Lakers-Clippers trade rumor. Image via: The Los Angeles Clippers just got hit with one of the harshest penalties in recent NBA memory, and it’s about to make life easier for their crosstown rivals. Five forfeited first-round picks later, the Clippers are shopping veterans to recoup draft capital, and Derrick Jones Jr. sits at the top of that list.For the Lakers, still finishing an offseason rebuild around Luka Doncic, that’s a break they didn’t expect. There is now talk that L.A. could add a familiar face from Doncic’s Dallas days without giving up much at all.CategoryDetailPlayerDerrick Jones Jr.Current TeamLA ClippersRumored TeamLos Angeles LakersContract StatusFinal year of 3-year, $30 million dealSalary Cap Hit$10.4 million (2026-27)Trade LikelihoodModerate to highLatest Insider UpdateSean Deveney (Heavy): Jones is “most NBA trade-rumor ready”Potential ReturnNot specified in sources; reports indicate no first-round pick required
How could Derrick Jones Jr.’s pursuit finally be a jackpot for Lakers?
Derrick Jones Jr. trade rumor. Image via: Getty Images
The Clippers were docked five first-round picks after a nearly yearlong league investigation into salary cap violations, and the fallout has them scrambling to rebuild draft capital any way they can. Putting veterans on the block is the fastest route back to relevance in future drafts. “The player who is probably most NBA trade-rumor ready is Derrick Jones Jr., who has attracted attention across the league because he is a reliable defensive wing,” Heavy NBA insider Sean Deveney shared.The insider added, “The Clippers probably could not get a first-round pick for Jones, but there is a clamor for his services, and his expiring $10 million salary makes him an easy target.”Jones, 29, is in the final year of the three-year, $30 million deal he signed with the Clippers, carrying a $10.4 million cap hit for 2026-27. He averaged 10.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists a game this season while starting 45 games last year, per Clippers reporter Zion Trammel.Quick facts:Contract: 3 years, $30 million total, $10.4M cap hit for 2026-272025-26 stats: 10.1 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.0 BPGCurrent status: On the trade block following Clippers’ draft-pick penalties
Wing depth trade idea: Lakers land Doncic’s old Dallas running mate
The idea centers on the Lakers using their need for wing depth to scoop up a player who already knows how to play alongside Doncic. Jones was part of the Mavericks’ run to the 2024 NBA Finals, giving him real chemistry with the Lakers’ franchise cornerstone.L.A.’s roster still has a hole on the wing even after an active offseason headlined by the addition of center Walker Kessler. Jones’s mix of defensive versatility and athleticism fits that gap directly, and his expiring money makes him the kind of low-cost add-on teams chase near a deadline.The Clippers, meanwhile, are motivated to move him for a very different reason: their $10.4 million cap hit needs to go somewhere, and Jones profiles as an easier sell than L.A. Clippers reporter Zion Trammel noted the crowded frontcourt was already squeezing his role, writing he would likely have “a reserve role” after L.A. Clippers added Brandon Ingram and Rui Hachimura.
What happens next in the Derrick Jones Jr. trade rumors
Not everyone thinks Jones is guaranteed to move. Clippers writer Tomer Azarly has reported Jones hasn’t asked out and would even be open to a contract extension, which complicates any timeline for a deal getting done before opening night.The Lakers currently have just one tradeable first-round pick, and insiders believe they wouldn’t need to spend it to get Jones. If that holds, the Clippers’ bad month could turn into the Lakers’ cheapest reinforcement of the offseason.Hypothetical trade structureLakers receive: Derrick Jones Jr.Clippers receive: Not clear as of now (reports indicate no first-round pick required)
What the Lakers gain from this move
Jones adds an established, switchable defender to a wing rotation that thinned out this offseason, plus a built-in rapport with Doncic from their Dallas run together. At an expiring $10.4 million, he wouldn’t require the Lakers to touch their one remaining tradeable first-rounder, which keeps their long-term draft flexibility intact.
What the Clippers get in return
The sources don’t spell out a return package, only that Jones “probably could not get a first-round pick” in the current market, per Deveney. For the Clippers, the real prize is shedding the $10.4 million cap hit as they work to rebuild draft equity lost to the league’s penalties.