A proposed three-team trade would send LA Clippers wing Derrick Jones Jr. to the Los Angeles Lakers, reuniting him with Luka Doncic and addressing the team’s most glaring roster gap. The Lakers need credible wing defenders behind an offensively-loaded backcourt, and Jones fills that role on a budget that doesn’t blow up the books. This is not a depth move – this is a targeted fix for a team that reached the playoffs without a genuine stopper at the three.
The Three-Team Trade Structure
The proposal, outlined by Heavy.com, routes through three franchises. The Lakers receive Jones; the Dallas Mavericks receive Cameron Christie and Jarred Vanderbilt; the Clippers receive Daniel Gafford. Each team gets a genuine return, which is why this framework holds together better than most speculative constructions.
Jones is in the final year of his deal, owed $10.4 million, making him a low-risk acquisition with high defensive upside. Compare that to PJ Washington, who carries nearly $90 million owed over the next four seasons – the cost differential alone justifies the conversation.
Why Jones Solves a Real Lakers Problem
Jones started all 22 games for the Mavericks during their 2024 NBA Finals run, averaging 9.1 points and 3.1 rebounds while shooting 37% from three. He guarded Paul George in the first round, Jalen Williams in the second round, and Anthony Edwards in the Western Conference Finals. That is not a soft defensive resume – that is three consecutive high-difficulty assignments executed at the highest level.
The Lakers under their current front office have consistently cycled through defense-first wings – Patrick Beverley, Vanderbilt, Taurean Prince – targeting players who can guard positions two through four while living with streaky shooting. Jones fits that profile exactly, and he arrives with playoff credibility the previous iterations largely lacked.
What Each Team Gets From the Deal
The Clippers haven’t replaced the interior presence lost when Ivica Zubac departed. Brook Lopez is steady but entering his age-39 season – he cannot be expected to carry 25-plus minutes per night into a playoff push. Gafford solves that problem and frees Lopez to slide into a bench role alongside Isaiah Jackson.
The Mavericks get the most interesting return. Dallas is actively shopping Gafford according to reporting by Larry Brown Sports, partly because of the need to eliminate the logjam at the four and five spots. Dereck Lively II is returning from injury, Morez Johnson Jr. was drafted ninth overall this year, Santi Aldama arrived via trade, and the franchise matched the New York Knicks‘ offer sheet for Moussa Cissé. Moving Gafford clears the rotation. Adding Vanderbilt – one year left on his deal – and Christie gives Dallas flexibility and the Christie brothers under the same roof.
Fantasy and Betting Implications
For fantasy managers, Jones on the Lakers profiles as a streamer with genuine upside. His defensive categories – blocks and steals – are consistent, and a role next to Doncic means he operates inside a high-possession offense that keeps wings active. If his minutes crack 28-plus per night, he becomes a back-end roto asset worth rostering in most formats.
The trade probability sits around 40/60 against happening this offseason. The pieces fit – confirmed by the fact that Dallas is reportedly shopping Gafford – but the Clippers signed Jones specifically to replace Paul George on the wing, and they won’t move him unless the frontcourt upgrade is significant. Gafford clears that bar. Watch for any renewed Mavericks-Gafford reporting as the signal that this framework moves from proposal to genuine negotiation.
