LAKERS – PELICANS BLOCKBUSTER TRADELakers Receive:-Herb Jones-Saddiq Bey-Jose AlvaradoPelicans Receive:-Jarred Vanderbilt-Gabe Vincent-Dalton Knecht-2030 FRP Swap-2031 FRP Unprotected-2032 FRP SwapJones cannot be traded until Jan 14th.Lakers would have 14 players… https://t.co/zuWGTaIOSW pic.twitter.com/FEMLXHvWr6— LakerTom (@LakerTom) December 10, 2025
While I would do that trade, there is no way that the Pels would. I mean zero chance.
It’s almost impossible to predict the draft capital in trades. Bill Simmons thinks the Lakers can get Herb with Knecht, Kleber, and a 2031 first. Yet Luka only got a first and Desmond Bane 4 firsts. It’s worth a shot. I like him better as a long-term fit with Luka’s window.
It’s not just picks, you have 2 other really good players coming along with Jones, for what? They could get a much better return than that.
Why would a bad team want pick swaps from a top 4 team that you just made even better? Even the unprotected FRP is essentially a 2nd round pick because it’ll be so low. And then the Pels get 3 non-impact players to boot? You at least gotta get Rui.
The swaps are obviously not worth as much since Lakers got Luka but they’re draft capital and there are teams like the Thunder and Spurs who will be confident that Lakers’ swaps will be valuable to them. Lakers could bring one of them in as third team. Swaps aren’t until 2030 and 2032 so time to find buyers for them. There not worth firsts but the upside is worth more than a second.
I also see the Lakers focusing next summer on free agency and targeting underpaid 3&D players with upside. Walker Kessler or Keon Ellis types. Lakers want to win now but the primary goal will be to start building a sustainable championship roster around Luka Doncic.
Lakers need depth and diversity to beat OKC. Free agency and analytics darlings will be the Lakers path to catching the Thunder. They have more and better stars. Just need to match depth, which they can do via smart trades and free agency.
Problem is that this trade (unrealistic as it is) doesn’t add any draft capital..it costs us. And in what world do we have more & better stars than OKC? Luka & SGA might be equals (one has a ring & mvp but…ok) but I’d take J.Dub over Reaves & LeBron at this stage of their careers (due to his HUGE edge on the defensive end). Not to mention a healthy Holmgren. Plus OKC has the floundering Clips’ FRP the next TWO years. I hate to admit it but Luka, Antman, & other young stars might end up being the Barkley, Ewing, & Malone of this era….OKC is set up to be good for a long time.