The Los Angeles Clippers are moving fast in the free agency market for possible Paul George replacements, signing up Derrick Jones Jr. on a three-year, $30 million contract, according to Shams Charania.
“Free agent forward Derrick Jones Jr. plans to sign a three-year, $30 million deal with the Los Angeles Clippers, sources tell The Athletic. Major pickup for the Clippers.”
DJJ averaged 8.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.0 assists last season with the Dallas Mavericks, playing an integral role as their starting small forward as they made the NBA Finals. Jones was their primary POA defender all season, taking on matchups such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Edwards through their Playoff run.
The Mavericks were widely expected to re-sign DJJ with their non-tax mid-level exception, but they chose to spend that on Naji Marshall from the New Orleans Pelicans. This allowed DJJ to walk to any team of his choice, with the Clippers quickly offering him $10 million from their $12.5 non-tax mid-level exception created with Paul George’s expected departure.
This is a great addition for the Clippers defensively, as DJJ proved his worth as one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA through the NBA playoffs. His athleticism can create magical moments on offense as well, but his scoring isn’t nearly consistent enough for him to be considered a Paul George replacement.
This is a winning move for the Clippers, who have to find a way to keep themselves competitive in the West next season.
The Clippers Bid Goodbye To Paul George
Using $10 million from the non-tax mid-level exception will hard cap the Clippers at the first apron, making a George re-signing almost impossible.
The Clippers had announced a couple of hours ago that George would be leaving the team because he is signing a contract with another unnamed team, explaining why they couldn’t extend George in an official announcement.
“Paul has informed us that he is signing his next contract with another team. Paul is a tremendous talent and an elite two-way player. We feel fortunate for the five years we spent with him… We negotiated for months with Paul and his representative on a contract that would make sense for both sides, and we were left far apart. The gap was significant. We understand and respect Paul’s decision to look elsewhere for his next contract.”
They expressed hope for next season despite George’s departure.
“We will miss Paul. At the same time, we’re excited by the opportunities we’ve been afforded, including greater flexibility under the new CBA. Kawhi is an all-NBA player and we believe T Lue is the best coach in the league. We will field a highly competitive team this season, and moving forward, use our organizational advantages to bring top talent to Intuit Dome.”
Signing Jones Jr. is a winning move, but the Clippers will need offensive firepower on their roster as well. The end of Paul George on the Clippers already seems surreal, but the Clippers have to pivot to keep themselves relevant even without their All-Star wing.
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