Lakers ZEROED IN on Herb Jones Trade with Pelicans

Added: 2026-05-24

[00:00:00]So, according to reports, the Lakers are zeroed in on Pelicans forward, Herb Jones, and they are trying to make a trade for Herb Jones. There's been a lot of rumors about Herb Jones to the Lakers about like the last like year and a half. I think that this is a guy that the Lakers are genuinely interested in and I think that now with the way that he played last season, I think it might be a better revenue or better avenue to get to trade for Herb Jones. So, in today's video, guys, we're going to be talking about how the Lakers can trade for Herb Jones, how he fits in with the current team that they have or the current team that I think they will have at the beginning of next season. Um, and if this will be a good trade and uh, you know, should they even try to trade for another player on the New Orleans Pelicans. But, let's go and hop into today's video. Man, before we do, guys, y'all be sure to drop a like and subscribe to the channel and let's do it, man. So, all right. So, according to a reports or report from Evan Cidery, uh, the Lakers are and there has been multiple reports on this as well, guys.

[00:00:54]It's not just Evan Cidery. This is the only one I could find on Twitter. This is the one that I saved uh yesterday when it did uh go viral on Twitter. Um so he Evan Cery says the Lakers are zeroing in on Herb Jones as a trade target this summer after making a push for Jones around the trade deadline. Uh LA will once again inquire with the Pelicans. A package sent around Jared Vanderbilt, Dalton Connect, and Draft Capital is a salary match. Um, so a salary match obviously guys that means um Jerry Vanderbilt and Dalton Connect's salary is match it matches up to pretty much Herb Jones's salary. So that's how it works for the CBA and and all of these things when it comes to trying to make trades now. You pretty much have to trade equal value when it comes to contracts now. Uh you can't be too far over the cabin. I think the Lakers are a first apron team which is not terrible but um you don't want to go too far over that. You don't you don't want to dip into that second apron. So, the Lakers are a team that does have the assets to trade for a guy like Herb Jones. I would even be willing to probably give up um a first round pick for Herb Jones alongside those other guys. And I think that you will be able to get you a quality starter uh that can be your primary defender on the perimeter. And I think that Herb Jones is a more underrated scorer as well. Now, Herb Jones is not going to go out there. He's not gonna go out there, guys, and he's not gonna drop uh 25 points a game or 20 points a game or anything like that, but you know, he can shoot the three ball even though he didn't shoot a very good percentage this last season. Um he's he's capable of shooting a three. Um if especially with the looks he will get on his team, he is a very very good on ball defender. I mean, he is one of the best on ball defenders in the entire league. He gives you that length. He gives you that athleticism. He gives you that screen maneuvering and things of that nature that you need on the perimeter when it comes to guys trying to go around screens. He's very good to get around screens. Has the arm to to contest shots without fouling. He's one of the more underrated players in the league when it comes to like just two-way play. Um, and I think I'm very high on Herb Jones. I know he didn't have a very good offensive year last year. He was in and out of the lineup and things of that nature. And with the Pelicans being completely pretty much just ass the last couple years, I've always said this. I said the same thing with Marcus Smart.

[00:03:06]I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm on the same boat with a guy like Herb Jones. What's the point in you trying to force yourself to play for a bad team if you have a lingering injury or you have something small that you want to be cautious about? I'm of the field. I don't think that you should play on those things, especially when your team is not winning. If your team is not winning or not even trying to win, what's the point in you furthering that injury or making it worse and being out longer, you know what I'm saying, and having an impact on your actual career when you're not even playing for a team that's trying to win?

[00:03:38]So, the last time the Pelicans were in any type of winning contention a couple years ago, is Herb Jones best season in the league? His best, I'm sorry, his best season of his career. Um, and that was in uh 2023-24.

[00:03:51]He played 76 games, which he only missed six games the whole season.

