Mavericks better hope the latest Lakers trade rumor goes nowhere

The Los Angeles Lakers and Herbert Jones reportedly have mutual interest in a trade this season, and the Dallas Mavericks better pray that Rob Pelinka doesn't find a way to put Jones on the same team as Luka Doncic. Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor reported this key detail in a recent episode of "The Slightly Biased Show," and this trade could change everything for the Lakers if they pull it off.

"Herb Jones to the Lakers," O'Connor said. "It's not quite a layup, but definitely there's interest there. I'd say on both sides. The Herb Jones side and the Lakers side."

The "mutual interest" reports flood in like wildfire at this time of year, but this is definitely something to keep an eye on over the next few weeks.

Dallas can't afford for the Lakers to trade for Herb Jones

The Lakers have lost five of their last seven games, and their defense has been an issue all season long. They are the No. 26-ranked defense in the NBA this season, with only the lottery-bound Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Pelicans, Washington Wizards, and Utah Jazz being worse.

The Doncic-led offense has been solid for most of the season, but they clearly need help on the opposite end of the floor. Los Angeles needs 3-and-D wings to surround Austin Reaves and Doncic if they want to contend with this current roster, and the Mavericks should hope that Los Angeles doesn't trade for Jones.

The Lakers are interested in acquiring a wing with size ahead of the deadline to pair with Doncic, and getting a player of Jones' caliber would help Los Angeles separate themselves even more from Dallas. The Mavericks will likely soon enter a mini-rebuild around Cooper Flagg, and they shouldn't be expected to be on the Lakers' level this season, but a trade for Jones may be exactly what Los Angeles needs to push for their first title since 2020.

Mavericks fans know well that Doncic needs elite wing defenders around him for his teams to succeed, and Jones and Doncic would be a match made in heaven. Jones' offensive game is a bit limited, as he is mostly known for being a catch-and-shoot 3-point shooter who is also a decent finisher in the half-court as well as transition, but Doncic thrives with these types of wings.

Doncic helped Derrick Jones Jr. and Dorian Finney-Smith take massive jumps in their development due to the open shots that he created for them, and Jones would be amazed with the quality of shots that Doncic's on-ball gravity creates.

Jones is shooting 38.7 percent from downtown on open looks this season (when the closest defender is four to six feet away), and Doncic would help this number rise even more. He has eyes on the back of his head, and Jones has never played with this type of shot creator over his first five seasons in New Orleans.

His offensive game would be elevated if the Lakers trade for him, but the real reason that Mavericks fans shouldn't want to see him in Los Angeles is his defense.

Jones is one of the most feared perimeter defenders in the NBA, and his presence alone would have the chance to pull the Lakers' defense out of the muck. Los Angeles is currently allowing their opponents to shoot 37 percent on threes, which ranks 24th in the NBA. Jones would give them an unreal defensive stopper who prides himself on shutting down the other team's best player, and they'd become much more balanced if they brought him in.

Standing at 6-foot-7 with a 7-foot wingspan, Jones has all of the tools to guard nearly any position on the floor. His First Team All-Defense selection in 2024 speaks for itself, and his quickness, physicality, and tenacity would make him a staple of the Lakers' core.

He brings elite intensity to every possession, and his ability to frustrate oposing ball handlers with his constant on-ball pressure would be welcomed in Tinseltown during this rough stretch. They clearly need to make a move ahead of the February 5 trade deadline to avoid wasting a season of Luka Doncic's prime, and a move for Jones may be exactly what they need.

On top of the Lakers taking another jump ahead of the Mavericks in terms of skill if they were to trade for Jones, it would also hurt Mavericks fans due to the fact that Dallas had interest in trading for Jones last season. The Mavericks eyed a trade for Jones before trading Doncic to the Lakers for Anthony Davis, and many fans viewed this move as the perfect move for them.

Mavericks fans believed that Herb Jones would be an ideal fit next to Doncic during the team's chance to repeat as Western Conference champions, but Dallas decided to go an entirely different direction and trade Doncic. This move broke the hearts of every Mavericks fan in the city, and seeing Doncic hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy as a member of the Lakers is bound to make things even worse.

The Lakers are a few moves away from being one of the best teams in the West, and the Mavericks better cross their fingers that the Pelicans don't move on from Jones. They've resisted trade offers for Jones up to this point, but them finally cracking and sending him to one of the Mavericks' biggest rivals would be a massive gut punch.