are to make a serious run at the NBA championship this spring and summer, they will almost certainly need to trade for at least one athletic 3-and-D player who will give them some improved perimeter defense, speed and outside shooting.
Right now, it is a little too early to speculate about players who fit that description who could be available on the trade market and be gettable for the Lakers. But many have mentioned wing Herbert Jones of the New Orleans Pelicans as a good fit for them. A more ambitious target some have brought up is forward Trey Murphy III, who is arguably the Pelicans’ best player outside of Zion Williamson.
NBA insider Chris Haynes said during a recent episode of “The Kevin O’Connor Show,” the Lakers have called New Orleans about both Jones and Murphy.
“Those are calls that Golden State and the Lakers have made to New Orleans about those players,” Haynes said.
Jones hasn’t been a consistent 3-point shooter from season to season, and he’s at just 33.8% from that distance this season. But he’s known as an athletic and effective defender, and at 6-foot-7 and with a seven-foot wingspan, he can cover ground.
Murphy, who is 6-foot-8, can play either forward position, although he plays the majority of his minutes at the 3 spot. He’s averaging 21.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.7 steals a game while shooting 36% from 3-point range this season.
New Orleans is just 5-22, but it doesn’t have its own 2026 first-round draft pick, so it has no real incentive to tank by trading away players such as Jones or Murphy anytime soon. Dan Woike of The Athletic recently reported that the team is not interested in trading Jones, at least not right now.
If it is not interested in moving Jones, it is almost certainly not going to entertain trade offers for Murphy either.