Derrick Jones Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Mavs’ Harrison Discusses Jones’ Exit, Marshall, Grimes, Klay

July 16th, 2024 at 3:56pm CST by Luke Adams

After the Mavericks were defeated by Boston in the NBA Finals last month, head of basketball operations Nico Harrison referred to re-signing Derrick Jones as the team’s “priority 1A and 1B.” When the team agreed to trade Tim Hardaway Jr. to Detroit in a cost-cutting move prior to free agency, it seemingly paved the way for Jones to return, but the defensive-minded wing signed with the Clippers instead.

Asked by Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required), why Jones didn’t end up back in Dallas and whether his 11th-hour agent change was a factor, Harrison suggested it wasn’t the Mavs’ decision to move on.

“Honestly, it’s a better question for him to answer,” Harrison said. “I mean, I don’t know. I guess he liked L.A. better than Dallas.”

Harrison admitted that he was somewhat surprised by Jones’ decision.

“Yeah,” he said. “But honestly, we have Naji (Marshall) and I’m excited about Naji. I did say (Jones) was 1A and 1B, and that’s how we approached it. That’s how we approached him for the whole year, in terms of how we approached him with respect and the love that we showed him and also the play that he had with our guys. He deserved it too, but he made his own choice. And we have Naji. We’re excited about Naji.”

Here are a few more highlights from Harrison’s conversation with Curtis:

On what new additions Marshall and Quentin Grimes will bring to Dallas:

“Naji’s a really good basketball player … He’ll be a really physical defender, which we’ve got good defense, but not physical. And he’s a physical (player), but he’s a good basketball player. He can shoot. He can really handle the ball. He’ll be able to drive the close out and he can make plays. So I think his skill level is kind of better than people know. And then Quentin, defensively, he’s elite and he can handle the ball and can shoot.”

On why he thinks the Mavericks, who don’t have a strong track record of landing impact free agents, appealed to Klay Thompson:

“I think winning. But before you get to the winning is the culture that we’re creating. I think when you create the right culture and people thrive in it, then I think people in the league take notice. They want to be a part of it.”

On how he expects Thompson to fit alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving:

“In terms of a basketball player, he’s one who’s relentless and has a crazy work ethic. He’s one of the best shooters the game has. I’m excited. Excited to have my team. And he’s a winner, too. I think we now have one of the best shooters in the NBA, maybe the best. And you add that to Luka and Kyrie, it’s only going to open up the floor. I think he opens up the floor for them and they open up the floor for him. I really think it’s a really good combination.”

On having made a series of changes to a roster that just appeared in the NBA Finals:

“It’s not like we added another ball-dominant scorer. We added complementary pieces that are really good. So I think you got to get better if you want to get back to where you were. If you just sit there, idling … the West is tough. Everybody in the West is getting better. You got to figure out how you can do it without disrupting the core makeup of the team because you don’t want to start training camp in ground zero. Now you bring in a few fresh faces, people that are additive they can fit in to what we’re already doing.”

Contract Details: Quickley, Barnes, Batum, Jones, CP3, Oubre, More

July 10th, 2024 at 7:15am CST by Luke Adams

Initially reported to be worth $175MM over five years, Immanuel Quickley‘s new contract with the Raptors actually has a base value of $162.5MM, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet (Twitter link). It also features $12.5MM in unlikely incentives – $2.5MM per year – that would allow the guard to max out at $175MM if he earns all of them. But for now the cap hits for Quickley will be $32.5MM annually.

Meanwhile, the “Rose rule” language in Scottie Barnes‘ new five-year, maximum-salary extension with the Raptors is fairly straightforward, Murphy notes (Twitter link). Barnes will have a starting salary worth 30% of the 2025/26 salary cap if he makes any All-NBA team – first, second, or third – next season, or if he wins MVP or Defensive Player of the Year. If he doesn’t earn any of those honors, his starting salary will be 25% of the ’25/26 cap, with 8% annual raises from there.

