Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic re-connected on Friday with one of his former Dallas Mavericks teammates. Doncic and Los Angeles Clippers player Derrick Jones Jr. met at half court after the Lakers' 106-102 win over the Clippers.
The two players chatted for a moment, with smiles on their faces. Jones seemed to whisper something into Doncic's ear. It appeared to be a quick and good meeting as the players also embraced.
Former Mavs teammates Luka and Derrick Jones Jr. after Clippers-Lakers 💙 pic.twitter.com/HpCTTKAzrs
— ESPN (@espn) March 1, 2025
Doncic and Jones played together in Dallas for one season, in 2023-24. Jones went to Los Angeles after the season ended, while Doncic stayed for a bit longer. Doncic was traded from the Mavericks in 2025 in one of the most controversial deals in NBA history.
This season, Jones is averaging a little more than 10 points a game for his new team. He's also grabbing 3.5 rebounds a game for a Clippers team who has lost six of their last 10 games. Jones agreed to a three-year, $30 million deal before the 2024-25 campaign.
The Lakers are 37-21 now this season following the win over the Clippers. Doncic and company have won five games in a row, and seem to be one of the hottest teams in the NBA.
The Mavericks currently have a 32-28 record. Dallas is eighth in the Western Conference.
Luka Doncic is helping the Lakers so far
Article Continues Below
Fans can only speculate what Doncic and Jones talked about after the Clippers-Lakers game. Doncic certainly had never expected to be playing in Los Angeles during the 2024-25 season.
Doncic is doing well with the Lakers. Against the Clippers, Doncic scored 31 points in 35 minutes. The star is working in tandem with LeBron James to lift the Lakers to the postseason.
Doncic was admittedly taken by surprise when the Mavericks decided to deal him to Los Angeles. The Mavericks received Anthony Davis in return, and there were other players involved. Mavericks fans were stunned and angry by the team's decision. Fans protested outside the team's arena and called for the firing of Dallas' general manager Nico Harrison.
This season, Doncic is averaging 26.4 points and 8.4 rebounds a game. He's also playing very unselfish basketball, as Doncic has 7.5 assists per contest. He and James have already put some dazzling basketball on display this year. Lakers fans hope that there is a lot more to come.
The Lakers next play the Clippers again on Sunday night. The Clippers are 32-27 on the year.