The Los Angeles Lakers are in desperate need of a wing who can provide reliable value along the defensive perimeter. More specifically, the Lakers need a forward who can pick players up at the point of attack and create resistance against scorers and playmakers at multiple positions.
Thankfully, a player who previously thrived alongside Luka Doncic could soon become available if their team continues to falter: Derrick Jones Jr..
Doncic and Jones were teammates during a thrilling 2023-24 campaign with the Dallas Mavericks. Jones started all 22 postseason games during the Mavericks' run to the 2024 NBA Finals, as well 66 of his 76 appearances during the regular season.
During that time, he emerged as a wing stopper who redefined his reputation, going from a dunk artist to a legitimate 3-and-D wing in the span of a season.
Jones is now in his second season with the LA Clippers, which are 6-19 and rapidly approaching irrelevance in the postseason discussion. If the current trend holds and the Clippers need to start prioritizing the future, Jones could thus become a realistic trade target.
Assuming that scenario plays out, it would behoove the Lakers to reunite former teammates and bring Jones across town to play for the purple and gold.
Derrick Jones Jr. is the point of attack defender the Lakers need
Since joining the Clippers in 2024, Jones has produced averages of 10.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.2 offensive boards, 1.0 steal, and 1.0 three-point field goal made in 24.4 minutes per game. He's done so with relatively efficient shooting marks at a clip of .527/.355/.719.
More importantly, Jones has further solidified his place as one of the best isolation defenders in the NBA—and the exact type of player the Lakers need.
Jones currently ranks in the 97th percentile in perimeter isolation defense, per Basketball Index. It's a continuation of a now steady trend, as he finished the 2024-25 season in the 96th percentile and ended the year in the 98th percentile in 2023-24.
A proven and elite isolation defender who can pick opponents up at the point of attack and lock them down, Jones offers value the Lakers simply don't have on the current roster.
Derrick Jones Jr. is an elite defender who has played with Luka Doncic
Marcus Smart has helped address that issue to a degree, as he ranks in the 89th percentile in perimeter isolation defense. For as incredible as he's been, Smart has inherent limitations at 6'3". Jones, meanwhile, is a 6'6" wing with the size and versatility to successfully defend multiple positions.
Jones has proven as much by spending 29.82 percent of his minutes defending point guards, 33.42 percent on shooting guards, and 22.59 percent against small forwards.
Compounded by the fact that he previously proved to have excellent chemistry with Doncic, acquiring Jones would be the proverbial slam-dunk decision. He's an elite on-ball defender who also ranks in the 61st percentile as an off-ball chaser, as well as a capable shooter.
It certainly doesn't hurt that he's also in the second season of a team-friendly three-year, $30 million contract that will see him earn a guaranteed and cost-efficient $10,476,190 in 2026-27.
Considering Rui Hachimura, LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and Gabe Vincent will all be eligible for unrestricted free agent in 2026, Jones' contract is as appealing as his talent. He represents an opportunity to improve the roster at a limited cost, all the while helping Los Angeles maintain the flexibility to add future talent beyond its contract renewals.
As the Lakers search for ways to establish the defensive consistency they're so sorely missing, Jones is the perfect trade target to pursue.