Based on the NBA’s latest salary cap projection, Barnes’ five-year extension would be worth $224,238,150 if it starts at 25% next year’s cap, or $269,085,780 if it starts at 30%.

Here are more details on a few of the contracts recently finalized around the NBA:

Nicolas Batum (15%) and Derrick Jones (5%) each received trade kickers on their new contracts with the Clippers, Hoops Rumors has learned. Batum’s deal is worth the full bi-annual exception ($9,569,400 over two years) with a second-year player option, while Jones’ three-year, $30MM deal was completed using a significant portion ($9,523,810) of the mid-level exception. Los Angeles still has $3,298,190 left on its MLE for now.
Chris Paul‘s one-year contract with the Spurs has a guaranteed base value of $10.46MM, with unlikely incentives that could push his total earnings as high as about $12.03MM, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. That structure allowed San Antonio to create the extra cap room necessary to accommodate Harrison Barnes‘ incoming salary while also putting Paul in position to earn more his initially reported salary of $11MM.
Kelly Oubre, whose two-year, $16,365,150 contract is worth the Sixers‘ entire room exception (and features a player option), waived his right to veto a trade in 2024/25, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac. Kings center Alex Len gave up that right as well on his one-year, minimum-salary contract, Hoops Rumors has learned.
As expected, the contracts signed by new Kings guard Jordan McLaughlin and new Pelicans center Daniel Theis are one-year deals worth the veteran’s minimum.

Stein’s Latest: Ingram, Bridges, Cavs, Mavs, Westbrook

July 4th, 2024 at 3:45pm CST by Rory Maher

The Pelicans have “intensified” their efforts to trade Brandon Ingram in the past few days, league sources tell Marc Stein (Substack link).

Apparently the desire for a deal is mutual, as Ingram is disappointed that New Orleans has been unwilling to offer him a lucrative long-term extension. Stein hears that Ingram’s representatives have been looking at trade options.

Aside from moving Ingram, the Pels are focused on trying to sign Trey Murphy to a rookie scale extension, Stein writes. They’re also looking for depth up front after Jonas Valanciunas agreed to a three-year deal with Washington.

According to Stein, the Kings, who have explored trading for several forwards, are one potential suitor for Ingram.

Here’s more from Stein’s latest rumor round up:

The Cavaliers have been described as a “team to watch” in a possible sign-and-trade for Hornets forward Miles Bridges, though Stein isn’t sure how serious Cleveland’s interest is. Bridges is “known to be interested” in sign-and-trade scenarios, Stein adds.
The Mavericks are “sure to re-sign” free agent forward Markieff Morris, according to Stein, who says Dallas is also looking for minimum-salary backcourt depth. Morris hinted at returning to the Mavs on Wednesday.
Sources tell Stein the Mavericks offered Derrick Jones the same three-year, $27MM contract that Naji Marshall accepted, but evidently Jones was looking to maximize his earnings, which is why he agreed to a three-year, $30MM deal with the Clippers. Stein hears the Mavs weren’t sure how much money Jones would command and were wary of a bidding war, which is why they switched their attention to Marshall, a player they like.
According to Stein, the Nuggets continue to show the “most tangible” interest in Clippers guard Russell Westbrook, who is considered likely to be on another team to open the 2024/25 season.

Clippers Sign Derrick Jones To Three-Year Deal

June 30th, 2024 at 11:01pm CST by Rory Maher

JULY 9: The Clippers have officially signed Jones, per the NBA’s transaction log.

JUNE 30: The Clippers are signing free agent forward Derrick Jones to a three-year, $30MM contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Sources tell Kelly Iko of The Athletic that the agreement is fully guaranteed with no player or team option. Jones will also receive a 5% trade kicker, Iko adds (via Twitter).

It’s possible that Jones could be acquired in a sign-and-trade, but if not, Los Angeles will use most of its non-taxpayer mid-level exception to complete the deal. Either scenario will hard cap the Clips at the first tax apron, which is set at $178.1MM.

