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Clippers 2026 Player Preview: Derrick Jones Jr.
Our player preview series for the 2026 Clippers continues with Derrick Jones Jr., one of the Clippers’ likely starting forwards.
Basic Information
Height: 6’6
Weight: 210 pounds
Position: Small Forward/Power Forward
Age: 28
Years in NBA: 9
Stats: 10.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.9 turnovers in 24.3 minutes per game across 77 games played (55 starts) on 52.6/35.6/70.3 shooting splits (2.8 3PA, 1.5 FTA) for 60.9 True Shooting
Contract Status: In the second year of a 3 year, $30M deal, making $10M this season and $10.4M next season
Expectations
DJJ is coming off a strong 2025 campaign where he served as a starter or 6th man on a defense-first Clippers’ team that won 50 games. DJJ’s point of attack pressure and switchabilty were key elements of that defense, with DJJ probably placing as the third-most important Clippers’ defender behind Ivica Zubac and Kris Dunn. It’s reasonable to assume that DJJ will have a similar campaign in 2026, playing in the mid-20s on most nights and contributing strong defense, above-the-rim play on offense, and the occasional triple to keep defenses honest.
Strengths
Even though he’s not a truly top-tier defender, defense is the strongest element of Derrick Jones’ game and is the main reason he’s a highly valuable role player. DJJ combines size, wingspan, quick hands, and solid lateral movement to be a pesky on-ball defender that can match up against quicker guards as well as larger wings. While not big or strong enough to guard centers or powerful forwards, DJJ is a versatile defender that is adept at both individual stoppage as well as team concepts. The Clippers were such an effective defense in 2025 in large part because they could put both DJJ and Kris Dunn on the court together to terrorize opposing ball-handlers and force turnovers.
DJJ is not just a defender, however. In 2025 he broke double-digits in scoring for the first time, and was extremely efficient as a play finisher. DJJ’s most noticeable plays on offense come on his soaring dunks in transition or on offensive rebounds, but in general he’s just a fantastic finisher who utilizes his insane athleticism to go over and around defenders. DJJ took 35.7% of his shots last season at the rim, and made those shots at an absolutely insane 75.2% rate. If he was at the basket, he was scoring. That slashing ability makes DJJ a more useful offensive player than his three-point shooting would indicate.
Weaknesses
DJJ’s most glaring weakness as a player is his three-point shooting. While 2025 marked a career-best in shot percentage from deep at 35.6%, DJJ’s lack of volume (2.8 attempts) and inconsistency as a shooter made him someone opposing teams were comfortable leaving open. DJJ made them pay sometimes, as he’s certainly not a non-shooter, but he never felt like someone the defense really cared about shooting threes. That made lineups with DJJ and another non-shooter (much less two other non-shooters) cramped spacing-wise and limited driving lanes.
Outside of the three-point shot, DJJ is just a limited offensive player with the ball in his hands. Given a straight runway to the rim he’s capable of attacking closeouts and finishing, but he’s not someone who can run a pick and roll, generate a shot from a triple threat position, or make plays for others. That’s not exactly a crippling weakness, as most role players aren’t adept at those elements at the NBA level, but it is something to consider when placing DJJ in certain lineups that are light on ballhandling or creation.
Summary
Derrick Jones Jr. is an ideal role player – he’s reliable, fits
with the Clippers’ best players, has a reasonable contract, and is squarely in
the prime of his career. The fact that he is such a steady rotation player on a
terrific deal does make him a good trade chip, but it seems unlikely the
Clippers would move DJJ unless they were getting a significant talent upgrade
in return. I’d expect him to play a key role on the 2026 Clippers and to cement
his status as one of the better supporting pieces of this era.