6 Conference Finals players Lakers should pursue from least to most likely

5. Derrick Jones Jr., Dallas Mavericks

Derrick Jones Jr. may have played his way out of the price range that the Los Angeles Lakers will realistically be able to operate within. Considering he's not a player who the Lakers would be likely to attempt a trade for, that puts him in the five-spot on this list.

With that being said, it's absolutely worth watching to figure out if this newfound shooting success is something that Jones can sustain moving forward.

Jones, a career 31.6 percent shooter from beyond the arc, finished the 2023-24 regular season at an admittedly improved and career-best 34.3 percent on three-point field goal attempts. It actually marked the fourth consecutive season in which Jones improved his efficiency from distance.

That number has jumped even higher this postseason, however, as Jones has knocked down 35.7 percent of his 3.2 attempts per game from three-point range.

Perhaps this is a product of the work that the 27-year-old has clearly put into becoming a better shooter. He did, after all, improve his free throw shooting from the point of sitting at 64.8 percent in 2020-21 to finishing above 71.3 percent in each of the past three seasons.

One way or another, Jones, otherwise regarded as a long, athletic wing who is willing to defend, will have suitors this offseason.

In the event that he's available to the Lakers on an affordable deal, it will be essential to watch him play out the rest of this postseason and figure out who he can actually be for Los Angeles.