Two Top Western Conference Contenders Desperately Trying To Land Herb Jones

Unsurprisingly, the Western Conference has been a blood bath early in 2025–26 in the NBA, with all of the league's best talent clearly concentrated out West. Led by the 21–1 Oklahoma City Thunder, teams like the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, and San Antonio Spurs represent arguably the five best teams in the entire league.

Given how competitive things are, it's no surprise that those teams want to get better, and with some top-tier talent potentially available, a move could shift the balance of power in the West. Now, according to Brett Siegel of Clutch Points, both the Lakers and the Golden State Warriors are desperately trying to land two-way wing Herb Jones from the New Orleans Pelicans.

While Jones isn't one of the biggest names in the NBA, his ability on both ends of the floor makes him a perfect fit for contending teams around the league, and with these two looking to keep up in the West, this is a move that would make sense.

Dating back to last season, there have been many teams around the NBA interested in Jones, but to this point, New Orleans has shown no desire to trade him or Trey Murphy III. However, given the team's struggles, it wouldn't be a surprise if their stance had changed, and if they're looking to recoup some assets to continue building for the future, then Jones may be the player to trade in the coming months.