After playing a fairly modest role off the bench with Chicago from 2021-23, the high-flying Jones was one of the NBA’s best bargains last season while on a minimum-salary contract with the Mavericks. He started 66 of his 76 regular games with Dallas in 2023/24, averaging 8.3 PPG and 3.3 RPG on .483/.343/.713 shooting.

Jones was a key role player as the Mavs advanced to the NBA Finals, averaging 9.1 PPG, 3.5 RPG and 1.0 BPG on .481/.369/.733 shooting in 22 postseason contests (29.4 MPG). He was frequently tasked with defending opposing teams’ top scorers.

A former undrafted free agent who played one year of college ball at UNLV, Jones has made previous stops with Phoenix, Miami and Portland in addition to Chicago and Dallas. The 27-year-old won the dunk contest back in 2020.

Jones’ free agency was supposed to be complicated by the fact that he recently changed agents, but evidently that didn’t stop him or his representatives from working out a deal with the Clips. The Mavericks reached a three-year, $27MM deal with free agent wing Naji Marshall before Jones’ deal with L.A. was reported.

Ironically, while Marshall was reportedly a fallback option in case Jones left Dallas, Jones himself is a consolation prize of sorts for the Clippers, who are losing Paul George. The nine-time All-Star is expected to sign a four-year max contract with the Sixers.

Mavericks Sign Naji Marshall To Three-Year Deal

June 30th, 2024 at 9:04pm CST by Rory Maher

JULY 6: Marshall has officially signed with the Mavericks, the team announced today (via Twitter).

JUNE 30: The Mavericks are signing free agent wing Naji Marshall to a three-year, $27MM contract, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter).

A former undrafted free agent who played college ball at Xavier, Marshall has spent his entire four-year NBA career with New Orleans, initially starting out on a two-way contract. Known for his energy and tenacious defense, the 26-year-old had a career year from deep in 2023/24, converting 38.7% of his three-point looks, though it was on very low volume (2.3 attempts per game).

Notably, Marshall was one of the Pelicans’ top performers in their first-round loss to the Thunder, averaging 9.0 points and 2.8 rebounds while shooting 40% from long distance in 21.0 minutes per contest. He averaged 7.1 points and 3.6 rebounds in 19.0 minutes across 66 regular season appearances last season, almost entirely off the bench (he made one start).

It’s a huge raise for Marshall, who finished last season on a minimum-salary contract. A report last month indicated New Orleans didn’t expect Marshall back next season due to financial reasons.

Marshall was considered a fallback option for Dallas if the team was unable to re-sign starting forward Derrick Jones, whose free agency was complicated by the fact that he recently switched agents. Veteran reporter Marc Stein confirms the Mavs are preparing to move on from Jones, citing league sources who say the team is still focused on landing Klay Thompson in a sign-and-trade with Golden State (Twitter links).

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon says (via Twitter) the Mavs are using a significant portion of their non-taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Marshall. As ESPN’s Bobby Marks has noted, there’s an expectation that Dallas will use its bi-annual exception to acquire Quentin Grimes from Detroit, creating a trade exception worth Tim Hardaway Jr.‘s full outgoing salary (nearly $16.2MM). If a deal comes to fruition, Thompson’s contract would fit into that new TPE.

The 2024 offseason is the first time that the MLE and BAE can be used to acquire players in trades or waiver claims, not just to sign free agents.

The first tax apron for the 2024/25 league year ($178,132,000) will be the hard cap for any team that acquires a player via sign-and-trade, signs a player using more than the taxpayer portion of the mid-level exception, signs or acquires a player using a bi-annual exception, uses any portion of its mid-level exception to add a player via trade or waiver claim, acquires more than 100% of the outgoing salary in a trade, or uses a trade exception generated prior to the start of the 2024 offseason. The Mavs will meet several of those criteria, which means they cannot exceed the first apron salary threshold.

