2025-26 Team Developments: Trades / Free Agents / News / Rumors / Ideas

That's what I'm saying, you buy low. DJJ was 34% from 3 with Chicago, and improved by only about a half percent, but he improved his volume by 55%, going from 1.1 to 1.7. Herb is already decent volume, so if he increases volume by the same rate, you are looking at about 2.8. I'll take 2.8 three-pointers per game on 31%. The volume is important for spacing. I would bet on Herb improving his accuracy a bit too though, because he has shot well in the past. Yeah, it's a gamble. Sometimes you have to take gambles, or educated guesses.

 

Nothing to buy low with Herb. You're trading for a contract that is untradable.

3 pointers at 31% rate is atrociously bad. In today's game, anything below 35% is pretty much unplayable if you're getting big minutes and $. You do realize that is Vando's shooting % from three, right? Like I'm not sure if you looked into his stats and how much he's getting paid. Herb Jones, by any metric, is garbage outside of some defensive metrics. Certainly not remotely close to worth being $22 million per year. His agent scammed the hell out of the Pelicans.

This is not a gamble worth taking. Tons of better options. Again, if you think getting rid of Vando at $12 million was difficult, try getting rid of Herbert Jones at $22 million per year for the next 3 years after next year.

 

22M is probably below the MLE by the end of Herb's contract, definitely not an untradable contract

 

He is not wrong this is true. The problem is it's a little too late. Lebron is about to turn 42 at the end of the year. This is the only reason Austin looks more attractive. If LeBron is at 15mil and Austin at 40 mil it's something to think about. Steven A and J Williams said the same. They don't like that both Luka and Austin can be hunted. Talent wise it has many Austin in the league Lebron is/was a generational talent. Lebron worst years is almost Austin peak.

 

100% untradable to have a player making that kind of money and not being able to shoot and can't even average 4 rebounds in 36 minutes of gameplay despite being 6'7.

Lakers have a tough time trading Vando. How do you think Herb is going to be any different?

 

I see no way we can adequately improve the team without some sort of trade involving Vando or Knecht. The key is removing guys JJ (not me, but JJ) view as dead wood on the roster.

 

Herb averaged 4.3 rebounds per 36. For comparison, DJJ averaged 5 rebounds per 36 for the 23-24 Mavs, and Smart averaged 3.5 rebounds per 36 for us last season. I wouldn't put too much stock into rebounding for this position. Herb is a rebounding upgrade over Marcus, and only 0.7 less than DJJ.

 

Totally different players.

Herb shot over 40% in a season. And is making over 1 three a game. Vando never made 0.5 threes a game and only shot over 30% once (barely). Herb has over 2 or 3 times the volume AND more efficiency.
Herb is a 80% FT shooter which is a good indication of 3pt potential.

His % got down the last couple years playing in an awful Pelicans team who has been losing and playing g-leaguers. Pretty sure his % goes up in a team that wins most games, he has a very specific role and gets the best looks of his career playing alongside Luka, AR and/or Bron.

I see absolutely no correlation between him and Vando.

Didn't even need to mention his defense and seamless fit in this roster.

 

I wanted off Van contract and using Dalton since last season.

 

Not sure why you're obsessing over Herb.

It's a fact he can't shoot. He had an outlier year his third season but he's a career 32% shooter from three. There's enough sample size there to say he's just not a good shooter.

You bring up Derrick Jones Jr. I'm not sure why. The guy gets paid $10 million. Herbert Jones will be getting paid $22 million. I don't see how that's remotely comparable.

You're seriously comparing rebounding numbers of Smart vs Jones? There's 5 inches of height difference there lol. And Smart isn't getting paid $22 million. He'll likely get half of that.

Name me three things Herbert Jones does at an average level besides defense.

You can't. It doesn't exist. For that reason, it makes no sense for the Lakers to trade for him and be stuck with a liability when they can trade Vando + Knecht (Two expiring contracts) and add some picks for a better player without the liability.

 

Outlier season. Average in those three other seasons is 32%. Draymond had two seasons where he shot 39% from three. You trust him to shoot threes? I don't.

FT shooting is not an indication of good 3 point shooting. It's more-so indication of midrange shooting. DeRozan/Westbrook/Iverson prove you can be good FT shooters but horrible 3 point shooters. I think you confused it. It's actually good 3 point shooters are good FT shooters.

I just don't see the allure of paying someone $22m per year when they can't average 4 rebounds per game as a 6'7 wing and his shooting efficiency is 32% from three for his career outside of one outlier season. There are tons of better players without that baggage. Why take the risk on Herbert?

 

yeah, luka as an amplifier is something i think people are underselling. all the stuff that astros is saying about herb jones was said about djj. and i'm not gung ho herb jones or anything (i repudiated folks that wanted to trade reaves for him during one of the other "reaves sucks" moments), but the shot quality with luka is just way different than anywhere but denver. guys who couldn't shoot or could only dunk suddenly become more useful.

yeah, thank god magic's not in charge anymore, as he'd trade reaves for dean wade and then crow about it on tv.

 

LOL. Why are you obsessing over Herb? Rebounding is not a huge priority in this role, regardless of size. We will have rebounding coming from other areas. We don't use a rebounding per inch statistic. At 6'7, Herb would be defending point-guards at the POA. Hie 4.3 rbs per 36 is fine for that role. That's a very specific thing that you are knit-picking btw. You are also being a little short-sighted by judged shooting as only percentage. Yeah, Herb shot 31% from three this past season. Lebron shot 32% this past season on nearly identical volume to Herb. And the Vando comparison is obviously bad. That guys volume is significantly lower, and doesn't even know how to shoot.

 

Reality is we're not going to be able to bring in a wing that is a consistent above average defender as well as a consistently good shooter. Those guys are rarely available and we don't have a ton to trade. Watson is the one guy that could maybe fit that description and at this point I'd be shocked if he wasn't back with the Nuggets.

When the Mavs acquired PJ Washington he was on a contract that felt rich for him because he was an inconsistent defender and streaky shooter. When he got to a better situation in Dallas, he took defense more seriously and got hot at the right time in the 2024 playoffs (his 2024 regular season shooting numbers are pretty bad). It helped that he got a ton of open corner threes because he was playing off of Luka. Same with DJJ, he was on the scrap heap when Dallas got him and he completely turned his career around.

Those are the kind of wings we need to be looking at. We're probably not getting Watson or Eason. Trading for someone like Anunoby if he's included in a Giannis trade is also a fantasy. We have to hope that someone like Herb or an Agbaji look different under different circumstances.

 

Beat me to it.

 

Yeah man, why order Door Dash when you have an executive chef at home? It's satisfying, and readily made, but maybe not the best use of resources.

 

Yeah, great examples. Yeah PJ was also only 31% from three that 23-24 season, but had decent volume.

 

People might want to throw up, but Eason has some of those PJ traits.

 

People make money off of buying low stock and selling high, not the opposite.

 

People in here Realize Austin Reaves had better stats then Devin Booker this season.

Austin Reaves gets no respect. The guy was on fire to start the season. Had a calf injury. Then he gets an oblique injury and comes back and plays for the team in a contract season. f*** outa here. The guy is as Laker as they come.

I’m aware of the limitations on defense. Go get him a Kuzma just a big forward

or Derrick Jones Jr. Cam Johnson. We can also get that scoring guard cheap Anfernee Simons.

sign a Thybulsee.

Reaves does a lot.