Derrick Jones Jr. Fits the Lakers’ Biggest Hole — but They Shouldn’t Rush the Trade
GOATIFYThe Lakers have spent the summer rebuilding around Luka Dončić, but the latest roster rumor points directly at the one place the makeover still looks unfinished. Los Angeles added Walker Kessler and Quentin Grimes while moving on from LeBron James, Marcus Smart and Deandre Ayton. Four starting spots are easy to imagine. The fifth, at forward, is still open.
That is why Derrick Jones Jr. keeps surfacing. The 29-year-old Clippers forward is entering the final year of his contract, has already played next to Dončić in Dallas and offers exactly the low-usage athletic defense the Lakers do not obviously have elsewhere. The important qualifier is just as clear: there is no reported agreement between the teams. This is a fit worth examining, not a trade to announce.
The Lakers’ Last Open Starting Spot Is a Defensive Problem
The Lakers’ problem is less about star power than lineup balance. Dončić and Austin Reaves can create offense. Kessler gives them size and rim protection. Grimes adds another perimeter defender and shooter. What the group still lacks is a proven forward who can defend across positions without demanding possessions.
Jones fits that description unusually well. He is 6-foot-6, explosive enough to finish above the rim and experienced enough to survive difficult wing assignments. He averaged 10.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.0 block in 27 minutes last season for the Clippers while shooting 35.9 percent from three. Those numbers do not make him a featured scorer, and that is part of the appeal. A Dončić team needs players who can turn advantages into points without stopping the offense to create their own.
The Lakers can first test Ziaire Williams and Sandro Mamukelashvili in the role. That is sensible. But if neither becomes a dependable two-way starter, the need will still be sitting there when the trade market becomes more active.
Why Jones Makes Sense Next to Luka Without Needing the Ball
The Dallas connection is more than a convenient headline. Jones played beside Dončić during the Mavericks’ 2024 Finals run, so the Lakers would not be guessing about the basic offensive chemistry. Jones knows how valuable a hard cut becomes when Dončić is holding a help defender with his eyes, and he can sprint into space rather than asking for isolations.
Defensively, the fit may matter even more. Dončić’s offensive burden makes it useful to surround him with length, mobility and players willing to take the first difficult assignment. Jones can switch, chase wings and provide weak-side rim protection that is unusual for his size. That would let Grimes handle another perimeter threat while Kessler stays closer to the basket.
There are limitations. Jones is not a high-volume shooter, and teams will still test whether they can help off him in playoff settings. He also turns 30 during the season, so this is not a long-term upside swing. The Lakers would be buying a specific role: defend, cut, run, finish and make enough open threes to keep the floor functional.
The Clippers Have a Reason to Listen — and a Reason to Wait
The other half of the rumor is why the Clippers might listen. Jones is on an expiring deal, and Los Angeles has far fewer future draft assets after the league stripped the franchise of five first-round picks. An expiring veteran who could leave next summer naturally becomes a way to recover value.
That does not mean the Clippers should accept any package. Jones started their preseason opener against Golden State on October 4 and remains useful to a roster that still needs defense and athleticism. Waiting could create a better market if contenders lose wings to injury or decide their current forward rotation is not good enough.
For the Lakers, that argues against overpaying now. Their best move is to use the opening weeks to evaluate Williams and Mamukelashvili while keeping Jones and other forwards on the board. P.J. Washington and Herbert Jones have also been mentioned as possible targets, though each would create a very different price and availability question.
The cleanest version of this story is therefore patience on both sides. The Lakers have a visible need. Jones has a credible fit. The Clippers have a reason to consider moving an expiring contract. None of those facts requires a deal today.
Derrick Jones Jr. makes sense because he would not need the Lakers to redesign themselves around him. He would fill space around Dončić, defend the matchup Los Angeles does not want its stars taking and give Kessler another athlete to protect the paint from the weak side.
But fit is not the same as inevitability. The Lakers should learn what they already have before spending assets, and the Clippers have no reason to sell an active rotation player cheaply. If Los Angeles reaches the season with the same hole at forward, Jones is the kind of name that will keep returning. For now, the rumor is useful because it identifies the roster problem more clearly than it predicts the transaction.
