Mavericks' next Derrick Jones Jr. may already be on the roster

The Dallas Mavericks enter the 2026-27 season with four rookies: Sergio De Larrea, Tobi Lawal, Morez Johnson Jr., and Tarik Biberovic. Three of these players have clear paths to minutes. De Larrea will help fill Dallas' hole in the backcourt behind Kyrie Irving, Johnson Jr. will be one of the best defenders on the team immediately, and Biberovic has the tools to be a knockdown shooter at the next level.

This leaves Lawal, the 6-foot-8 forward from Virginia Tech, as the odd man out. Dallas' crowded frontcourt makes it hard to envision a world in which Lawal plays heavy minutes as a rookie, but the Mavericks don't need to rush his development. He has the intangibles to be an excellent role player in the future for Dallas, and his developmental arc could look very similar to that of Derrick Jones Jr.

Lawal has drawn some comparisons to Jones Jr. since being drafted by the Mavs, and Lawal growing into a comparable player one day would be a dream come true for Dallas. Wing depth is extremely important in today's NBA, and as shown by Jones Jr.'s role for the Mavs a few seasons ago, his archetype is crucial for playoff teams.

Derrick Jones Jr. was excellent for Dallas

Jones Jr. played for the Mavs during the 2023-24 season, starting 66 regular-season games and all 22 playoff games in their run to the 2024 NBA Finals.

He became a fan favorite in Dallas due to his stout perimeter defense, nonstop energy, and high-flying slams. Jones Jr. was also a decent shooter from long range. He shot 34.3 percent from three during the regular season for the Mavs and 36.9 percent during the playoffs.

DJJ was a valuable 3-and-D piece for Dallas, along with his lob-catching and transition dunks, but his game didn't always look like this. He didn't shoot more than 2.3 3-pointers per game before playing for the Mavericks, his eighth season in the NBA. Jones Jr. also started in just 28 percent of the 344 games he played in through his first seven seasons and averaged 18.7 minutes per game in this span.

Jones Jr. went from just a lengthy defender who threw down some flashy dunks to a player with a role on an NBA Finals team, and Lawal should look to have a similar career arc.

Tobi Lawal has the tools to follow Jones Jr.'s path

He doesn't need to be a knockdown shooter right away. Lawal just needs to focus on what he's good at: using his athleticism and energy to make an impact on both ends of the floor and crashing the glass as hard as he can. This will help him lay a foundation to be an impactful player who defends hard, rebounds, and finishes above the rim, and he can figure out the jump shot later.

Lawal shot 32.5 percent from three in college, attempting just 117 threes through 116 games. He didn't start regularly shooting threes until his junior and senior seasons, but he's already in a better spot than Jones Jr. was.

Jones Jr. shot 20.5 percent from three and 59.4 percent from the free-throw line during his lone season at UNLV, and even though it took him some time, he has still been able to grow into a respectable shooter at the next level. His game is still headlined by his dunking, but his growth as a shooter has helped him turn into a more well-rounded player.

We could see Lawal's career follow this path, and the Mavericks are going to be an excellent spot if he can turn into a reliable role player. Jones Jr. played a key role for Dallas alongside Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic, P.J. Washington, and Daniel Gafford in the starting lineup in 2024, and if Lawal looks like a similar player one day, the Mavs' young core will be even more dangerous.

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