Marshall came in at No. 33 on our list of 2024’s top 50 free agents.

Derrick Jones’ Free Agency Complicated By Agent Change

June 30th, 2024 at 2:39pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Fresh off a 50-32 season and a run to the NBA Finals, the Mavericks are hoping to build on their success this offseason. As Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports writes, Dallas agreed to ship the expiring $16.2MM contract of bench swingman Tim Hardaway Jr. to the Pistons in part to create the financial flexibility to re-sign starting small forward Derrick Jones, whose defensive ferocity helped the minimum-salaried vet emerge as a critical role player during the Mavericks’ Finals run.

Across 76 healthy regular season contests last year with Dallas, Jones averaged 8.6 points on .483/.343/.713 shooting, along with 3.3 rebounds, 1.0 dimes, 0.7 steals and 0.7 rejections per game. The Hardaway deal should open up the Mavs’ non-taxpayer mid-level exception for the 6’5″ wing.

However, according to the CBA, players are not officially permitted to sign a deal with a new agent for 15 days after ending their contracts with their prior representatives, Fischer notes. Because Jones ended his association with his most recent reps on June 26, that could throw a wrench in the Mavericks’ plans to retain him.

According to Tim Cato of The Athletic, Jones’ new agency, Klutch Sports, will thus be unable to negotiate on his behalf until July 11, by which time most top free agents will be off the board. This could complicate a Jones return to a Mavericks team looking to build up its roster through a series of connected moves.

Cato notes that Jones could theoretically still work out a future contract with now-terminated representative Aaron Turner of Verus Management negotiating on his behalf. Turner and Jones could also reach an agreement to disregard the standard 15-day waiting period between representatives, which would let Klutch instantly take over.

Despite the complications created by Jones’ agency change, the Mavericks remain optimistic about their chances of retaining him, tweets Marc Stein.

In addition to hoping to re-sign Jones, the Mavs are also considered a top suitor for Warriors sharpshooter Klay Thompson. A league source tells Monte Poole of NBC Bay Area (Twitter link) that Dallas is “chasing Thompson extremely hard.” The plan would be to acquire Thompson via sign-and-trade and re-sign Jones with the mid-level exception.

The Mavs’ thinking, according to Stein, is that if they have to trade away Josh Green as part of a sign-and-trade deal for Thompson, the club would still have plenty of wing depth, with Thompson coming aboard, Quentin Grimes being acquired in the Hardaway trade, and Jones potentially returning.

FA Rumors: Lakers, LeBron, Harden, Klay, George, Magic, DeRozan, More

June 30th, 2024 at 7:31am CST by Luke Adams

Having confirmed on Saturday that LeBron James would be open to accepting less than the maximum salary in certain scenarios, agent Rich Paul tells Dave McMenamin of ESPN that the idea would be for the Lakers to add an “impact player” using that extra flexibility.

James Harden, Klay Thompson, and Jonas Valanciunas are a few of the “impact” players who might fit that criteria, sources tell McMenamin. While it might be difficult to convince Harden or Thompson to settle for the mid-level (worth approximately $12.9MM), a sign-and-trade could also be a possibility to land that sort of player. Acquiring a player via sign-and-trade would hard-cap the Lakers at the first tax apron for 2024/25, but so would using more than the taxpayer portion ($5.2MM) of the mid-level exception.

If the Lakers aren’t able to add a player of that caliber, the plan would be for James to seek a max deal to return to the Lakers, Paul tells McMenamin. If LeBron does accept a pay cut, the most likely scenario would see him accept a two-year deal with a 2025/26 player option so that he’d have the ability to negotiate a raise a year from now, sources tell Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

Elsewhere on the Lakers front, after tendering a qualifying offer to Max Christie to make him a restricted free agent, the team would like to retain the 21-year-old guard, envisioning him as a rotation player next season, sources tell Buha. However, if L.A. hard-caps itself by adding an impact player via sign-and-trade or the MLE, fitting a new deal for Christie under the first apron could be a challenge.

