JJ Redick, Los Angeles Lakers trade rumors, Lakers news, Trey Murphy, Herb Jones, New Orleans Pelicans trade rumors
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The clear issues for the Los Angeles Lakers this season have been defending and outside shooting, but top trade targets Trey Murphy and Herb Jones of the New Orleans Pelicans remain available.
Though the Los Angeles Lakers are second in the West and have their trio of LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves back together, there is still always room for improvement through a trade.
While Los Angeles hasdone a lot to create this 2025-26 roster, perimeter defense and three-point shooting remain thebiggest issuesfor the team. While James, Doncic, and Reaves all expect to lead the Lakers for at least the remainder of this season, Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick have multiple players they can move on from and upgrade.
But specifically, Rui Hachimura remains a looming candidate, and according to Tyler Watts of LakeShowLife, the Lakers could target Trey Murphy of the New Orleans Pelicans as a perfect upgrade at the forward position.
“The Los Angeles Lakers want to jump into title contention, and could pull off the perfect move by trading Rui Hachimura for Trey Murphy III,”he wrote on a potential Lakers-Pelicans trade. “The Pelicans are last in the Western Conference standings and headed toward the lottery. They should be open for business ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline. Fans may think Murphy is out of theLakers’ price range, but getting strong value for Hachimura could change that.”
Though without any national spotlight, for the second year in a row, Murphy is averaging at least 20 points per game, along with six rebounds and three assists on 46/37/94 shooting splits. The wing from Virginia is making roughly $28 million per year, but with his increasing value, his contract could be a steal.
Lakers Mock Trade For Trey Murphy
While Hachimura remains a consistent and solid player in his own right,it’s hard to see him as anything but a role player at best. The Lakers have made it clear they are vying for a championship now, and though a trade for Murphy could be costly, the6’8”forward could be the missing piece.
“The 25-year-old is the perfect fit for theLakers’ timeline. He could join Luka and Austin Reaves as thefranchise’s core pieces for the next decade,”Watts wrote. “This would give Los Angeles the horses to compete for a championship this season and make them a title threat into the 2030s.”
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Trey Murphy III and Karlo Matkovi
Chicago Bulls Receive: Rui Hachimura
New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Kevin Huerter, Maxi Kleber, two 1st round picks, two swaps, 2032 2nd round pick.
The haul for New Orleans would bebig, but as they are last in the Western Conference with just two wins,there’s a possibility the asking price could drop. For Chicago, they get an upgrade at the wing with someone who offers a bit more stability.
Toxic ☣️
Rui Hachimura in the win over the Jazz 🔥
13 Points 4/8 FG 2/4 3FG 6 Boards
Great game offensively 🎯🎯🎯
But for the Lakers, adding Murphy changes the direction of the team.Theyhaven’t showntoo much interest in developing young prospects or having a top pick in general, so it is easy to see Pelinkasending outtheir draft capital toguarantee a roster can compete with teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder or Denver Nuggets.
“Now is the time to get [Doncic] a potential wing co-star, whois locked into a cheap contract until 2029,”Watts added. “The Los Angeles Lakers should only trade Rui Hachimura if they are getting a significant upgrade. Trey Murphy III certainly offers that.”
Another Pelicans Star Could Be On The Table
Though Murphy might be too rich for theLakers’ blood, the potentialof the Pelicanshaving a ‘fire sale‘similar to the Sacramento Kings remains a strong possibility. While a Murphy trade might hold too much risk in this new era for Los Angeles, New Orleans might have another player whom they could make an offer for.
“Is there really any trade target more perfect for the Los Angeles Lakers than Herb Jones?”Svyatoslav Rovenchuk wrote in a similar article about a Lakers trade idea for one of thePelicans’ other top young players. “Jones is the type of 3-and-D star who would immediately raise theLakers’ ceiling. His $13.9 million makes him an easy player to match salaries for as well.”
While the counting stats, 9.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists,aren’t amazing, Jones is a top-tier pest named to the All-Defensive First Team just two years ago.His 36.2% three-point shooting percentagealso wouldn’t hurt the last-place shooting Lakers, but more importantly, he would become theteam’s number one wing defender.
A deal for Jones would also likely include Hachimura to match the salaries, but with defense at a premium, the forward from Alabama would also have a high price tag.
Pelinka has shown to be aggressive in the trade market, and LosAngeles’ issues are clear, with the two wings from New Orleans both being good options.