Dallas Mavericks’ biggest faux pas in the 2024 NBA free agency history revealed… SEE MORE…
After moving between several NBA teams—including the Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat, Portland Trail Blazers, and Chicago Bulls after going undrafted from UNLV—Derrick Jones Jr. appeared to have found his place with the Dallas Mavericks during the 2023-24 season, where the veteran forward became an important rotational player on an NBA Finals squad.
Initially signing a one-year, $2.7 million veteran minimum deal after opting out of his $3.36 million option with the Bulls, Jones Jr. took on the most significant role of his career with Jason Kidd’s team. He started a career-high 66 games out of 76 regular-season contests, posting averages of 8.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.4 stocks per game. Although his three-point shooting was slightly below the NBA average at 34.3 percent, his increased attempts per game—rising from 1.3 in 2022-23 to 3.1 with the Mavs—alongside his position as Dallas’ primary defensive wing, made him a fan favorite in Dallas.
Even though the Mavs had the option to re-sign Jones Jr. by using the mid-level exception—a contract worth approximately three years and $27 million—Jones Jr. chose to join the Los Angeles Clippers instead. This decision led the Mavs to use their MLE on Naji Marshall, a versatile and underrated forward who had a promising stint in New Orleans and was one of the more intriguing free agents available.
While losing Jones Jr. was not ideal, acquiring Marshall as a replacement is still a solid outcome. Marshall, an undrafted free agent from Xavier, offers similar defensive versatility as a hybrid wing and is coming off his best professional season, shooting 38.7% from three-point range on 2.3 attempts per game. However, Jake Fischer from Yahoo Sports reports that Jones Jr. was the Mavs’ top priority, and Marshall was seen as a backup plan alongside their other moves like signing Klay Thompson and trading for Quentin Grimes.
Is it reasonable for a team that was just a few wins away from an NBA championship to lose one of their key players over a difference of around $1 million in average annual value? Probably not, but the decision might not have been solely about chasing the highest paycheck. Given the high taxes in California, Jones Jr. might not have even secured the best financial offer there. It’s possible that his choice was influenced by the opportunity to play a more significant role with the Clippers, especially after Paul George’s departure to the Philadelphia 76ers, whereas the Mavs might not have offered him the same prominent position for the upcoming season.
