early Wednesday afternoon, The Athletic Read our article about Derrick Jones Jr. finding a home with the Dallas Mavericks and how he used the opportunity to show off his skill set after playing less minutes the past few seasons. Posted. Also included are quotes from Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd and Jones Jr.'s agent Aaron Turner.
In this article, Turner said: The Athletic Derrick Jones Jr. says he wants to return to Dallas as long as it makes sense for both parties. “He loves his teammates, he loves Jason Kidd, he really loves the front office, (Mavericks president) Nico (Harrison) and Matt Ricciardi,” Turner said. Told. “He wants to come back.'' Turner also said that, like anyone coming off a minimum contract, Jones will likely test the market, but that “Dallas is a reasonable price for both parties.'' He also said that this is a possibility, as long as he can accommodate them. That's where he wants to be.
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Jones has had a career-high year since signing a minimum contract with the team in August, setting career highs in points, 3-point percentage, 3-pointers, rebounds and minutes played. Playing alongside two superstar guards in Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic makes his job easier offensively, and his length and athleticism make him one of Dallas' best on-ball defenders. can become. He chose the Mavericks over the NBA's top-seeded Boston Celtics after declining his higher-paying player option to the Chicago Bulls. Because he thought he could play a better role in Dallas.
“What I saw was his guard ability,” Jason Kidd said. The Athletic. “That was long before we signed him. I watched him up close in various (games) and always thought, 'Man, it would be nice to have him on our side.'
The Mavericks will have to get creative to re-sign Jones for the amount he deserves. They are currently scheduled to receive a taxpayer middle-tier exception worth about $5.2 million, less than half of the non-taxpayer middle-tier exception (worth about $12.9 million). They could waive salary for the likes of Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dwight Powell to help them get through the line. Nico Harrison will do whatever it takes to improve this team, which is what we saw all last year.
The Mavericks are tied 2-2 against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals, so Jones and his representatives aren't worried about the offseason at this point, and expect to see more in the coming months. We are planning to have a discussion.
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