Here are a few more rumors from around the NBA ahead of the official start of free agency on Sunday evening:

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN referred to the Sixers this morning on SportsCenter as a “legitimate threat” to sign Paul George away from the Clippers (hat tip to Adam Zagoria of NJ.com), while Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack story that Philadelphia has a “significant measure of renewed hope” in its ability to land the star forward.
Although the Magic are one of three teams to secure a meeting with George, the free agents connected most frequently to Orlando by league insiders are Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein and Nuggets wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, per Stein.
There’s a belief that DeMar DeRozan may wait to see what happens with George’s free agency before making a decision, according to Stein, since he’d have a better feel for his options outside the Bulls at that point. Multiple reports this offseason have suggested the Clippers could be a suitor for DeRozan (likely via sign-and-trade) if they lose George.
While the Lakers have emerged as a legitimate option for Klay Thompson, the Mavericks have made the veteran sharpshooter their top free agent priority, even ahead of starting small forward Derrick Jones, says Stein. Dallas hasn’t ruled out the possibility of signing both players – that would require a sign-and-trade for Thompson and an MLE deal for Jones – which would be the team’s true “Plan A,” Stein writes, adding that Naji Marshall continues to be mentioned as a likely Mavs target if they lose Jones.
The Clippers and Spurs are among the teams expected to have interest in Chris Paul if the veteran point guard ends up being waived by Golden State and becoming a free agent, reports Stein.

Klay Thompson, Mavericks Have “Strong Mutual Interest”

June 28th, 2024 at 9:05pm CST by Tristan Tucker

“Strong mutual interest” is expected between Klay Thompson and the Mavericks when free agency opens on Sunday night, NBA insider Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack post.

Reports have long indicated the lack of contact between Thompson and the Warriors, the team with which he’s won four rings and played since 2011. Now, Stein says he’s heard from multiple sources that the Mavs are likely to emerge as the favorites to sign the Splash Brother.

Having agreed to send Tim Hardaway Jr. to the Pistons, the Mavericks will have some additional financial flexibility and are expected to be able to make a competitive multiyear contract offer to the five-time All-Star, Stein writes. However, with no cap room available, Dallas would likely need Golden State’s cooperation for a sign-and-trade deal — it’s not “immediately clear” whether such a deal could be negotiated, Stein acknowledges.

It’s also not known whether the Mavs would be able to retain Derrick Jones Jr. if they were to land Thompson, Stein adds. Jones, who was an instrumental piece en route to the Mavs’ NBA Finals appearance, is poised to sign with Klutch Sports for representation as he prepares to enter free agency, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

As has been reported, teams with cap space like Orlando and Philadelphia are expected to show interest in Thompson if he doesn’t return to the Warriors, but it’s believed that his preference is to remain in the Western Conference, according to Stein.

Southwest Notes: Morant, D. Jones, Wembanyama, Sochan

June 22nd, 2024 at 8:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

Grizzlies guard Ja Morant shared an update on the status of his right shoulder while conducting his youth basketball camp Saturday afternoon, writes DaMichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Morant underwent season-ending surgery in January to fix a labral tear in the shoulder. He is expecting to receive medical clearance to resume basketball activities within the next two weeks.

“I hate being around basketball and not being able to play,” Morant said. “I don’t got too much longer. I can wait to make sure I’m able to play and be cleared when the season comes.”

Morant was hoping to regain his status as one of the NBA’s best players after a pair of suspensions interrupted his 2022/23 campaign and delayed his ’23/24 debut, but injuries got in the way. The two-time All-Star and former Most Improved Player was limited to just nine games before the shoulder problem brought his season to an end. He was gratified by the response for his youth camp, which is the first one he’s held since his legal issues became public.

