The Lakers still have a hole to fill, and it’s sitting right in the middle of the starting lineup.
As free agency winds down, Los Angeles has done enough to build around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, but one issue keeps hanging over the roster: there’s no settled answer at power forward. That uncertainty has become the last big domino, and the team has been searching for a way to knock it down.
For a while, Jonathan Kuminga looked like the cleanest solution. That path is gone now. Kuminga, 23, has signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves, ending the Lakers’ hopes of landing him as the player to plug into that starting role.
With that option off the table, the trade market starts to make a lot more sense for Los Angeles. One proposed idea comes from Heavy.com’s Sai Mohan, who suggested the Lakers could swing a deal with the Clippers for Derrick Jones Jr. in exchange for Jaden Hardy and a package of second-round picks.
Under Mohan’s proposal, the Lakers would get Jones, while the Clippers would receive Hardy, a 2031 second-round pick via Washington, a 2032 second-round pick via Washington, and a 2033 second-round pick via Los Angeles.
It’s the kind of move that would give the Lakers a very different look at that spot. Jones would bring athleticism, defense, and the ability to run the floor, all while giving Doncic and Reaves a more physical, versatile frontcourt partner. He’s also developed as a shooter, which only adds to his value as a more complete piece.
Jones has earned $48 million in his career, and that veteran experience matters here. The Lakers need someone who can defend multiple positions, finish above the rim, and give the lineup some real juice. If they’re going to solve the power forward problem through a trade, Jones fits the profile of the kind of player they’ve been hunting.
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Clippers Suddenly Face A Brutal Draft Problem They Didn't See Coming
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Los Angeles, meanwhile, is staring at the possibility of losing multiple first-round picks tied to the NBAs investigation into alleged salary-cap circumvention involving Kawhi Leonard. If that penalty lands as expected, it would leave the Clippers with even fewer draft assets than a Suns team that already looks better positioned competitively in the near future, an awkward twist for a franchise that has tried so hard to stay in the race. [Read more 🡒]