Lakers surprise trade target emerges ahead of trade deadline
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Lakers surprise trade target emerges after the Pelicans keep Herb Jones off the table.
The Lakers’ surprise trade target picture is beginning to take shape as the New Orleans Pelicans continue to shut down inquiries for Herb Jones and the trade deadline draws closer.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ pursuit of a defensive upgrade has reached an inflection point.
With the New Orleans Pelicans continuing to resist all trade inquiries for Herb Jones, the Lakers’ preferred 3-and-D wing solution has effectively been taken off the board. But that has not ended the search. It has merely redirected it.
According to ESPN analyst Kevin Pelton, the Lakers should now consider a far less glamorous — but potentially more practical — alternative as the Feb. 5 trade deadline approaches.
“If I ran the Lakers, I would be calling the Sacramento Kings daily about guard Keon Ellis,” Pelton wrote. “He’s been in and out of Doug Christie’s crowded backcourt rotation after averaging 24.4 minutes last season.”
It is not the type of name that excites fans or headlines. But it is precisely the type of profile the Lakers may need.
Lakers Surprise Trade Target Comes Into Focus
Back-to-back wins over Memphis temporarily masked some of the Lakers’ underlying issues. But they did not erase them.
Los Angeles remains near the bottom of the league in both defensive rating and three-point efficiency, ranking 26th in each category. Against elite competition — Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Houston and a soon-to-be healthier Denver — those weaknesses become magnified.
Lakers coach JJ Redick has been candid about the imbalance.
“Our roster, frankly, has a lot of guys that do a lot of one thing really well,” Redick said last week. “Finding that offense-defense balance has got to be there.”
The challenge is structural.
Luka Dončić, LeBron James and Austin Reaves drive the offense, but none is a point-of-attack stopper. Without a defensive counterweight, the Lakers are forced into constant rotation and recovery.
That’s why Jones — long, switchable, disruptive — was such a priority.
And why losing him as an option matters.
Herb Jones Remains Off the Market
NBA insider Marc Stein confirmed this week that New Orleans continues to draw a firm line.
“The market for such wings who can shoot from distance and defend remains quite limited, with New Orleans still resistant to trade interest in both Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III,” Stein wrote Sunday.
ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel had previously reported that the Lakers had already made inquiries.
“Herb Jones is high atop the Lakers’ trade wish list,” Siegel wrote. “But New Orleans isn’t actively looking to move him, and his asking price remains very high.”
In short: the Lakers cannot force that door open.
Pelton’s Case for Keon Ellis
Keon Ellis, Lakers
GettySacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis could be the Lakers’ surprise trade target.
That reality is what makes Pelton’s suggestion relevant.
Ellis, a 24-year-old guard in Sacramento, does not have Jones’ size or defensive reputation — but he offers a similar skill blend at a fraction of the cost.
Ellis is a career 41.6% three-point shooter who defends on the ball, navigates screens, and rarely makes mistakes. His contract makes him particularly appealing.
“Perhaps most importantly, he’s making the minimum in the last season of his rookie contract,” Pelton wrote. “That not only fits the Lakers’ cap sheet now, but his tiny cap hold would help maximize their flexibility this summer.”
In other words, Ellis does not require the Lakers to choose between the present and the future.
Internal Options Aren’t Enough
The Lakers have leaned on Nick Smith Jr. to fill part of that role.
Smith, the 27th overall pick in 2023, is averaging a career-high 7.7 points and shooting nearly 40 percent from three. Redick trusts his defense. But Smith remains on a two-way contract, limiting both his availability and his postseason eligibility unless converted.
Ellis does not come with those constraints.
He also does not require the Lakers to sacrifice their offseason flexibility — something the front office has prioritized since committing long-term money only to Dončić.
That makes Ellis a realistic answer in the evolving Lakers surprise trade target conversation, especially given his contract and defensive profile.
Lakers’ Surprise Trade Target is a Practical Pivot
This is not about star hunting.
It is about structure.
The Lakers are trying to build a lineup that can survive the West’s athleticism, defend on the perimeter, and keep the floor spaced — without locking themselves into bad contracts or emptying their asset chest.
Jones was the ideal. Ellis is the possible.
And as the deadline nears, what’s possible matters more than perfect.
The Lakers are no longer shopping for the flashiest name.
They are shopping for the one that fits — financially, defensively, and strategically — in a season where margins are thin, windows are fragile, and survival in the West requires more than scoring alone.