The Los Angeles Lakers are intent on adding wing defenders to aid the offensively-skewed backcourt of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
While names such as Matisse Thybulle, Jonathan Kuminga and PJ Washington have been doing the rounds, there’s one player who may have gone under the radar — Derrick Jones Jr. The LA Clippers wing was the starting small forward on the Doncic-led Dallas Mavericks team that reached the 2024 NBA Finals, and unlike Washington — who’s owed nearly $90M over the next four seasons — he’s on a budget-friendly deal.
The following Lakers trade idea would reunite Doncic and Jones Jr.
Lakers would receive: Derrick Jones Jr.
Mavericks would receive: Cameron Christie, Jarred Vanderbilt
Clippers would receive: Daniel Gafford
Why the Lakers Do It
Jones, owed $10.4M in the final year of his deal, is not as good a three-point shooter as Washington, but is just as effective, if not a better wing defender. Furthermore, Jones has shown the ability to make big shots when counted upon, as he did during the Mavericks’ run to the 2024 NBA Finals.
During that playoff run, Jones started all 22 games for the Mavs, averaging 9.1 points and 3.1 rebounds while shooting a respectable 37% from three. Notably, he did an excellent job guarding Paul George in the first round against the LA Clippers, Jalen Williams in the second round against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Anthony Edwards in the West Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves. His track record of performing in the playoffs makes him an intriguing pickup.
The trade would also allow the Lakers to dump Vanderbilt’s contract — the lanky wing has a $13M player option for the 2027-28 season.
Why the Clippers Do It
The Clippers haven’t necessarily filled the void left by Ivica Zubac, their longtime starting center. While Brook Lopez remains a steady presence, he’s entering his age-39 season and can’t be expected to log more than 25 minutes per night. Gafford would free up Lopez to possibly even come off the bench, with Isaiah Jackson backing them up.
Now more than ever, teams in the West need to shore up their front court, given the threats posed by Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic.
Why the Mavericks Do It
The Cooper Flagg-led franchise can unite the Christie Brothers, dump Daniel Gafford’s contract (the athletic center is signed through 2028-29), and add a versatile defender like Jarred Vanderbilt, who has only one year left on his contract.
Another incentive for the Mavericks would be to eliminate the logjam at the four and five spots. While Dereck Lively II is returning from injury, the Mavs drafted Morez Johnson Jr. with the No. 9 overall pick this year and traded for Santi Aldama. Furthermore, the Mavs are high on Moussa Cissé, which is why they matched the New York Knicks‘ two-year offer sheet for the second-year big man.
By trading Gafford, the Mavericks would be able to better utilize their deep rotation of bigs. That would explain why the franchise is reportedly actively shopping Gafford.
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