Lakers Pursue Herb Jones After Christmas Meltdown

The Lakers’ defense has been a liability all season, capped by a 119 96 loss to Houston and a public rant from coach JJ Redick about effort. Front office work has turned to upgrades and Brett Siegel reports that, "Jones has remained a top trade target for Western Conference contenders like the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors, sources said." Los Angeles has few useful tradable contracts but does hold future first round picks that could be used to pursue New Orleans defender Herb Jones. Merlin sees the fit clearly. Jones brings elite on ball pressure, steals and the defensive heart the Lakers lack around LeBron, Luka and Reaves. He will not fix everything, but he would make mismatches harder for opponents and buy time for roster balance. The front office must decide if they spend picks now or risk more public frustration.