Following his breakout season with the Dallas Mavericks, all eyes will be on what the future holds for Derrick Jones Jr. He had a breakout season with the Mavericks, averaging career-highs across the board in almost every category.
On a veteran’s minimum contract, he proved to be a steal for the Mavericks. His production will come with a pay raise in the ballpark of the non-taxpayers mid-level exception. In other words, around $13 million.
NBA Insider Marc Stein reported via his X account that the Mavericks are hopeful that Jones will stay. He included their optimism while also noting their desire to add Klay Thompson.
“There is optimism in Dallas that Derrick Jones Jr. will be re-signed even if the Mavericks win the Klay Thompson Sweepstakes, league sources say, with Quentin Grimes poised to replace Josh Green if Green must be dealt away for Thompson,” Stein reported on June 30.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that the Golden State Warriors will likely lose Thompson in free agency. The Mavericks may very well swoop in and add Thompson without affecting their efforts to keep Jones. However, it all depends on how they do it.
Derrick Jones Jr.’s Decision ‘Casts Doubt’ on Staying
The Athletic’s Tim Cato reported that Jones’ most recent decision could affect their chances. Cato gave the full details on June 30.
“Derrick Jones Jr., a starter for the Dallas Mavericks throughout the team’s NBA Finals run, is poised to potentially enter unrestricted free agency on Sunday evening without an agency representing him, a league source said.
“On Friday, longtime basketball scribe Marc Stein reported Jones was leaving his longtime agent Aaron Turner to join the Rich Paul-led Klutch Sports. Under National Basketball Player Association guidelines, however, players seeking to change representation must wait 15 days before signing with another agency, as first noted by Yahoo’s Jake Fischer.”
Cato then explained how Jones’ decision affects contract negotiations with the Mavericks.
“Jones, as of now, will not be represented by either party when free agency begins and will not immediately continue negotiations with the Mavericks, who have been allowed to negotiate with him since the Finals ended. For the first time, it casts doubt upon the likelihood he’ll return to Dallas, league sources say, which had previously been seen as a mutually desired scenario.”
The only way to know for sure about Jones’ future is to see where he ends up in free agency.
Mavericks Trade Helps Chances of Keeping Derrick Jones Jr.
After ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Mavericks’ trade on June 28, Tim MacMahon explained the benefits of that deal. MacMahon gave the full details on his X account.
Hardaway barely contributed to the Mavericks’ run to the NBA Finals. Jones, on the other hand, played a crucial role in helping them return to the postseason for the first time since 2011. If the Mavericks keep Jones and add Thompson, they will have a pretty successful offseason.
Thompson is not the player he was when he won four titles with the Warriors. However, he brings experience and sharpshooting to a team that could use precisely that.
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