Between the era of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the LA Clippers put themselves in a position where they missed out on an elite center in Isaiah Hartenstein for John Wall, an aging point guard on the verge of retirement. This sequence is still one that the Clippers and their fans are dealing with the consequences of.
Furthermore, Hartenstein joined the Knicks and finally moved to Oklahoma City, where he collected a tremendous check from the Thunder. OKC is ultimately fixed at center for two more seasons, possibly more if they suggest an extension.
As the Clippers made a mistake in losing Hartenstein, fans hoped head coach Tyronn Lue and the front office would ensure the same, or something similar, does not happen again, especially in the frontcourt.
However, the Clippers may have the same lesson to learn from Kai Jones, a former two-way player who was recently waived and then signed by the Dallas Mavericks.
Though he has only played in five games for the Mavericks, he is already proving to be the next rising star LA had but did not take advantage of.
Kai Jones is another 'what could have been' headline for the LA Clippers
The LA Clippers had a 24-year-old center in Kai Jones, who was ridiculously athletic, on a two-way contract this season. He had no place in the rotation and was primarily in the G-League, as Tyronn Lue preferred to play small ball rather than Jones on countless nights.
Jones averaged just 2.2 points and 1.6 rebounds in 28 games for the Clippers.
After transitioning to the Dallas Mavericks, he began to play a role he has dreamed of since his college days in Texas. Eventually, Dallas head coach Jason Kidd witnessed one of the most proficient debuts he had ever seen. Jones scored a career-high 21 points on 9-10 shooting and was immediately deemed a starter.
Overall, as a Maverick, Jones has posted 14.2 points and 8.6 rebounds in 27.0 minutes, shooting 83.3% from the field.
Jones' inclined athleticism and extravagant finishing would have been a massive upgrade on the bench, but the Clippers decided to add to the waiver wire before adequately evaluating him.
That said, this decision will revisit LA in the playoffs, as having no legitimate backup against a team with a powerful five-man, such as the Nuggets and Rockets, could be a factor if they lose in the first round.