This past postseason, Derrick Jones Jr. played at a high level for the Dallas Mavericks. They fell short in the NBA Finals but Jones proved he deserves a bigger contract. For the 2023-24 season, Jones Jr. played on a one-year, veteran league minimum of $2.7 million.
The 27-year-old was especially big for Dallas during the postseason. When free agency started yesterday at 6:00 p.m. EST, Derrick Jones Jr. did not have to wait long to find a new home. As a former undrafted player, Jones Jr. just signed the biggest contract of his professional career with the LA Clippers. He’s getting a three-year, $30 million deal.
After working hard for eight seasons, Derrick Jones Jr. has signed a three-year, $30 million, the biggest of his career
Free agent forward Derrick Jones Jr. plans to sign a three-year, $30 million deal with the Los Angeles Clippers, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Major pickup for the Clippers. pic.twitter.com/ANwrqHAczJ
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2024
Derrick Jones Jr.’s 2023-24 campaign may have been the best of his career so far. The 27-year-old played a career-high 76 games and made 66 starts for the Mavericks. His numbers don’t jump off the page but Jones Jr. brought another level of intensity to Dallas’ defense. That was something head coach Jason Kidd valued highly. Especially in the playoffs. Jones Jr. started in all 22 postseason games for the Mavericks in 2024. He averaged (9.1) points, (3.5) rebounds, and (1.2) assists per game.
Additionally, Jones Jr. shot (.369) percent from beyond the arc and hit some clutch shots for Dallas in the playoffs. However, the team fell short in the NBA Finals and his one-year deal with the team was up. When free agency hit, Jones Jr. got a new deal from the LA Clippers. League insiders were unsure what would happen with Paul George and the Clippers this offseason. Early this morning, ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Goerge is signing with the 76ers. That opened up money for the Clippers to use and they signed Derrick Jones Jr.
Derrick Jones Jr as a Mav:
— Career-high in PTS
— Career-high in REB
— Career-high in AST
— Career-high in 3PM
— Career-high in 3P% pic.twitter.com/MVHxMxy2d2— StatMuse (@statmuse) July 1, 2024
Is Derrick Jones Jr. going to step in and replace the production of Paul George? Likely not. However, Jones Jr. is a quality role player who could even end up starting next season. He’ll play alongside James Harden who recently got a two-year, $70 million extension and Kawhi Leonard who had his contract extended this past season. It’s also been reported that the team is looking for a trade partner for Russell Westbrook. The Clippers are going to look different in 2024-25.
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