[00:03:56]Um he played about 31 minutes a game. He shot 50% from the field pretty much. Uh he shot 42% from three. Um he shot 87% from the from the free throw line. He averages about four rebounds a game, three assist, and he averaged 11 points a game that season. And if you want to even go further, he averaged a steal a game that year and a block a game. Um and these are just some of the things that add on to how actually how good he actually is when he's playing in a winning environment or on a winning type of team. I think that he can utilize he can you can really utilize him as one of the top defenders in the league and he will be that missing piece as that that starting forward um that you would need to be the primary wing defender um against a lot of players best a lot of teams best players. Um the Lakers were a very good well I'll say this they went a very good defensive team last season but they got timely stops in the most important moments it seemed like they were the clutchest team in the league.

[00:04:49]They always figured out ways to get the the timely stops. JJ Reic and his coaching staff are very very good at at at game planning for certain players and certain teams, right? So, for example, when you look at the way that the San San Antonio Spurs are guarding the Oklahoma City Thunder right now, they're doing a very good job of loading up to Shay and being able to rotate, kind of like zoning up to him, so to speak. And that's kind of the same look that the Lakers gave the Thunder. It's just that the Lakers don't have the talent, the athleticism, the length and thing that you know of that that nature when it comes to trying to guard teams like OKC.

[00:05:28]Um, but the the the the game plan, the blueprint was there of how to guard them, right? Um, I think that if you were to give JJ, you know, that athleticism and those type of players that can go out there and execute that game plan, I think the Lakers will be in a phenomenal position. And Herb Jones will be a start. Herb Jones will be a start to that. Uh I talked about in my last couple videos how I really want the Lakers to try to go get Khal Wear for the Khar for the Miami Heat. Uh per 36 minutes. Khar's numbers are absolutely insane and he's only 22 or 23 years old.

[00:06:01]Uh he's going to be a star in the in this league if he gets the opportunity.

[00:06:04]Kair will be a star center. I'm telling you guys that right now before it happens. I really do believe Khar is that good. And I think if you were to go trade for a guy like Khloe, uh, who's not on a high salary, he's only making four million a year, so it wouldn't take a lot when it comes to salary, matching salary when it comes to making trades for him. Um, but, you know, we'll talk about K in another video, but I just wanted to say if you was to pair him and Herb Jones, if you was to try to get a a tandem like that and you put those guys alongside LeBron, AR, and Luca Donic, you would have one of the better starting fives in the entire league.

[00:06:39]like you would have like probably even a top five starting five in the league.

[00:06:43]You would have five guys that can shoot the ball. You would have uh four to five guys that can legitimately go off for 15 to 20 points any given night because Herb Jones is not just a guy that you he has to stay on the free throw line. He can create a little bit when it comes to attacking closeouts. When it comes to attacking closeouts, Herb Jones has the handle. He has the the maneuverability to get to the rim and finish with both hands. Uh he can shoot the free. He can shoot free throws very well if you foul him. Um, he has a very underrated closeout game, so to speak, when it comes to pump faking and closing out guys that are closing out too hard. Um, I think Herb Jones is very, very good in that facet from the time I've watched him. He did not shoot the ball very well, as you guys can tell. He didn't shoot the ball very well last season or the season before. He shot 31% from three and 24 25, but he only played 20 games, but he shot 31% from three just this last season. So, I'm in the position to where I look at what he did in his last healthy season. And when you're playing on a Pelicans team compared to the looks you're going to get for the Lakers, it's going to be otherworldly. You know, the Pelicans had some talented players, some good playmakers. The Jonte Murray at the end of the season last year. Uh Zion Williams is a pretty good playmaker. Um you know, some of the other guys on their team can playm uh the rookie that had Jeremiah Fields Fierce.

[00:08:01]Um the looks that he would get on this team compared to the looks he gets on the Pelicans, he will be wide open.

[00:08:08]He'll be wide open. He'll have a lot of open looks. Um he has great size. Uh he is 67206.

[00:08:15]Um and he is a no BS kind of guy. I love Herb Jones. I love everything about him.

[00:08:20]Always have liked his game. Always felt like he just needs to be on a winning team to really um legit like really put himself in that field of one of the better defenders in the league. He just needs more attention. Um, I think that he is a very good player and I think the Lakers should go ahead and try to buy low on him right now. Now, two, three, four first round picks, that's way too much. I am not trading that much, that many assets for a guy like Herb Jones.

