With Klay Thompson in their sights, the Mavericks preferred to let Derrick Jones Jr., their starting winger during the last playoff campaign, go. Perhaps they judged that his lack of outside shooting (25% on 3-pointers) was too big a hindrance to winning the title…
At any rate, Derrick Jones Jr. hasn't lost everything in this deal. Having had his best season in his career, the former Slam Dunk Contest winner is bringing his talents to the Clippers, where he signed a three-year, $30 million contract. The goal: to partially fill the gap left by Paul George in Philadelphia.
“I've spoken to the Clippers owners, management and coaches,” reports Derrick Jones Jr.. “The path they were willing to take was going my way and I'm going to come in there and fill that 3-4 role, be aggressive on offense and stay who I am on defense. So I'm going out there to try to bring home a title.”
A defense in the service of a new collective
Whether it's with the Heat, the Mavericks or soon the Clippers, Derrick Jones Jr. knows what he has to do to stay on the court. That's how he got this contract, at $10 million a year.
“I've always been like this since I was a kid,” he remembers it this way. “I've always played against older guys, and to play against older players, you have to be able to do something right. I was a good defender and I was athletic when I was young, and I've always stuck with that. I got to the NBA and I found my niche.”
Like the Mavericks, Derrick Jones Jr. will play alongside a duo of stars. After relieving Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, he will be the water carrier for James Harden and Kawhi Leonard.
“These are two future Hall of Famers,” he concludes. “They're elite offensively. James has become a better defender and Kawhi has always been known for his defense. I'm going to be able to steal a few things from him, and every time I'm around them, I'm going to be there.”
