Clippers linked to move for former NCAA champion guard

Aug 18, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer at press conference at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The LA Clippers may be continuing to rearrange the chairs on the deck.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported on Friday that the Clippers are interested in a potential sign-and-trade move for free agent guard Tyus Jones. The 28-year-old Jones remains a free agent but is not expected to return to the Washington Wizards.

Jones, an NCAA champion with Duke back in 2015, is a very dependable under-the-radar point guard talent. He averaged career highs last season for the Wizards with 12.0 points and 7.3 assists per game on 48.9 percent from the field and 41.4 percent from three. Jones can get to the rim and finish, hit shots off the dribble, act as a lead ball-handler and playmaker, and provide sturdy perimeter defense too.

With the new NBA CBA squeezing out the market for role players though, Jones indeed makes the most sense as a sign-and-trade candidate. Scotto notes that the Clippers can offer a combination of PJ Tucker and Russell Westbrook (as expiring contracts) plus draft-pick compensation or guard Bones Hyland (as sweetener).

As they move into the post-Paul George era, the Clippers are packing their roster with fresh depth, adding the likes of Derrick Jones Jr., Nicolas Batum, Kevin Porter Jr., Mo Bamba, and Kris Dunn this offseason. With the team now apparently pursuing Tyus Jones as well, they could be looking almost entirely different next season outside of stars Kawhi Leonard and James Harden. But that would also mean a big logjam in the Clippers’ backcourt, requiring them to offload the likes of Hyland and Westbrook (the latter of whom could end up with a top Western contender if not included in a sign-and-trade with the Wizards).