Grading Derrick Jones Jr.’s eye-opening contract with the Los Angeles Clippers

Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison called bringing Derrick Jones Jr. back priority 1A and 1B, according to Sports Illustrated. Shockingly, Jones Jr. is instead headed to the Los Angeles Clippers on a three-year, $30 million pact, according to The Athletic. We’ll grade the unexpected transaction from Jones Jr.’s side and the Clippers’ as well. All statistics are sourced from Basketball Reference.

All change isn’t bad, but this might not be the best landing spot for Jones in the near term. He blossomed as a forward who could focus his energy on defense, as Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving anchored the offense for Dallas. With Los Angeles, Kawhi Leonard’s presence, or lack thereof, could put Jones Jr. in an unfamiliar role.

There’s a world in which Jones Jr. could retain some of the value he had in Dallas. If the offense runs through James Harden, it’s possible that Jones Jr. could be freed up for open shots in the corner. However, Leonard isn’t quite the same playmaker, so it could be tough for Jones to get easy looks. Even if Leonard isn’t on the floor, Jones Jr. shouldn’t be counted on to make up offense.

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It’s interesting that Jones Jr. ended up with Los Angeles, as they had an up close and personal look at his ability to defend star players on the wing. The Mavericks and Clippers squared off in the first round of the playoffs, and the Mavericks’ website highlighted how the wing embraced the challenge of slowing Paul George down.

RealGM and others have spoken about the notion that NBA role players often go underappreciated on bad teams. The Clippers may not be at the bottom of the standings in 2024-2025, but it feels like they’re entering a different phase. The contributions that players like Jones Jr. and other ancillary pieces make may not get the same attention.

Forbes wrote about Jones Jr. in October 2023, calling him more than just a dunker. He entered the league as a high flier who would excite crowds with athletic finishes, but without much other redeeming value. He’s worked very hard to channel his energy into an area of the game that translates into winning.

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The behind the scenes shifts involving Jones Jr.’s free agency are pretty notable here. Basketball insider Marc Stein reported that he parted ways with his longtime agent in order to be represented by Klutch Sports and Rich Paul. It’s unclear if this switch led to the Mavericks going in a difference direction this summer.

However, the New York Times reported that Jones Jr. would have needed to wait 15 days to sign with another agency. That’s a key timeline, as Jones Jr. dropped incumbent agent Aaron Turner on June 28. At this point, it’s not known if Klutch was involved in negotiating the deal that Jones Jr. ultimately intends to sign with the Clippers.

ABC 30’s website in Southern California noted that Jones Jr. had 23 dunks during the Mavericks’ run to the NBA Finals. It’ll be interesting to see if Los Angeles pushes the pace to give players like Jones Jr. a chance to thrive in the open floor.

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Despite being viewed as one of the better defenders in the NBA, Derrick Jones Jr. wasn’t eligible for the league’s All-Defensive Team this season. Sports Illustrated reported that he didn’t qualify because he didn’t play 20 or more minutes in 62 or more games. Jones Jr. played more than 20 minutes in just 48 of his 76 games played.