The 2024 offseason could have been a total disaster for the Los Angeles Clippers; the Paul George trade was already a huge loss now that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has emerged as a legitimate MVP-caliber player, but that 2019 deal would go down as one of the all-time worst now that George has departed the team after just five seasons, signing a four-year, $212 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers.
The good news is that the Clippers, thanks to their newfound financial flexibility in light of George's departure, had some wiggle room to make some moves to help in their bid to remain competitive in the Western Conference. While losing an All-Star like George always hurts, especially when that star is one of the best floor-spacers in the league while averaging 23/5/4 this past season, the Clippers were smart with their money, and there may be a few more moves left for them to make to better balance out the roster.
With that said, here is the best move the Clippers have made to this point in the 2024 NBA free agency period.
Clippers add the man who clamped up Paul George in Derrick Jones Jr.
Expectations were high for Paul George in his first healthy playoff run since 2021. With the status of Kawhi Leonard up in the air, the onus fell on George (and James Harden) to keep the Clippers alive in the playoffs as they bought some time for a potential return for Leonard from a knee injury.
George warranted these high expectations due to how well he played for the Clippers in the playoffs three years ago. He gave the Clippers momentum with a stellar Game 5 performance in the second round against the Utah Jazz, and he effectively became the best player on an LA team that made it to their first-ever Conference Finals in franchise history.
However, little did Clippers fans know prior to the start of their 2024 first-round series against the Dallas Mavericks that the Mavs would have the antidote for George in Derrick Jones Jr. The Mavericks signed Jones to a minimum deal after two up-and-down seasons with the Chicago Bulls, and he emerged as a crucial piece for them as they emerged as a legitimate contending team.
Jones kept in stride as he took on the challenge of guarding George head-on; George couldn't get much separation in isolations, pick-and-rolls, and even when coming off of screens. The former Slam Dunk Contest champion had George on lock, as the 34-year-old nine-time All-Star couldn't do much of anything on offense whenever Jones was on him.
Of course, George still got his; he had 33 points in an epic Game 4 duel between the Clippers and Mavericks (which LA won), but outside of that game, he averaged 16.8 points on 36.8 percent shooting, and most of the credit goes to Derrick Jones Jr. for having him on lock.
What better way for the Clippers to bounce back from George's departure by signing the man that clamped him up, and to a team-friendly deal at that? Jones' decision to switch agents complicated a return to the Mavericks, a team he helped advance to the NBA Finals with his elite perimeter defense and timely shot-making, paving the way for the Clippers to sign him to a three-year, $30 million deal.
That is a bargain of a deal for one of the game's best defenders on the perimeter; aside from handling the George assignment, he was also the one who took on the responsibility of defending Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Edwards, slowing them down to a reasonable degree.
The major shortcoming of Jones' game, of course, is his below-average shooting from deep and his overall lack of shot-creation. He relies on his teammates to get his buckets, whether via lob or catch-and-shoots. But the Clippers still have James Harden as the lead playmaker, and Harden is a heliocentric source of offense in the mold of Luka Doncic. Jones will be fine on that end of the floor.
Jones will be coming in to spare Kawhi Leonard the burden of having to guard the opposing team's best perimeter player. Leonard needs all the help he can get in alleviating his burden, as his body appears to be breaking down on him, heartbreakingly so. Jones helps in that regard.
Moreover, the addition of Jones restores the Clippers' defensive identity in conjunction with other additions such as Nicolas Batum and Kris Dunn.
His contract is also easily tradeable, giving the Clippers flexibility on the trade market if push comes to shove. Teams would readily take on a playoff-viable, elite perimeter defender for $10 million a year.
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