The Lakers are in a free fall.  After three straight blowout losses exposed just how shaky their defense has become, the situation worsened when Austin Reaves went down with a calf injury that will sideline him for weeks. That combination, poor defense and the loss of one of their most reliable two-way contributors, has pushed Los Angeles back into trade conversations they had hoped to avoid. One familiar name has resurfaced in those talks: Herb Jones. But the latest update suggests the Lakers may be looking at the right target at the wrong time.

However, according to Clutch Points’ Brett Siegel, the Lakers’ caliber to pull the trade is very thin. “The Lakers have already held conversations with the Pelicans about Jones’ availability, but they, too, aren’t actively looking to move their defensive-minded wing,” Siegel wrote. “Jones’ asking price remains very high, and he appears to be out of the Lakers’ price range in terms of assets.”

The Lakers have been looking for defensive reinforcements, with Pelicans’ Herb Jones being at the top of their list for a while. Jones is one of the best 3-and-D guys in the league, and he’s on a great contract, so it’s understandable why the Lakers are after him. Jones is currently making $13.9 million, which will rise to $14.9 million in 2026-27. After that, his three-year, $67.6 million extension will kick in. That deal has an average salary of $22.5 million for his services, which would be a team-friendly price for the defensive star. Given what assets the Lakers have in possession, the scenario doesn’t move beyond fantasy.

They do not have two tradeable first-round picks to package together in an outgoing deal at the moment. It would be either 2031 or 2032 that is available right now. Dan Woike of The Athletic has previously reported that New Orleans has shown no interest in packages centered around one future first-rounder and expiring money, a category that defines nearly every realistic Lakers offer.

Furthermore, Jones can’t even be traded until Jan 14th, as he signed his contract extension on July 14th this year.

The Lakers will be hoping his trade value drops overnight. Otherwise, they might have to look elsewhere for reinforcements, and they are necessary now more than ever with Reaves going down with an injury.

Can the Lakers survive Austin Reaves’ absence?

Reaves was in the midst of a great outing on Christmas Day when he was ruled out for the second half with a calf injury. The Athletic’s Dan Woike later reported that the Lakers guard had suffered a Grade 2 left gastrocnemius strain. He’ll now miss at least four weeks of action before he is re-evaluated.

26.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 6.3 assists are not the numbers of a role player. Replacing a player of this caliber when the team consistently lacks effort is almost impossible. That’s what the Lakers are up against after Reaves’ injury. Even with AR playing, the Lakers were a terrible defensive team, but the trio of LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves could still bail them out in some games with their elite offense.

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Reaves’ replacement would require a multidimensional shift in how the Lakers play. They will have to play elite defense on a nightly basis, and LeBron has to take a big part of the offensive responsibility. That task becomes even more difficult given that the Lakers currently rank 24th in defensive rating and have allowed 121.6 points per game over their last 10 contests. The Lakers have by far the lowest-scoring bench in the league this season. They are almost as bad on the boards [29th in rebounds].

Those defensive issues came to a head earlier this week when Los Angeles allowed Phoenix to shoot 59 percent from the field and score 62 points in the paint, prompting JJ Redick to openly question his team’s defensive commitment postgame. Redick has to figure out how he is going to fill those voids in the immediate future.

While trade plans remain constrained for now, the Lakers will try to stabilize internally as they navigate a short stretch of winnable games and await the return of injured starters, including Luka Doncic and Rui Hachimura.