Mavericks Suddenly in Jeopardy of Losing Prized Veteran
By Jovan Alford
The Dallas Mavericks had an incredible 2023-24 season that saw them win the Western Conference and compete against the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.
Even though the NBA Finals did not go the Mavericks’ way as they lost in five games, it was a great step forward for the organization as they try to add to their roster this offseason. One of the biggest priorities for the Mavericks this offseason is re-signing Derrick Jones Jr.
Earlier this month, Dallas general manager Nico Harrison said that re-signing Jones Jr. was the team’s 1A and 1B, per Mike Curtis of the Dallas Morning News.
Nico Harrison on Derrick Jones' upcoming free agency: "I don't know how we're going to do it, but he's a priority. He's 1A and 1B.."
— Mike Curtis (@MikeACurtis2) June 21, 2024
The 27-year-old forward took a noticeable leap in his lone season with the Mavericks, scoring 8.6 points per game on 48.3 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from deep. Jones played a huge role in the postseason too. However, there’s now a sizable chance that Dallas could lose the veteran forward in free agency.
Mavericks Rumors: Derrick Jones Jr. May Not Return to Dallas
On Sunday, The Athletic’s Tim Cato reported that there’s doubt Jones Jr. returns to Dallas. Cato adds that the 27-year-old forward could enter unrestricted free agency without an agent as he reportedly switched agencies on Friday.
for the first time, there's now doubt that Derrick Jones Jr. returns to Dallas, league sources tell me. here's the rundown on the complicated situation stemming from his decision to change agencies: https://t.co/qYkxLBhyg0
— tim cato (@tim_cato) June 30, 2024
Jones left longtime agent Aaron Turner and hired Klutch Sports. However, with Jones switching agents, he must wait 15 days before signing with another agency, according to Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer.
How does this affect the Mavericks or any other teams that want to speak with Jones? It means Jones wouldn’t have representation until July 11, coincidentally it would be the same day Klutch could take over.
Cato pointed out that a Mavericks source was optimistic on Sunday morning about a potential resolution to this unusual situation as there’s a way that Jones could negotiate his next deal through Aaron Turner and Versus Management.
However, that likely won’t happen, which means the 6-foot-5 forward won’t have representation heading into free agency and there’s a chance Jones doesn’t return. We know the Mavs want to bring him back but Dallas cannot sit and watch the wing market move with him. Dallas is also in the running for Klay Thompson, so that’s something to keep in mind.
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