Lakers could trade Dalton Knecht for Pelicans' $67 million defensive star, per report
The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly pursuing a New Orleans Pelicans defensive star this summer.
Lakers could trade Dalton Knecht for Pelicans' $67 million defensive star, per report originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . How important is adding more wing talent to the roster for the Los Angeles Lakers ?
Well, it could be the difference between entering championship contention or wasting another year of Luka Doncic’s prime. According to Forbes’ Evan Sidery , the Lakers are ‘zeroing in’ on a 27-year-old New Orleans Pelicans defensive star, and could use Dalton Knecht to help them eventually close the deal. “The Lakers are zeroing in on Herb Jones as a trade target this summer,” Sidery wrote on X/Twitter Friday.
“After making a push for Jones around the trade deadline, Los Angeles will once again inquire with the Pelicans. A package centered around Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht, and draft capital is a salary match. ” Jones is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, which isn’t a monumental surprise considering the Alabama product entered the league with high expectations on that end of the floor and has alluring physical tools that make for a menacing defender.
Jones received All-Defensive First Team honors in 2024-25 and continued his pest-like defensive play this past season. The former second-round pick finished the 2025-26 campaign with 1. 6 steals and a 113.