OFFICIAL: Mavs Sign Bulls Ex Derrick Jones Jr. to Contract; Details

The Mavs are signing former Bulls forward Derrick Jones Jr. to a contract after previously being linked with "exploratory" interest.

DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks have officially made another addition to the supporting cast around Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving using a short-term signing from NBA free agency.

On Friday, the team officially announced the signing of Derrick Jones Jr., who will reportedly be on a one-year, fully guaranteed contract for the 2023-24 season.

“We are excited to welcome Derrick to Dallas,” Mavs GM Nico Harrison said in the team’s press release.“Derrick has always showcased a team-first approach with his ability to adapt his game to complement his teammates. His versatility on both ends of the floor will allow us to utilize his skillset and athleticism in a variety of different lineups.”

It was reported in late July by Marc Stein that the Mavs had shown "exploratory" interest in potentially signing Jones. However, the team's preference was to rekindle trade discussions for previously linked targets. At the time, other names that had been floated in reporting in addition to Jones included Kelly Oubre Jr. and Rudy Gay. 

Jones is coming off a season with the Bulls averaging 5.0 points and 2.4 rebounds in 14.0 minutes per game. The 6-foot-6 forward played the vast majority of his time at the four spot, with his main secondary position being a small ball five option. 

The main limitation that Jones has faced in his career has been the lack of a reliable catch-and-shoot jumper, but he does provide defensive versatility and athleticism. He ultimately shot 22-68 (32.4 percent) on catch-and-shoot attempts last season, with spot-up being his most frequent offensive play type at 26.7 percent. 

After ranking 25th in defensive rating in the 2022-23 season, the Mavs have focused on emphasizing adding potential defensive-minded contributors. Jones can guard multiple positions in addition to being an impactful pick-and-roll defender. Again, his fit on offense in the half-court will be an important factor to consider since there could be spacing limitations alongside a non-shooting center. 

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Grant Afseth is a Dallas Mavericks reporter for DallasBasketball.com and an NBA reporter for NBA Analysis Network. He previously covered the Indiana Pacers and NBA for CNHI's Kokomo Tribune and various NBA teams for USA TODAY Sports Media Group. Follow him on Twitter (@grantafseth), Facebook (@grantgafseth), and YouTube (@grantafseth).

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