The Houston Rockets opted not to extend a qualifying offer to power forward, Terrence Jones making him an unrestricted free agent on July 1st. The former Kentucky Wildcat’s pending free agency has been fairly quiet as all-stars Kevin Durant and Dwyane Wade have eaten up a majority of the headlines in free agency up to this point.
With a gaping hole still remaining in their front court, Jones could be an option for Sean Marks and the Nets going forward.
After an impressive 2014-2015 campaign, the 6’9′ power forward had a lackluster year with the Rockets this past season. His scoring average and minutes per game dropped slightly this year. This is not a positive attribute for a player who is in their mid-20’s. It is ideal for a player to be consistently improving and developing well into their 20’s.
Jones’ versatility and athleticism would be a nice fit with Brooklyn’s youth movement. In addition, his ability to step outside to the 3 point line and occasionally knock down a shot is a valuable trait for any modern-day power forward. He certainly has a solid skill set to succeed in this league and perhaps having a big opportunity to showcase his talents on a developing team, such as the Nets, will bring out the best in him.
Jones’ 6’9′” 250 pound frame demonstrates that he will most likely never be able to play center full-time in the NBA. However, if he were to make the move to Brooklyn, coach Atkinson could play him at the 5 in small-ball situations against certain lineups. This option may be appealing to the Nets brass as the team currently doesn’t have a reliable option to back up Brook Lopez.
Terrence Jones’ per 36 minute stats do not jump off the page compared to other power forwards in the NBA. His career average of 11 points and 6 rebounds in just over 20 minutes a game were exceptional for a consistently playoff bound Houston Rockets squad. Jones’ numbers do not fully represent his game as he thrives at doing things that often go unnoticed by fans such as diving for lose balls and working hard to get good position in the paint. This style of play may thrive playing beside Brook Lopez’s large amount of post up’s and mid range jump shots. He wouldn’t be required to put up large scoring numbers because Lopez would take on a bulk of the scoring load with his 18 points per game career average.
Given the money that most role players have been asking for this July, Jones could ask for anywhere from eight million to $12 million a year. The Nets do have this amount of money available, especially since it appears that their top target, Allen Crabbe will be heading back to Portland this summer. After missing out on targets such as Jared Dudley, Jamal Crawford and Ryan Anderson, Terrence Jones would be an exceptional plan B for Brooklyn.
Despite this, Jones has many other suitors as the New Orleans Pelicans have been heavily rumored to be in talks with the 24-year-old about reuniting with his former Kentucky teammate, Anthony Davis. However, the opportunity to play on a young, developing squad in a pristine city under a coach known for developing young talent may be hard for Jones to pass up. It would be difficult for him to find a team where he could get more of an opportunity to play right away and showcase his talent than in Brooklyn.
Next: Brooklyn Nets Sign Allen Crabbe: What It Means For The Franchise
The Nets should, at the very least make an offer to Terrence Jones. He fits the criteria that Sean Marks appears to be building his team around and is a great backup plan to targets such as Jamal Crawford who have since signed with other organizations. With Brooklyn’s advantage of having a large amount of money to spend and a young, athletic team, Terrence Jones and the Nets may be a perfect match.