[00:08:42]And at the trade deadline, that's reportedly what the Pelicans were asking for. But after the season he just had last year was shooting only 30% from three and kind of you're in a position to where you can kind of buy low on him.

[00:08:52]Now, I would give up a first round pick because he's only 27 years old. He's just now in the prom in his career. he can really grow alongside Luca uh with the Lakers and be that primary defender to kind of hide Luca Donic's uh weaknesses, so to speak. You got to have those star players that can kind of protect your I'm sorry, you got to have those star role players to kind of protect your star players and just take up for their weaknesses. And I think Herb Jones is a very very good compliment uh to trying to, you know, cover up Luca Donic's, you know, weaknesses or Austin Reeves as well. you know, if Austin stays with the Lakers, which I think he will. So, Herb Jones is one of those guys if the Lakers are reportedly zeroed in on her Herb Jones and trying to make a trade for him. I am of the field. I think that would be a phenomenal trade. Uh, I think that would be a very good trade because like I always tell you guys, you guys, you know, you need those Lou Dorts and those Male Bridges and those uh Assur Thompson type of players that can go out there and do the dirty work. not their their their primary um role on the team is not to score. You need the guys that do the dirty work, play defense, shoot open threes, and you know, you got to have guys out there that can at least be respectable from the three-point line.

[00:10:05]And I think Herb Jones is respectable from the three-point line, shooting 35% for his career. And like I said, his last like fully healthy season, he played 76 games when the Pelicans were a playin team that year. Um and he shot 42% from three that year. um and it was on uh about three attempts a game. So that's very very good. That's what you need. Now when he's open, he can shoot the three. It's respectable. And on top of that, he is a very good perimeter defender. So this is the two-way type of talent that the Lakers have been looking for. And these are the things that us Lakers fans should be wanting the Lakers to try to target when it comes to making this team better this off season and trying to really take that next step to being a true contender. Um that which is what I call it. Now, uh, that's my two cents on Herb Jones. Now, now I'm going to talk about another player that I think the Lakers should try to trade for in the same package as Herb Jones. Now, I don't know if this is even doable, and it might not be because with the season that this guy just had last year, um, it might be out of the question, but Sadi Bay is another player that I would absolutely die for uh, to be on the Lakers alongside a guy like Herb Jones.

[00:11:11]That wing rotation or that wing uh, depth on your team, uh, it just makes your team even more dangerous. When you look at the teams that are still competing in the playoffs right now, the Knicks, the um the Cavs, the uh the Thunder, and the Spurs, those four teams have insane dep they're not built on trying to get a certain amount of superstars on their team and not having a lot of uh you know, being just being an extremely topheavy team. They're not focused on having multiple superstars and then just having some okay role players and you can only go six, seven deep um to try to win a championship.

[00:11:46]That that that way of trying to win a championship right now is not the way to win right now in today's league because teams like OKC, San Antonio, New York, those teams can go nine deep. And you know, the Lakers can legitimately probably go six to seven, maybe even eight depending on how Jackson Hayes is playing at night. Um or how DeAndre Aiden is playing at night. But I just think that if you target depth for this team, you really can give yourself a chance to compete if you bring your core players back in LeBron, Austin, and Luca. Um, but Sadique Bay last year 72 games. Uh, he started 64, excuse me, guys. He played 31 minutes a game. Uh, 45% from the field, which is phenomenal. Um, he shot 37% from three.

[00:12:31]Another two-way kind of player. Now, he's not as he's not as good defensively as Herb Jones is, but he's not a liability either. He has a big body. Uh he he's a very versatile scorer as well, guys. Um if you bring him off the bench, he would be one of those type of players that can really help your bench scoring and probably some nights if he gots it going, he's one of those players that he can just close out a game. Um he he gives you more depth that Braun doesn't want to play, you know, most of the regular season. if he wants to if you want to kind of rest LeBron and kind of be cautious with him through a 82 game season, you know, Sadique Bay allows you to do things like that. He can start some nights, he come off the bench, he gives you that versatility to uh be good in the regular season, but more importantly in the playoffs because he is a reliable player. That's what he's shown the last couple years. And the Lakers don't have a lot of reliable players after their starting five. They have some reliable players, but they don't have enough. And that this is this is these are the type of moves the Lakers need to make so they can have more reliable players. Uh Sadique Bay averaged 17.7 points a game last year.

