Fresh off a 50-32 season and a run to the NBA Finals, the Mavericks are hoping to build on their success this offseason. As Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports writes, Dallas agreed to ship the expiring $16.2MM contract of bench swingman Tim Hardaway Jr. to the Pistons in part to create the financial flexibility to re-sign starting small forward Derrick Jones, whose defensive ferocity helped the minimum-salaried vet emerge as a critical role player during the Mavericks’ Finals run.
Across 76 healthy regular season contests last year with Dallas, Jones averaged 8.6 points on .483/.343/.713 shooting, along with 3.3 rebounds, 1.0 dimes, 0.7 steals and 0.7 rejections per game. The Hardaway deal should open up the Mavs’ non-taxpayer mid-level exception for the 6’5″ wing.
However, according to the CBA, players are not officially permitted to sign a deal with a new agent for 15 days after ending their contracts with their prior representatives, Fischer notes. Because Jones ended his association with his most recent reps on June 26, that could throw a wrench in the Mavericks’ plans to retain him.
According to Tim Cato of The Athletic, Jones’ new agency, Klutch Sports, will thus be unable to negotiate on his behalf until July 11, by which time most top free agents will be off the board. This could complicate a Jones return to a Mavericks team looking to build up its roster through a series of connected moves.
Cato notes that Jones could theoretically still work out a future contract with now-terminated representative Aaron Turner of Verus Management negotiating on his behalf. Turner and Jones could also reach an agreement to disregard the standard 15-day waiting period between representatives, which would let Klutch instantly take over.
Despite the complications created by Jones’ agency change, the Mavericks remain optimistic about their chances of retaining him, tweets Marc Stein.
In addition to hoping to re-sign Jones, the Mavs are also considered a top suitor for Warriors sharpshooter Klay Thompson. A league source tells Monte Poole of NBC Bay Area (Twitter link) that Dallas is “chasing Thompson extremely hard.” The plan would be to acquire Thompson via sign-and-trade and re-sign Jones with the mid-level exception.
The Mavs’ thinking, according to Stein, is that if they have to trade away Josh Green as part of a sign-and-trade deal for Thompson, the club would still have plenty of wing depth, with Thompson coming aboard, Quentin Grimes being acquired in the Hardaway trade, and Jones potentially returning.
Ok but he could agree to a handshake agreement and just not sign rhe deal until july 11th right?
Rich Paul will break the rules and do whatever he wants to do.
Klutch isn’t supposed to negotiate with the clubs directly for a couple of weeks but they can just talk indirectly through the player, Jones, himself. The rule is meant to prevent client poaching and does not serve players or teams. So nobody cares except the ex-agent who still can waive the rule unless they want to be d*cks about it.
I still can’t believe they lucked into DJj in training camp last year. His agents have put him in weird financial situations a couple of times
I love that an NBA team is “chasing a free agent hard” before free agency has even opened up.
Crazy how every agent drama is 90% of the time related to klutch lol never forget that Nerlens Noel deal
His prior representatives could tell the NBPA that he could get represented now, but I guarantee you they’re salty that they will miss out on some of the %(on his next contract), So they will be petty and let him wait it out.