Derrick

Jones Jr.

Free agency’s next big domino has fallen, as the two-way star heads East to form a new “Big 3" with Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid. George’s arrival will likely mean less touches for Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre (who just re-signed with Philadelphia on a two-year deal). George’s departure from Los Angeles means the newly-signed Derrick Jones Jr. should see plenty of minutes, and Terance Mann could see more opportunities as a scorer and playmaker. George’s biggest concern as a Clipper was availability, but he appeared in 74 games last season and posted averages of 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 3.3 triples.

A starter throughout the Mavericks’ run to the NBA Finals, Jones is headed west to join forces with Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and the Clippers. This season was the best of Airplane Mode’s career, as he averaged 8.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.7 blocks, and 1.1 3-pointers in 23.5 minutes per game. With Paul George moving on, Jones could slide into the Clippers’ starting lineup if coach Tyronn Lue prefers to keep Norman Powell in the 6th-man role. Despite being a starter, Jones did not offer much fantasy value with the Mavericks. Hopefully, that will not be the case with the Clippers.

Jones was a fixture in the starting lineup throughout Dallas’ run to the NBA Finals. While his production did not make him a great option in most fantasy leagues, he fits nicely into Jason Kidd’s rotation alongside star guards Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Dallas’s issue is that they don’t have much room financially heading into free agency, but that does not impact their view on Jones and his importance to the team. “I don’t know how we’re going to do it,” Harrison said of re-signing Jones. “But he’s priority 1-A (and) 1-B. I think he fits in with our team. He loves it here. We have to figure out the dynamics to get him to stay. But yeah, that’s a priority. We’ll do what we have to do to get it done.” “Airplane Mode” should make considerably more than the $2 million he did this season, whether in Dallas or elsewhere.

Despite hitting double figures for the second time in the series, Jones’ performance on Monday was not impactful. Besides the points, he only supplied one blocked shot and failed to grab a rebound in Game 5. Jones entered the season competing for a place in the Mavericks starting lineup but remained off the radar in most fantasy drafts. While “Airplane Mode” started 66 of the 76 regular season games he appeared in, he did not offer consistent fantasy value. Jones finished the year ranked well outside the top 200 in 8- and 9-cat formats, which surprised no one. He’ll be a free agent this summer, and regardless of where he lands, Jones is likely to be more valuable to his team than to fantasy managers.

After scoring 19 points in the first three games of this series, Jones picked up the production significantly. He scored 17, 19, and 22 points in the final three games, shooting 4-of-6 from beyond the arc in Game 6 while also recording a full stat line. Having produced the best regular season of his NBA career, Jones fits nicely next to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. He and the Mavericks are headed to the Western Conference Finals, which begin on Wednesday night.

Jones may not have offered much outside of the points and 3-pointers, but the scoring output was much-needed on a night in which only one other Maverick (Luka Doncic) scored more than 12 points. Airplane Mode was efficient with his scoring opportunities while also playing solid defense. PJ Washington only scored 10 points, but he was also responsible for 10 rebounds, four assists, one steal, and two 3-pointers in his 37 minutes on the floor. Dallas will need those two to remain productive in Game 6 on Saturday, with the Mavericks looking to close out the series.

Jones was one of four Mavericks starters to reach double figures in Game 4, which the Mavericks trailed by as much as 31 before rallying during the second half. Since going scoreless in Game 1, Airplane Mode has made at least 50% of his shots in three consecutive games. While the 2-of-3 afternoon from beyond the arc in Game 4 was a departure from the norm for Jones, this was an encouraging sight, as the Mavericks need others to step up in assistance of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Jones will look to build on this performance in Game 5 on Wednesday night in Los Angeles.

Dallas is locked into the 5th seed in the West, so Washington and DJJ will be two of the players that they give a rest day to. Tim Hardaway Jr., Olivier Maxence-Prosper and Markieff Morris should see extra minutes in this game.

Dallas has lost five of their last six games, so Jason Kidd has decided to make some changes to the starting unit. Josh Green and Dereck Lively II will be pushed to the bench in favor of DJJ and Gafford. Gafford is coming off recording a double-double with three blocks in just 21 minutes and should provide solid value once again now that he is with the starting group.

Doncic is the big name of this quartet; his presence in the lineup up means there will be no fantasy value boosts for Tim Hardaway Jr. or Jaden Hardy. Lively and Kleber being cleared to play limits Daniel Gafford’s fantasy value, as all three have effectively canceled each other out. Jones will take on his usual role off the bench, which isn’t enough to justify his being rostered in most fantasy leagues.