The Clippers need to shed salary before training camp, and one of their expiring contracts belongs to the exact type of wing the Lakers have been missing.
Most of the moves the Los Angeles Lakers made this summer were about building around Luka Doncic, but the biggest upgrade available before the trade deadline might not cost them much at all.
Forward Derrick Jones Jr. is sitting on an expiring $10.4 million contract with the Los Angeles Clippers, and multiple reports have already connected him to the Lakers as a potential trade target.
Why Jones Fits the Lakers
The Lakers filled several roster needs this offseason, and the outlook heading into training camp has been mostly positive across the league.
But the one gap that keeps showing up in preseason breakdowns is athletic wing defense, and Jones checks that box better than almost anyone available on the trade market right now.
He averaged 10.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists last season while shooting 49.9 percent from the field and 35.9 percent from three.
Those numbers come from a player who never demands the ball and puts most of his energy into the defensive end, which is why the front office has had him on the radar heading into the regular season.
Jones also spent time alongside Doncic during their overlapping years in Dallas, which gives the Lakers a wing who already understands how to play next to a ball-dominant guard.
He is a low-maintenance offensive player who would complete the projected opening night rotation in a way that very few available players can.
That Doncic connection is not a small detail when the entire offense will run through one player.
The Clippers Have Reason to Deal
The Clippers are in a much different place right now.
Between losing five first-round picks in the salary cap investigation and shipping Kawhi Leonard to Toronto, the organization is focused on cutting costs and getting younger.
Jones is 29 years old and in the final year of his deal, which means he does not fit the long-term rebuild that Lawrence Frank's front office is starting.
ClutchPoints reporter Brett Siegel explained during a recent segment that the situation is becoming urgent.
"They have a roster crunch at this point. They're going to be looking to dump some salary between now and training camp and start of the season. We know that Derrick Jones Jr. is available in trade talks there for the Clippers."
What a Deal Could Look Like
The Lakers do not have a lot of trade assets to throw around after the moves they already made this summer, but Jones' expiring contract works in their favor.
The Clippers would not be looking for a massive return on a player who could walk in free agency anyway.
A package built around salary matching and a future second-round pick could be enough to get it done, especially if the Clippers decide they would rather have the roster flexibility.
The risk for the Lakers is waiting too long.
Other contenders will see the same opportunity, and Jones' combination of wing defense and efficient shooting will draw interest from any team trying to add depth around a star guard.
If the front office is serious about filling the last hole on this roster, calling across town early might be the best move available before the season starts.
