The Los Angeles Lakers’ search for a starting power forward produced another intriguing name this week.
Now, one of the team’s most plugged-in reporters is pouring cold water on it.
Lakers Nation’s Trevor Lane recently identified Derrick Jones Jr. as one of the wings Los Angeles should keep an eye on, grouping him with Herb Jones, Saddiq Bey and P.J. Washington as potential options for a roster still lacking an obvious fifth starter.
“That’s ideally what you are looking to do,” Lane said. “Go add a starting-level wing, a backup-level big and there you go. Keep an eye on Herb Jones, keep an eye on Saddiq Bey, keep an eye on P.J. Washington, Derrick Jones Jr.”
Lane’s suggestion gave Jones some momentum as a theoretical Lakers target. But Jovan Buha offered a more sobering assessment on the latest episode of “Buha’s Block.”
Buha agreed Jones would be an ideal basketball fit.
He just does not believe the Lakers can get him.
“I don’t think he’s gettable,” Buha said while discussing the caliber of starting forward Los Angeles should pursue.
That distinction may tell the story of the Lakers’ remaining offseason.
Derrick Jones Jr. Fits Exactly What Lakers Need
Buha placed Jones and Washington in a different category from names such as De’Andre Hunter, Kyle Kuzma and Grant Williams.
Jones, in Buha’s view, is a legitimate starter on a contender — someone the Lakers could confidently put on the floor against Oklahoma City, San Antonio, New York and the rest of the league’s elite.
The appeal is straightforward.
Jones averaged 10.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.0 block in 27 minutes last season, shooting 49.9% from the field and 35.9% from 3.
He can defend multiple positions, run the floor, cut, finish above the rim and provide value without demanding the ball.
And there is another reason the fit is especially clean: Jones has already played next to Luka Dončić on a Finals team.
Jones spent the 2023-24 season with Dallas and became an important part of the Mavericks’ run to the NBA Finals. He started throughout the postseason and gave Dončić exactly the kind of low-maintenance wing Los Angeles is now missing — a defender who could take tough assignments, sprint in transition, cut behind ball-watching defenses and finish plays above the rim.
That familiarity matters for a Lakers roster increasingly built around Dončić’s ability to bend defenses.
Jones would not need to learn how to play off him from scratch.
He has already done it at the highest level.
Lakers’ Thin Draft Capital Could Be the Roadblock
Lane’s earlier mention of Jones came with a broader acknowledgement that Los Angeles is shopping in a difficult market. ESPN’s Zach Kram recently described the Lakers as having “almost no remaining draft assets to trade.”
That shortage could help explain Buha’s skepticism.
The Lakers surrendered significant future draft capital to acquire Walker Kessler, leaving their 2032 first as the primary first-round asset still under their control.
Because Los Angeles has already traded firsts in surrounding seasons, the Stepien Rule prevents the team from simply sending that 2032 selection outright in a standard deal.
That leaves the Lakers with a much thinner premium package: 2032 swap rights, second-round picks and players already on the roster.
That is not much leverage when calling about a desirable starting wing.
The situation becomes even more complicated because Jones plays for the Clippers. Cross-town trades are uncommon enough without asking one Los Angeles team to make the other significantly better, and the Clippers now have additional incentive to value draft compensation after losing five future first-round picks in the NBA’s Kawhi Leonard investigation.
Buha Prefers Patience Over a Lesser Upgrade
Buha’s larger point was that Los Angeles should not respond to those limitations by settling.
“If it’s between guys like DeAndre Hunter, Kyle Kuzma, or Grant Williams, and a Ziaire or a Jake or a Vando or Adou, I would rather save the assets and bet on the Lakers’ current players,” Buha said.
That would leave Jake LaRavia, Ziaire Williams, Jarred Vanderbilt and Adou Thiero competing for the starting job in training camp.
Lane and Buha ultimately agree on the archetype.
The Lakers need another real starting wing.
Lane identified Jones as one worth watching. Buha essentially confirmed why the fit is so attractive — while delivering the harder part of the message.
The Lakers may simply lack the ammunition to turn that fit into reality.
Lakers Get Bad News on Potential Derrick Jones Jr. Trade