The Lakers and the Warriors are reportedly interested in trading for Herbert Jones from the Pelicans. According to Brett Seigel, an NBA Insider with ClutchPoints, the two California-based franchises could be at loggerheads the star defender if the Pelicans decide to listen to trade offers for him.
“Herb Jones has been one of the most coveted two-way wings in the league, and the Pelicans have turned down multiple trade offers for him through the years. The Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors are among a handful of Western Conference contenders actively exploring ways to acquire Jones,” wrote Seigel in his latest report on the Pelicans.
An elite defender, Jones made the All-Defensive First Team in 2024 and the All-Rookie Second Team in 2022. Among the top prospects of his draft class, Herb would perfectly fit into both the franchises that are reportedly interested in him presently.
The Pelicans forward signed a three-year, $68 million extension with the franchise earlier this summer. Therefore, he has three to four years left on his contract after the end of this season, including a player option for 2029-30. Due to his extension this summer, Jones is not eligible to be traded before January 14, 2026.
Lakers
With a defender like Jarred Vanderbilt falling out of the rotation, the Lakers have been relying on Marcus Smart and the likes of Bronny James to provide quality defense. No disrespect to Bronny James but he’s not an elite defender who could last in front of star players during the playoffs. Thus the Lakers could really use another strong defender alongside Marcus Smart while Bronny James works on improving his skills.
But the main issue for the Lakers is who would they give up to tip the scales in their favor to land a trade deal for Jones. Their likely trade package would include either a direct swap for Rui Hachimura or a package of Dalton Knecht combined with either Jarred Vanderbilt or an expiring contract like Gabe Vincent or Maxi Kleber.
Warriors
While Jonathan Kuminga is reportedly viewed as one of the best trade assets in the league currently, if Pelicans entertain trade offers for Jones, his contract would arguably make him among the top trade assets on the market as well. Kuminga could also become a key trade piece in any offers that the Warriors could make for Jones. If not, they could also trade Moses Moody to make this trade happen.
Draymond Green has been constantly asking the young players to defend better and not allow random role players to go off and drop career-highs against the Warriors. A defender like Jones could focus on doing that and much more for the Golden State.
Who Is The Better Fit?
While varying minutes and roles of both players would make a statistical comparison slightly flawed here, it would definitely show who is more promising for the Pelicans: Knecht or Kuminga.
Kuminga has so far this season averaged 13.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists while shooting 46.8% from the field. Meanwhile, Knecht has averaged 6.8 points, 2.1 rebounds and 0.6 assists while shooting 35.2% from beyond the three-point line.
Knecht was drafted as a sharpshooter while Kuminga has exceptional athleticism inside the paint. Considering that the Pelicans are in the bottom half (18th in the league) of team 3-point shooting averages in the NBA, they could consider a trade for Knecht.
However, in my opinion, none of the players I mentioned in the Lakers’ potential trade assets are as promising as Jonathan Kuminga. Considering the Warriors will likely offer a promising young player in Kuminga or Moody, the Lakers may fall behind in making a promising offer.
Therefore, the Warriors will likely have the edge over the Lakers in this hypothetical battle for Jones. Knecht showed promise early in his career but he has not been nearly as consistent as Kuminga has been in comparison.
It will be interesting to see how long the Pelicans avoid blowing it up, considering they have once again lost Zion Williamson to a long-term injury. If they decide to do so, then Herb Jones could likely be one of the other players headed out of the team if the offer is right.
