There are about six weeks to go before the NBA’s Feb. 5 trade deadline, and while it may be a little while before any consequential trades start to go down, the rumor mill has already started to churn.
As far as the Los Angeles Lakers are concerned, it is well-known that they would love to acquire Herbert Jones of the New Orleans Pelicans and/or the Sacramento Kings’ Keon Ellis. It doesn’t appear that either team is very eager to move either player right now, but plenty can change between now and the beginning of February.
In general, the Lakers reportedly would like to acquire at least one athletic 3-and-D player in order to fortify a roster that lacks foot speed, perimeter defense and 3-point shooting. Per Dan Woike of The Athletic, scouts and executives of other teams have mentioned a couple of other players who fit that description and could help Los Angeles (h/t Lakers Daily).
“The Lakers had internal discussions about Andrew Wiggins earlier this summer and could revisit those if they decide to sacrifice cap space next summer to improve this season,” Woike wrote
“Another player worth monitoring will be LA Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr. He’s already shown how valuable he can be next to [Luka] Doncic when they played together on the Dallas Mavericks, and with the Clippers’ combination of losing and lack of draft assets, they’d have to listen to reasonable offers.
“Some other players rival scouts and executives mentioned as potential fits included the Brooklyn Nets’ Terrance Mann and the Charlotte Hornets’ Josh Green. If the Chicago Bulls decided to move off of guard Ayo Dosunmu, he’d fit the bill too — though the Bulls have held him in high esteem in the past and would probably seek a haul.
“The combination of the Lakers’ tradeable picks (one first and one second) and the league-wide lack of interest in the team’s recent draft picks puts the team in a bit of a bind.”
Jones is an athletic 6-foot-6 forward who has a seven-foot wingspan and won the 2020 Slam Dunk Contest at NBA All-Star Weekend. He’s averaging 10.5 points, 0.8 steals and 1.2 blocks in 24.9 minutes a game while shooting 53.3% from the field and 34.8% from 3-point range this season, although he’s currently out due to a sprained MCL.
Mann, a 6-foot-6 wing, is putting up 8.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 0.8 steals in 26.3 minutes a game this season for the struggling Nets, who have an 8-19 record. Green has played in just five games so far this season and has seen his playing time drop substantially, but he has historically been a good 3-point shooter, and at 6-foot-6, he can play up to three positions.
Dosunmu is a more ambitious target, as he’s more of an offensive threat with an average of 14.8 points a game and plays for a Bulls team that has a real shot of at least reaching the play-in tournament.
