Only the Lakers among the top six teams in the West are interested in making trades! Current offers fall short of acquiring Jones, experts suggest trading Reeves.

On December 24th Beijing time, according to reporter Fischer, the Thunder, Nuggets, Rockets, Spurs, and Timberwolves are unlikely to make major trades this season. Among the top six Western Conference teams, the Lakers are the only ones actively seeking significant reinforcements, but whether they can sign their desired "3-and-D player" remains uncertain.

Herbert Jones of the Pelicans is the Lakers’ top target on their recruitment list, but all reports from New Orleans indicate that the Pelicans are demanding a very high price for Jones, and they are reluctant to trade him or Murphy. The Pelicans have informed interested teams that they are "not currently considering trading Herbert Jones, and will not accept any offer from the Lakers."

League scouts believe the Pelicans are more likely to trade players in this order: Alvarado, Saddiq Bey, Jordan Hawkins, and Jordan Poole.

Keon Ellis of the Kings may also be traded; he is a highly disruptive perimeter defender but has limited ball-handling skills and insufficient physical attributes to guard bigger forwards. Compared to the Kings’ three core stars, Ellis draws more attention from other teams, but scouts have mixed opinions about him. Notably, the Kings’ last two head coaches—Mike Brown and Doug Christie—have both restricted his playing time.

Other defensive wing players potentially available in the trade market include the Clippers’ Derrick Jones Jr., the Nets’ Taurean Prince, and the Heat’s Andrew Wiggins. The Lakers currently have one first-round pick, one second-round pick, and salary-matching players (likely starting with Vincent as a trade chip) to offer, but the key question is whether these assets are enough to persuade other teams.

Yahoo reporter Harbstro stated that the current core lineup of the Lakers lacks the strength to compete for a championship, with his biggest concern being the team’s defense. If Doncic, James, and Reeves all start, the Lakers’ defense would depend on three players who all struggle in that area. Therefore, Harbstro suggests the Lakers consider trading Reeves.

He wrote: "With the trio of Doncic, James, and Reeves alone, the Lakers will find it difficult to advance deep into the playoffs; they must act quickly. Each of these three deserves a better situation: Doncic needs teammates who are better defenders and more athletic; James shouldn’t be playing 35.4 minutes every game; Reeves deserves the chance to become a team cornerstone."

Doncic, Reeves, and James are all ranked among the top ten slowest defenders in the league, making this combination unique across the NBA.

Harbstro analyzed: "Having multiple players on the team who require help defense and double-teaming from teammates severely weakens overall defense. If there are three such players, this defensive scheme is simply unsustainable for a team aiming to win a championship."