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Dallas Mavericks Rumors: Jason Kidd Shares True Feelings About Potential Departure of Luka Doncic Weapon

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Rex Villas | Last updated 5/16/24

The Dallas Mavericks are in the middle of a deep run in the 2024 NBA Playoffs. They have reached the second round of the postseason after outlasting the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round and are now a win away from breaking into the Western Conference finals.

It appears that the current roster configuration of the Mavs is clicking. The chemistry is there. The role players are playing well alongside stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, and among those peripheral weapons for the Mavs is forward Derrick Jones Jr., who is a pending unrestricted free agent.

There will be a time for Jones, his representative, and the Mavs to talk about his future with the Mavericks, but at the moment, it seems that head coach Jason Kidd wants him to remain in Dallas beyond this season.

Via The Athletic:

“We understand the business (and that) there’s other teams that can maybe pay him more,” Kidd said. “But we definitely want him back.”

Derrick Jones Jr. Has Re-built His NBA Stock With the Dallas Mavericks

Jones’ arrival in Dallas on a one-year deal in 2023 is turning out to be a great development for his NBA career. He has seen his minutes decrease in each of the last previous two seasons which he spent with the Chicago Bulls. But in Dallas, he saw a career-high 23.5 minutes per game and averaged career-best numbers of 8.6 points.

He has also been fantastic in the last two games for Dallas against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He scored 17 and 19 points in Games 4 and 5, respectively, and should continue to see a significant role alongside Doncic and Irving going forward.

This article first appeared on Hardwood Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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