It is nearly October, but the trade winds are still swirling around the Los Angeles Lakers, who have clear roster needs despite an offseason chock-full of additions.
The concerns lie in the frontcourt, with glaring holes at the starting power forward and backup center positions. While the Lakers signed Kevon Looney as a big man depth piece, adding the three-time NBA champion has somehow only increased Lakers fans’ worries. Looney is far from a zero impact player, but given his age (no, he is not that old) and needs of the team, Looney isn’t going to be of much help behind newly-acquired star center Walker Kessler.
There have been numerous forwards linked to the Lakers in speculation this offseason. We can go on and on about the P.J. Washingtons of the world, but more recently, Derrick Jones Jr. of the cross-town rival Clippers has emerged as a speculated Lakers trade target. There is no indication that L.A. is interested in Jones, and the Clippers have not formally made the 29-year-old swingman available in trade talks, yet here we are.
Lakers Receive Caution Over Jones Trade
Given how late into the offseason we are — though we can never say never in the NBA landscape — it doesn’t appear that the Lakers are angling to make an eye-catching trade. They could make a consolidation trade to trim the roster, as the California Post’s Khobi Price recently noted, but that might be about it. If the Lakers do have plans to pursue Jones, who is entering the final year of his contract, Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus warns that Jones isn’t necessarily the player who will push L.A. over the hump.
“The Lakers could build a trade around players like (Dalton) Knecht, (Jake) LaRavia and (Jaden) Hardy, but the Clippers would prioritize draft considerations. The Lakers only have the first-round swap in 2032 available (outside of swapping already-swapped firsts, which don’t hold as much appeal), but the Clippers don’t have a 2032 first to work with. Jones seems more like a deadline option, with the Clippers not getting any offers greater than the three second-round picks the Lakers can send. While he’d fill an important role as a wing stopper, Jones wouldn’t solve the Lakers’ frontcourt depth issues.”
The general idea here is that the Clippers could look to deal Jones in an attempt to recoup some draft assets after the NBA punished the franchise for violating the league’s salary cap rules. Jones could be on the move soon. If not now, then there may be a higher chance he gets traded ahead of next season’s deadline.
L.A. Planning a Path to Landing Jones?
It doesn’t seem like the Lakers view Jones as a must-have, but that could mean they have their sights set on next summer when they would be able to sign Jones as a free agent. Unless Jones and the Clippers agree to a contract extension between now and then, Jones could be one of the better available players on the market next summer, and the Lakers, who are projected to have the full midlevel exception, could be set up nicely to pay Jones the most money.
“Can the Lakers capitalize and potentially get a wing that they can use in Derrick Jones Jr., who also has experience playing with Luka Doncic?” Lakers reporter Trevor Lane said on the Lakers Nation YouTube channel. “Even as easily as walking back the idea that they could trade Derrick Jones Jr. … I do have him on my list of players that I think the Lakers can and will target next summer with their midlevel exception. Can you do a little bit of free agency shopping, get Derrick Jones Jr., give him an extension right now, and rather than have to pursue him in free agency next year, get it done, add the player currently and off you go.”
Jones is a proven veteran and has experience playing alongside Doncic. That alone makes him a potential player of interest for the Lakers.
The good news is that the Lakers have ways to land Jones if they so desire.
Lakers Urged to Think Twice About $30M Top Trade Target Over 1 Major Red Flag