The Clippers’ rough start has already pushed them into the kind of territory where every small move matters, and that opens the door for a Derrick Jones Jr. deal that would make sense for Portland, too.
Los Angeles is sitting at 1-5 after what the source describes as a historically bad offseason, one that cost the franchise five first-round picks for circumventing salary cap rules for Kawhi Leonard. That leaves the Clippers with very little flexibility, which means they may have to piece together progress through smaller transactions. A trade involving Jones fits that mold.
Jones has been one of the few bright spots early on. He left Sunday’s game against the Golden State Warriors and is now day-to-day with right knee soreness, but before that he was tracking toward a career year.
He’s averaging 11.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game, while shooting 53/52/67. That kind of production is unlikely to hold all the way through the season, but his recent work from deep has still been encouraging.
Over his past two seasons with the Clippers, he’s hovered around 36 percent from three.
For Portland, the fit is easy to see. The Blazers could use another wing, and Jones would give them exactly the kind of bench boost they need. His improved shooting, elite athleticism, and versatile defense would add another useful piece to a rotation that already includes Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, and a quietly emerging Sidy Cissoko, but still lacks dependable depth on the wing.
Jones also has history in Portland. He spent one season with the Blazers in 2020-21, when the team went 42-30, finished sixth in the Western Conference, and then lost to the Denver Nuggets in the first round.
Damian Lillard is back with a roster that looks better built for a deeper playoff run in his second stint with the Blazers, but the wing spot still stands out as a need. Bringing Jones back would give Portland a familiar face and another impact option off the bench, while the Clippers would get a chance to start clawing back some value after losing so much draft capital.
With both teams headed in opposite directions to start the season, a reunion makes plenty of sense. Portland should seriously consider making the call.
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Oregon State Defense Faces A Test That Could Shake Early Confidence
Brad Jackson is the kind of quarterback who can stress a defense in more than one way, and Oregon State knows it. Texas States signal-caller has been one of the most efficient passers in the Pac-12 while also giving opponents problems as a runner, which makes this weeks matchup a useful early measuring stick for a Beavers defense trying to establish itself.
Inside the Oregon State camp, the focus has been on keeping Jackson from turning broken plays into momentum swings. The staff and players have talked openly about the need for cleaner execution, especially when it comes to controlling his scrambling and limiting the kind of explosive moments that can change a game in a hurry. For a defense looking to build confidence, this is exactly the sort of assignment that can either reinforce it or expose the gaps. [Read more 🡒]