“A camp like this, the turnout made it better to show how much support I still have and people are still fans of me,” Morant said. “It’s just one of those moments where you kind of look at yourself and be proud.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

The mid-level exception could be enough for the Mavericks to keep Derrick Jones Jr., who is the only rotation member headed for free agency this summer, suggests Mark Deeks of HoopsHype. Deeks notes that Jones played a valuable role for Dallas on its way to the NBA Finals, but adds that he probably doesn’t shoot well enough to get an offer in the neighborhood of the two-year, $45MM contract that Bruce Brown landed last summer. The Mavs’ only other free agent of note is veteran forward Markieff Morris, and Deeks believes he would be willing to return on another partially guaranteed minimum deal.
Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama is getting offseason dribbling lessons from former NBA guard Jamal Crawford, according to Nick Moyle of The San Antonio Express-News. Crawford said they began talking in January when Wembanyama appeared on TNT’s pregame show, where Crawford served as an analyst. Crawford taught him a few moves at the Rising Stars Challenge in February, and they decided the lessons should continue in the offseason. “It was funny, when I started showing him all the other rookies and sophomores on the court (gave us) all their attention, came over, stopped shooting,” Crawford recalled. “So I’m like, OK, let’s just keep this at surface level because everybody’s watching right now.”
Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan has returned from arthroscopic ankle surgery and is training with the Polish national team for an upcoming Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Spain, Moyle adds in a separate story. Poland is in Group B with the Bahamas and Finland, while Group A consists of Spain, Angola and Lebanon. The tournament will run from July 2-7, with the winner claiming one of four remaining spots in the Olympics.

Stein’s Latest: Hardaway, LaVine, Lakers, Cavs, Pistons, Spurs

June 22nd, 2024 at 2:31pm CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks forward Tim Hardaway Jr. is a prime trade candidate to watch, according to Marc Stein, who says in his latest Substack article that Dallas is more likely than ever to find a deal this offseason involving Hardaway, who has been on the trade block during previous transaction windows. He’s entering the final season of his four-year contract and his cap hit is declining to $16.2MM, which should make him a little easier to move than he has been in the past.

Stein suggests that finding a deal involving Hardaway is a “key element” of the Mavs’ plans to re-sign Derrick Jones. The implication there is that moving off of Hardaway’s contract could free up the non-taxpayer mid-level exception for Jones, allowing Dallas to sign him for up to $12.9MM instead of up to $5.2MM (the amount of the taxpayer MLE).

It’s unclear if that means the Mavs will look to offload Hardaway without taking back any salary in return, or if they hope to take back a lesser-paid player in any deal.

Here’s more from Stein’s latest round-up of rumors from across the NBA:

While the Jazz and Sixers have both been linked to Zach LaVine as of late, Stein hears from league sources that Philadelphia has minimal interest in the Bulls guard and says he’s been “advised to dismiss” Utah’s reported interest as well.
The Lakers hope to hire two former head coaches as assistants on J.J. Redick‘s staff. Scott Brooks has been reported as one Lakers target, and Stein suggests James Borrego might be another, though he says the Pelicans are determined to keep Borrego on Willie Green‘s staff if he doesn’t get a head coaching job. The Celtics are likewise hoping to fend off interest from the Lakers and any other rivals for assistant Sam Cassell, with Charles Lee and Jeff Van Gundy having already been hired for new jobs this spring.
Speaking of Borrego, both he and Kenny Atkinson continue to be top candidates for the Cavaliers‘ head coaching vacancy, which Stein expects to be filled soon. Depending on who gets that job, either Borrego or Atkinson (or both, if Cleveland chooses another candidate, such as Micah Nori) are expected to be in the mix for the Pistons‘ head coaching position, according to Stein, who adds that Detroit’s search could extend into July.
According to Stein, rumblings about the possibility of the Spurs making a trade with the Hawks to move up from No. 4 to No. 1 haven’t gone away. The wording of this item from Stein makes it sound as if Alexandre Sarr might be the target in that scenario, but that seems unlikely, given that Sarr doesn’t look like a great fit next to the French big man already on San Antonio’s roster (Victor Wembanyama).