[00:13:31]Um which is basically 18 points a game which is which is his career high. He had his best best year in the league just last year. Uh he's only 27 years old same as Herb Jones. Um maybe you can throw in like another maybe you can throw in a pick swap or get a third team involved or something like that. But I would definitely be willing to give up the salary to get a tandem of Herb Jones and Sadique Bay or even just Herb Jones by himself would be completely fine for this team. Um, if the Lakers are actually trying to compete and become uh get on that level of the San Antonios and the uh the Thunder and things of that nature when you're healthy, give yourself a chance to actually beat these teams. I don't think you guys understand, let me go full screen for this. I don't think you guys understand how good the Lakers were playing in the month of March. That's that's the that the way that the team was playing in March when they were beating when and and the thing is let me let me go back one second. The thing is for me going into that stretch the Lakers were not playing very well. They had lost a couple games before the All-Star break.

[00:14:31]Um Luca was injured. Luca had just came back after the All-Star break. Uh uh you know AR was in and out in and out of the lineup. So they had lost a couple games coming out of the All-Star break. They lost like three in a row um after they beat the Clippers. Um, and the way that they played in the month of March after that, the way that they responded, even without LeBron in the lineup, and then when he came back, they they beat the they beat the Rockets, they beat the Nuggets, uh, they beat uh, the Miami Heat with less than 24 hours of rest.

[00:14:58]Luca dropped 60. The way that Luca was playing, they they they beat the Orlando Magic, which was a playoff team that almost beat the Pistons in the first round on a Lukard gamewinner. The way that they were playing in that stretch, that's the team that I look at is that's the potential I think that they had as a team. Um, now what were were they a championship favorite? No. But my point is you get that core of you get that core of players back when it comes to Braun, AR, Luca. Get those guys back together of a clip went viral earlier of Austin Reeds answering team uh answering a reported from TMZ's questions about if he want to play with LeBron and the Lakers next season. He said yes. Um, so get the tandem back, get the quarterback and build around those guys. And what I mean by it is go out there and find you a starting caliber center like a Khar or a Walker Kler or a Nick Claxton or uh if Isaiah Hardenstein and the Thunder can't figure out something, try to go snag him. That's the type of starting caliber center that you need that has the motor on a 100 the entire game that is willing to go out there and run through a wall.

[00:16:00]That's the type of player you need. Or just extremely talented like a K wear and really really on and go find you a starting caliber wing, right? You can do these things and you don't have to break the bank for. There's plenty of players out there that are starting caliber players that you do not have to break the bank for. Khalil Wear and and guys like Herb Jones are just two of those guys that you could possibly go out there and try to get uh that don't break the bank and really make your team significantly better. Um these are the type of players that just make you a better overall team and then you can go out there and attack unrestricted free agency to build your bench build your bench a little bit better. So, I expect LeBron to come back on a one-year deal for around like 20 million, which is a $30 million pay cut. I don't expect LeBron to ask for a max or anything like that. LeBron wants to win. He don't care about money like that at this point in his career. So, these are the things I think the Lakers should do, but if they were to go trade for a guy like Herb Jones, that's a great step in the right direction. And you guys let me know how y'all feel about it, man. Dude, should the Lakers go trade for Herb Jones, uh, Sadique Bay, you know, some of these type of players? How y'all feel about Herb Jones? Let me know all these things in the comment section below. Be sure to drop a like on today's video. Thank you guys so much for all the recent support on the channel. I will be here every single day and I will be live streaming uh on the weekends moving forward after this Saturday. I'll be live streaming on weekends or anytime news breaks. So, hit that hit that uh hit the bell to turn notifications, drop a like on the video, subscribe to the channel. I'll catch you guys on the next one. Peace.