Though the New York Knicks will reportedly be pursuing another star player this summer, when it comes to adding depth, one potential fit is still playing in the NBA Finals.
Dallas Mavericks forward Derrick Jones Jr. turned into one of the bargain signings of the season. Jones did not sign with the Mavs until August 18, well after most free agents had already found a home, and he only signed for the one-year, $2.7 million veteran’s minimum. He’ll be a free agent this summer.
In 76 games with the Mavs this season, Jones averaged a career-high 8.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1 assist in 23 minutes per game.
To be clear, there’s been no reporting tying Jones and the Knicks together. This is based purely on fit.
Jones’ agent told The Athletic’s Tim Cato that Jones would like to stay in Dallas.
However, the Knicks could use more size and athleticism, and Jones has both. At 6-foot-6, with a 7-foot wingspan, Jones is one of the best leapers in the NBA. He has also rounded out his game in important ways.
Jones has played strong defense against the Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum in the Finals, using his length to contest shots. According to the Dallas Morning News, NBA advanced tracking says Tatum is shooting 14% from the field on possessions he’s been guarded or partially guarded by Jones in the Finals.
Jones has also become a solid-enough three-point shooter, hitting a career-high 34% of his tries in the regular season on a career 3.1 attempts per game. He shot 32.8% from deep in 2022-23 and 33.8% from three in 2023-24, so his shooting appears to be going in the right direction. When Jones is not cutting and slashing into the lane, he’s been asked to be a spot-up shooter around Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving and filled the role admirably.
As the Knicks battled injuries in the playoffs, they ran into a problem — they either didn’t have enough shooting on the floor or they didn’t have enough size. This was especially true once OG Anunoby got hurt, sapping the Knicks of much of their lineup versatility.
After trading Obi Toppin last summer, the Knicks also lacked an explosive athlete who could leak out in transition and finish over defenders at the rim.
Jones would be able to provide those qualities as a backup who can play either forward spot.
If the Knicks re-sign Anunoby, it would also be important to have a viable wing behind him, as Anunoby has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career.
Of course, convincing Jones to leave Dallas to join the Knicks might be a tough sell. Jones is starting for an NBA Finals team. On the Knicks, Jones would be more of an eighth or ninth man.
Nonetheless, after a strong season, Jones might command more money than Dallas can, or is willing, to offer.
It’s unclear what type of salary Jones will command. Depending on how the Knicks summer shakes out, they may have the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which has a $12.9 million salary for 2024-25. If they go over the first apron, however, they’ll have the taxpayer mid-level exception, which is about $5.2 million for ‘24-25 — the same exception the Mavs currently project to have.
If the Knicks got the non-taxpayer MLE, they could split it to offer Jones a bigger payday than the taxpayer MLE.
Jones might simply have played himself into too big of a role and too big of a contract to join the Knicks’ bench. But if things break right this summer and the Knicks are looking for depth, he’s the type of player they should consider.
