The signing the Lakers are considering to strengthen their defense

Los Angeles Lakers may look to their neighbors, the Clippers, to address one of their main shortcomings heading into the next season. A new trade proposal suggests that Derrick Jones Jr. could join Luka Doncic's team in exchange for Jake LaRavia, Jaden Hardy, and two second-round Draft picks, a move that would allow Los Angeles to add an experienced forward with defensive capabilities and a proven fit alongside their star player.

This idea makes even more sense after the Lakers have lost several pieces from their perimeter rotation and have made building around Doncic their top priority. Jones demonstrated during his time in Dallas that he can coexist with an elite creator without needing too many touches, and he also provides the type of perimeter defense that the Angelino team needs to offset the defensive limitations of their star duo. This would not be a move aimed at adding another big star, but rather making the team more functional around Luka.

The trade proposal between Lakers and Clippers

The operation would be particularly interesting because both teams would have different objectives. The Clippers are entering a rebuilding phase after the circumstances surrounding Kawhi Leonard and need to accumulate young players and future picks. The Lakers, on the other hand, are looking to maximize their competitive options around Doncic as soon as possible.

Derrick Jones Jr. fits perfectly alongside Luka Doncic

The main reason the Lakers would consider this operation is the mutual understanding between Jones and Doncic. They both shared a locker room on the Dallas Mavericks that reached the Finals in 2024, and Jones proved then to be an extraordinarily useful complement.

During that championship run, the forward averaged 9.1 points and 3.1 rebounds over 22 games, shooting 37% from three, and taking on a significant portion of the defensive responsibilities against the main rival perimeter threats.

This profile is highly valuable for a Lakers team where Doncic and Austin Reaves concentrate much of the offensive creation. Jones does not need to have the ball to influence the game: he can defend, cut to the rim, run in transition, and take advantage of the spaces created by a player like Luka.

Additionally, last season he produced 10.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 0.9 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game, with 49.9% shooting from the field and 35.9% from beyond the arc.

The Lakers would gain defense and lose youth

The operation would have an obvious consequence: Los Angeles would give up two young players to bring in a veteran who is in the last year of his contract. Jones has a salary of approximately $10.4 million for next season, so the move wouldn’t be particularly burdensome in the long term.

The most significant sacrifice would be Jaden Hardy. The guard had already joined the Lakers as part of the trade that sent Deandre Ayton to Washington, along with the second-round picks from 2031 and 2032.

Jake LaRavia also represents a young piece that could develop an interesting career as a versatile defensive forward. However, the Lakers' problem is that accumulating young talent does not serve much purpose if it is not accompanied by pieces that maximize Doncic. Jones directly addresses that need.

The Clippers have reasons to accept

From the Clippers' perspective, the operation is fairly straightforward. The franchise would receive two young players and two second-round picks for a veteran who may not be part of their long-term plans.

Hardy still has room to become an interesting perimeter scorer, while LaRavia may provide more value as a rotational piece than Jones in the medium term. Furthermore, the Clippers find themselves in a situation where every future asset is important due to the ramifications of the investigation related to Kawhi Leonard.

The question would be whether they consider the compensation sufficient. Jones may have more immediate sports value than the package received, especially for a team still aiming to compete.

A small move that could have a big impact

The Lakers have spent much of the summer looking for a starting or rotation-level forward capable of defending, and Jonathan Kuminga's departure to Minnesota has further narrowed their options. Jones has already emerged as a potential target for Los Angeles in several recent proposals.

The key is that he would not need to learn how to play with Doncic. He has already done that in Dallas and knows perfectly what it means to share the court with a creator who monopolizes much of the playmaking.

Conclusion: the Lakers would lose youth and two future assets, but would receive a piece that directly fits their needs. Derrick Jones Jr. would not turn Los Angeles into a title contender on his own, but he could be one of those secondary moves that makes a team built around Luka Doncic function much better. For the Clippers, the gamble would be exactly the opposite: sacrificing the present to accumulate youth and draft picks.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El fichaje que se proponen los Lakers para reforzar su defensa