The Los Angeles Lakers have already made several key roster moves this offseason. L.A. was one of the busier franchises as it almost revamped the entire roster from last season.
Key starting positions, as well as depth pieces, were acquired, but there were also some misses, most notably Jonathan Kuminga to address the power forward position. Having reportedly chased the athletic wing most of the summer, the Lakers watched as Kuminga ultimately decided to join the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Lakers are not entirely shorthanded in that spot; they have Quinten Grimes, who was brought in this summer. However, they can still move for a backup plan to missing out on Kuminga, which is to bring in another player.
According to Lakers analyst Trevor Lane, the Lakers should reach out to their cross-town rivals, the Clippers, to execute a trade for Derrick Jones Jr.
“I’m calling the Clippers and saying, ‘Hey, you guys are going younger, understand it. You’re probably losing Derrick Jones Jr. next summer. We would have the mid-level exception, he’s buddies with Luka (Doncic) all that kind of stuff. We’ll be a suitor for him — what do you say we try to work something now and get something now?” Lane said.
Jones is no Kuminga in terms of a young upside star but has the experience and characteristics to be a high-impact addition for the Lakers.
Lakers Urged to Make Derrick Jones Chase
Jones isn’t a complicated target to acquire; he is on a team-friendly deal and not a long-term one at that. His contract is entering its final year with roughly $10.47 million owed for the 2026-27 season.
On a mid-level exception deal, the Lakers could bring him on. Although they have a tight tax space, which means that pieces have to make way for Jones to be accommodated.
Jones would be an unrestricted free agent next summer, which makes this window the only ideal one for the Clippers to get something for him. However, whether they share that enthusiasm remains to be seen.
“I doubt the Clippers will be receptive to any kind of phone calls from the Lakers, they may have their number blocked, I don’t know … but I am going to shake that tree a little bit,” Lane added.
The hard feelings may be present but the Clippers’ latest situation would probably change things. The franchise is in a rough period at the moment. The Clippers will most likely finalize trading Kawhi Leonard after they were handed the NBA’s harshest cap-circumvention penalties in years.
The NBA stripped the Clippers of first round picks in 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032 and 2033 and fined them $30 million in addition to several key players in the front office receiving bans. It makes any chance of gaining flexibility welcome.
Jones is likely walking anyway; if not now, then next summer. The Clippers might as well flip him now for perhaps a younger rotation piece and second round picks.
Jones’ Upside for L.A.
Jones, 29, has every metric to warrant a starting spot. He has earned a solid number of starts in the last three seasons from his time with the Dallas Mavericks down to the Clippers, and his contributions have been strong.
He is one of those wings that would be suitable around Doncic because he, for one, knows what it is like. He was a teammate of the Slovenian superstar in Dallas as they reached the NBA Finals in 2024.
Jones is a seasoned star and has two NBA Finals appearances to his belt. In addition to the Mavs in 2024, he also played a role for the Miami Heat in its march to the 2020 Finals.
This could be a type of addition to fill up any hole the Lakers may have at wing spots.
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