{"id":129925,"date":"2025-12-13T13:06:05","date_gmt":"2025-12-13T13:06:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=129925"},"modified":"2025-12-13T13:06:50","modified_gmt":"2025-12-13T13:06:50","slug":"%f0%9f%9b%91-inside-update-los-angeles-thought-the-answer-was-within-reach-one-unexpected-move-has-changed-everything-leaving-lebron-and-the-lakers-staring-at-a-dangerous-gamble-this-deadline-may","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=129925","title":{"rendered":"\ud83d\uded1 INSIDE UPDATE: Los Angeles thought the answer was within reach. One unexpected move has changed everything, leaving LeBron and the Lakers staring at a dangerous gamble. This deadline may define their entire season."},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"l-article__header\">\n<h3 class=\"c-headline c-headline--extra-large entry-title\">Lakers Hit With Major Blow in 3-and-D Trade Pursuit<\/h3>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"l-article__content\">\n<div class=\"c-content entry-content\">\n<div id=\"post-featured-container-id\">\n<div id=\"post-featured\" class=\"has-video wp-caption \">\n<figure class=\"h-responsive\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"attachment-featured-image size-featured-image wp-post-image\" src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2246924169-e1765558623717.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 820px) 95vw, 780px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2246924169-e1765558623717.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780 780w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2246924169-e1765558623717.jpg?quality=15&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2246924169-e1765558623717.jpg?quality=35&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1350 1350w\" alt=\"Luka Doncic, JJ Redick, Lakers\" width=\"780\" height=\"438\" data-img-load-time=\"3341\" data-dom-ready-time=\"4194\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The\u00a0Los Angeles Lakers\u2019 recurring issue in nearly every loss this season has been clear: they continue to get beaten by more athletic backcourts, exposing one of the roster\u2019s most glaring flaws \u2014 a lack of reliable perimeter defense.<\/p>\n<p>As the trade deadline approaches, one of the Lakers\u2019 top priorities is to acquire a playable 3-and-D wing, someone who can contain dribble penetration, guard elite scorers, and space the floor without compromising the offense. Their internal evaluations and league conversations have centered heavily on players who fit this archetype.<\/p>\n<p>The Lakers have been linked to multiple options, including Miami\u2019s\u00a0Andrew Wiggins\u00a0and New Orleans\u2019 rising defensive standouts\u00a0Trey Murphy III\u00a0and\u00a0Herb Jones. But landing any of them appears increasingly unlikely.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Pelicans Holding Massive Asking Price for Herb Jones, Trey Murphy<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_5651602\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n<figure class=\"h-responsive\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-inline wp-image-5651602 visible\" src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-1368123965-e1765558745965.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=782\" alt=\"Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, Pelicans, Lakers\" width=\"782\" height=\"439\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5651602\" data-lazy-load=\"\" data-src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-1368123965-e1765558745965.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=782\" \/><\/figure>\n<p>GettyTrey Murphy III of the\u00a0New Orleans Pelicans\u00a0celebrates a basket with\u00a0Herbert Jones.<\/p>\n<p>NBA insider Marc Stein\u00a0reported that there is \u201cconsiderable curiosity leaguewide\u201d about whether the Pelicans would entertain trade calls on Jones or Murphy. But those hopes were immediately tempered.<\/p>\n<p>Stein noted that New Orleans has set an extremely high price point designed to discourage inquiries. Both players are ascending wings on favorable contracts \u2014 exactly the types of assets contending teams refuse to move unless overwhelmed.<\/p>\n<p>The Athletic\u2019s Dan Woike\u00a0reinforced that belief, writing that the Pelicans are \u201cnot interested in moving Jones,\u201d and that the Lakers\u2019 limited draft capital \u2014 only one tradeable first-round pick (2030 or 2031) \u2014 makes a deal nearly impossible.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em>\u201cConsidering what LA would have to offer in a deal, expiring contracts and a single first-round pick, the Pelicans almost certainly wouldn\u2019t engage at that price point,\u201d Woike wrote.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>He added that New Orleans\u2019 stance could shift by the Feb. 5 deadline, but it would take \u201ca whole lot\u201d to convince the franchise to trade an All-Defensive wing to a conference rival.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Redick Blunt About Lakers\u2019 Defense After Loss to Spurs<\/h2>\n<p>Head coach\u00a0JJ Redick\u00a0did not sugarcoat his team\u2019s repeated breakdowns on transition defense after their 132\u2013119 loss to the\u00a0San Antonio Spurs.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cVery few teams don\u2019t have something that you can expose,\u201d\u00a0Redick said. \u201cAnd we typically, consistently, got exposed (for) the same things.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Among\u00a0NBA\u00a0teams with at least 15 wins, the Lakers own the worst defensive rating, allowing 116.7 points per 100 possessions \u2014\u00a021st overall\u00a0in the league. For a franchise with championship aspirations, those numbers are alarming.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think being able to contain the basketball is probably the most difficult thing for our team right now,\u201d Redick added.<\/p>\n<p>That weakness was on full display against San Antonio, where the backcourt trio of\u00a0Stephon Castle,\u00a0Dylan Harper, and\u00a0De\u2019Aaron Fox\u00a0combined to shoot 24-for-43. Castle poured in 30 points, attacked the rim freely, and attempted nine free throws, while he and Fox hit a combined seven three-pointers.<\/p>\n<p>Lakers star\u00a0Austin Reaves, who had struggled against more athletic guards, echoed Redick\u2019s assessment of the team.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s a weakness we\u2019ve got to get better at,\u201d\u00a0Reaves said. \u201cThe spirit is still high in here. We know we can do it. But we have to be a group that guards with five people.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Rich Paul Questions Lakers\u2019 Ceiling Without More Athleticism<\/h2>\n<p>The defensive struggles have been a concern for months. Rich Paul,\u00a0LeBron James\u2019 agent, foreshadowed their issues on the debut episode of\u00a0The Ringer\u2019s Game Over With Max Kellerman and Rich Paul.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI personally don\u2019t think the Lakers are good enough to be contenders, not right now,\u201d\u00a0Paul said, identifying a lack of athleticism needed to keep up with Western Conference\u00a0giants\u00a0such as the\u00a0Oklahoma City Thunder\u00a0and\u00a0Denver Nuggets.<\/p>\n<p>Asked to clarify, Paul emphasized that reaching the Western Conference Finals would be difficult with the current roster.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Lakers\u2019 Limited Draft Capital Creates Harsh Market Reality<\/h2>\n<p>Even if team president and general manager Rob Pelinka is willing to put his sole tradeable first-round pick on the table, the Lakers are learning a harsh truth:<\/p>\n<p>Yesterday\u2019s price is not today\u2019s price.<\/p>\n<p>With contenders paying premium rates for two-way wings, the Lakers face a steep climb to upgrade their roster before the deadline \u2014 and their top targets may simply be out of reach.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lakers Hit With Major Blow in 3-and-D Trade Pursuit The\u00a0Los Angeles Lakers\u2019 recurring issue in nearly every loss this season has been clear: they continue to get&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":129926,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-129925","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>\ud83d\uded1 INSIDE UPDATE: Los Angeles thought the answer was within reach. 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