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.
In Other News...
Blazers Finally Delivered The Kind Of Denver Win Fans Needed
For a franchise that had spent so long running into the same wall in Denver, this was the kind of road win Portland had been waiting to see. The Trail Blazers beat the Nuggets 118-110, finally snapping an 18-game regular season losing streak in Denver and doing it with a second-half surge that changed the feel of the night.
Portland outscored Denver by 16 points after halftime, and the balance of the win mattered as much as the result itself. Deni Avdija, Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard all played key roles in pushing the Blazers through, while Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic carried Denvers offense but could not keep the home team from slipping away. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers May Be Closer To A Win-Now Swing Than Fans Think
The early-season stumble in Utah has already started to ripple beyond the Jazz, and Portland is one of the teams watching closely. With the Jazz off to a 1-5 start and dealing with injuries, the conversation around Lauri Markkanen is no longer just about a talented scorer on a rebuilding roster. It is also about whether a team like the Trail Blazers, who have been searching for the right kind of swing, might see an opening before the February trade deadline.
For Portland, the appeal is easy to see. Markkanen would fit into the kind of forward-thinking move that could accelerate a reset without forcing the Blazers to abandon the long view entirely. Golden State has also been mentioned in the same breath, which only underscores how much interest a player of his caliber could draw if Utah decides to listen. The real question is not whether Markkanen would make sense for Portland, but whether the Jazz are ready to make a call that changes the market. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Just Got The Reset They Desperately Needed
Micah Nori is making a notable change in Portlands backcourt, turning to Scoot Henderson in the starting lineup while trimming Jrue Holidays minutes. It is the kind of adjustment that says as much about the Blazers present as it does their future, with Henderson now getting a bigger stage to show why the organization made him the No. 3 pick in 2023 after his season with the G League Ignite.
For Portland, the move adds another layer to the ongoing conversation about Hendersons long-term fit and whether he can settle into the point guard role the franchise has been projecting for him. Holidays reduced workload opens the door for a different look in the backcourt, and Henderson now has a chance to make his case in real time as the Blazers keep sorting out how their guard rotation should look going forward. [Read more 🡒]