After bouncing around the NBA as a pro, going from the Phoenix Suns to the Miami Heat, to the Portland Trail Blazers, and then the Chicago Bulls as a UDFA out of UNLV, Derrick Jones Jr. seemingly found a home with the Dallas Mavericks in 2023-24, where the journeyman forward became a key rotational player on an NBA Finals team.
Originally signed to a one-year, $2.7 million veteran minimum contract after declining his $3.36 million option with the Bulls, Jones Jr. played the biggest role of his career for Jason Kidd and company, starting a career-high 66 games versus 76 regular-season appearances while stuffing the stats sheets to the tune of 8.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.4 stocks a night. While his deep ball was just a tick below average by NBA standards, nailing 34.3 percent of his attempts per game, his production almost doubled his previous career-high, going from 1.3 attempts in 2022-23 to 3.1 for the Mavs, which, when coupled with his role as Dallas' top defensive wing, turned him into a favorite among fans in Big D.
And yet, despite having the tools to bring back the Chester, Pennsylvania product if they wanted to use the mid-level exception, a contract that would have paid him in the ballpark of three years, $27 million, Jones Jr. instead decided to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers, forcing the Mavs to instead use their MLE on Naji Marshall, another versatile diamond-in-the-rough who was one of the sneaky best forwards on the free agent market following a promising run in New Orleans.
Now granted, if Jones Jr.'s exit was in the cards, landing Marshall as his replacement is a pretty darn good consolation prize, as the UDFA out of Xavier has similar defensive flexibility as a hybrid wing and is coming off his best season as a pro as a shooter, hitting 38.7 percent of his shots on 2.3 attempts from deep per game, but according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, Jones Jr. was the team's priority, and they only turned to the former Pelican as their Plan B in addition to signing Klay Thompson and trading for Quentin Grimes.
Should a team that came three wins away from being an NBA champion really be losing one of their best players over $1 million AAV give or take? No, but maybe the decision wasn't so simple as securing the biggest bag possible, which, considering California's taxes, might not have even happened for Jones Jr. and his camp. No, maybe the decision came down to playing a bigger role for the Clips now that Paul George is a member of the Philadelphia 76ers as, after loading up on talent this offseason, Jones Jr. might not have been guaranteed the same-sized role for the Mavs this fall.
Derrick Jones Jr. reveals why he left the Mavericks for LA
Speaking with reporters on July 14th about the decision to leave the relative comfort and state tax-free confines of Texas for the bright lights of Los Angeles in a post-PG world, Jones Jr. was asked by The Athletic's Law Murray about his free agency decision and why the Clippers were the right fit for him. For Jones Jr., the decision didn't come down to one single factor, but instead an opportunity to fill a big role in 2024-25.
“I talked to the ownership, the front office, and the coaching staff,” Jones Jr. told Murray. “The route they were looking to go to was towards me and have me come in there and fill that three/four role, be aggressive offensively, and be who I am defensively. Go out there and try and win a championship.”
Asked about his reputation as a defender and how that should translate to Los Angeles, Jones Jr. explained the mindset he had in Dallas, a mindset he plans to bring along with him to Los Angeles as the Clippers' new defensive ace.
“It means I've got to go out there and be who I am,” Jones Jr. noted. “Defensively, when I was with the Mavs, I was always on-ball best defender; I'm guarding the best player every night; that's one thing I took pride in; I told them every time, ‘I want the best player.' Put me on the best, and I wanna do my best.”
In Dallas, Jones Jr. was routinely tasked with guarding an opposing team's best player, shifting from a guard one game to a power forward the next, and even sometimes defending the rim against centers who are much taller and heavier thanks to his bouncy, Slam Dunk contest-winning hops. In a world where George's production will be replaced in the aggregate instead of by one singular player, Jones Jr. will play a key role for the Clippers this season, even if he probably could have been just as impactful for the Mavericks in a role he already shined in, as opposed to something brand new.
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