The Lakers have been in the market for a while now in search of an elite 3-and-D player. Herb Jones has been a name that has commonly been brought up in that discussion.
Teams around the league have reportedly placed a price tag of two first-round picks on Herb Jones, as per senior NBA insider Mike A. Scotto. He also reported that the Lakers are in “love” with the Pelicans wing.
“You’ve got Herb Jones, who a lot of teams love, like the Los Angeles Lakers, who are looking to upgrade on the wing for a perimeter defender.”
“Herb’s been a great 3-and-D guy, and he’s got a really good contract. So teams around the league think a guy like that could go for as much as two first-round picks if he’s going to be traded,” said Scotto on ‘Setting the Pace’ podcast.
“Scotto is right on as always. The Lakers have been eyeing Herb Jones for a while now, as we’ve been reporting at ClutchPoints. If they meet the price of two firsts, I personally think New Orleans will do it, but Jones isn’t eligible for a trade until January 14,” wrote NBA insider Brett Seigel on X in a further confirmation.
The first doubt that comes into a Lakers fan’s head is how the Lakers can manage to do this when they only have one tradeable first-round pick presently: the 2031 first-round pick (LAL). They cannot trade any of the other picks due to the Stepien Rule, which states teams cannot trade consecutive first-round picks.
“There are ways to either get picks back or avoid the Stepien Rule,” confirmed Seigel when a fan asked him in the comments section.
Therefore, if the Lakers can indeed find a way to upgrade their potential offers to include two first-round picks ending up with the Pelicans, then they have a solid chance of landing Jones, believes Seigel.
Earlier, it was reported that Jones could be out of the Lakers’ price range, but now it seems they might be able to find a way to make it happen. Of course, they can wait until the summer of 2026 to potentially offer the 2033 first-round pick (LAL) in this deal (not trade eligible presently).
But if the Pelicans decide to pull the plug and blow it up as early as mid-January when Jones becomes trade-eligible, then, whilst the Lakers’ options could be limited, it remains possible that they still find a way to land him.
In a hilarious incident earlier this week, Jones reacted to a heckler calling him a Lakers player.
“Herbert Jones, you are a Laker, my boy!” yelled the fan in the viral video. Jones convincingly looked confused, but I am fairly certain he has heard the buzz around becoming a potential target for the Lakers.
“Herb Jones you are a laker my boi 😂”
Herb Jones: huh😭😭
H/T adnan22216/ TikTok pic.twitter.com/yhlM1uMSRI
— Washed LakersvsHaters (@notlakersgm) December 15, 2025
Jones recently recovered from a right calf strain and is currently averaging 9.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while shooting 39.5% from the field and 33.8% from beyond the arc.
While he might not be the most offensively gifted player, he can certainly contribute inside the paint on both ends of the floor. He also brings his elite perimeter defense, which the Lakers have acknowledged is a major weakness this season.
Considering that the Lakers should expect fierce competition from the Warriors to pull off a similar deal, they could be faced with a bidding war soon. They will need to decide if Herb Jones is a player worth giving up two valuable first-round picks for.
