Jones chipped in 16 points (5-5 FG, 3-3 3Pt, 3-4 FT), eight rebounds and one assist across 32 minutes during Tuesday's 135-133 overtime loss to the Lakers.
Udoka Azubuike drew the start with Walker Kessler (concussion) out, but Jones, who came off the bench, played 11 more minutes than Azubuike and significantly outproduced him. Kessler has already been ruled out for the season, so Azubuike and Jones should continue to see increased opportunities, though it appears Jones has emerged as the frontrunner for elevated playing time with his strong performance Tuesday.
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Jazz's Damian Jones: Plays two minutes in defeat
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Jones registered one rebound in two minutes during Wednesday's 127-115 loss to the Trail Blazers.
Jones played double-digit minutes off the bench during his first six appearances in March, but he wasn't able to do much with his increased playing time. His minutes have dropped in recent matchups, and he's fallen out of Utah's rotation over the last two games. As long as the Jazz remain relatively healthy in the frontcourt, it seems unlikely Jones will have much of an impact down the stretch.
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Jazz's Damian Jones: Available Saturday
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Jones (recently traded) will suit up for Saturday's game against the Knicks, Sarah Todd of The Deseret News reports.
Jones was acquired by Utah on Wednesday in a three-team trade but missed Friday's game, with the trade yet to have been made official. However, he has been given the green light for Saturday's tilt. It's unclear where Jones will fit into a relatively crowded frontcourt, as he will likely have to battle Udoka Azubuike and Kelly Olynyk for backup center minutes behind Walker Kessler.
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Jazz's Damian Jones: Sitting Friday
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Jones is out for Friday's game versus the Raptors due to his pending trade, Ben Anderson of KSL News Salt Lake City reports.
Jones was dealt from the Lakers to the Jazz on Wednesday in a three-team deal that included Minnesota. However, he will have to wait until at least Saturday's matchup with the Knicks to make his Jazz debut.
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Jazz's Damian Jones: Headed to Utah
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The Jazz acquired Jones from the Lakers on Wednesday as part of a three-team deal that also involved the Timberwolves, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
Jones will head to Utah along with Russell Westbrook, Juan Toscano-Anderson and a top-four protected 2027 first-round pick, while the Lakers take back D'Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley. Meanwhile, Minnesota receive Mike Conley, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and second-round picks in 2024, 2025 and 2026. In his new locale, Jones will likely be battling Udoka Azubuike for the limited reserve minutes behind starting center Walker Kessler, so Jones' fantasy value will likely remain negligible with the move to Utah.
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Lakers' Damian Jones: Available Saturday
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Jones (toe) is available for Saturday's game against the Kings, Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports.
Jones hasn't been a part of the rotation since Christmas Day. It seems unlikely that he'll see the floor Saturday.
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Lakers' Damian Jones: Likely to play against Sacramento
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Jones (toe) is probable for Saturday's game versus the Kings, Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com reports.
Jones is expected to play Saturday after missing the previous game with a toe injury. However, he hadn't played in the five games before that due to a coach's decision, so he is unlikely to impact the Lakers' rotation.
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Lakers' Damian Jones: Won't play Friday
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Jones (toe) has been ruled out for Friday's matchup against the Hawks, Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com reports.
Jones was downgraded from questionable to out due to right big toe soreness. He hasn't been a part of the rotation recently despite Anthony Davis (foot) being sidelined, so Jones' absence Friday shouldn't have a major impact.
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Lakers' Damian Jones: Iffy for Friday
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Jones is listed as questionable for Friday's matchup with the Hawks due to right great toe soreness, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.
Jones has been out of the rotation for the past five contests despite Anthony Davis (foot) being sidelined. Regardless of whether or not he is active, there should be very little change in the Lakers' rotation.
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Lakers' Damian Jones: Rare source of scoring
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Jones amassed 10 points (4-5 FG, 2-2 FT), 10 rebounds, one assist and one block across 25 minutes during Wednesday's 126-113 loss to Toronto.
Jones scored in double figures for the first time since Nov. 7, and he's struggled to log consistent playing time throughout the 2022-23 campaign. He's averaging 9.1 minutes over his first 13 games of the year. The Vanderbilt product will likely return to his limited role in the rotation once LeBron James (ankle) and Anthony Davis (illness) return to action.
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Lakers' Damian Jones: Struggles in relief
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Jones contributed three points (1-4 FG, 1-2 FT), eight rebounds, one assist and one block across 24 minutes during Friday's 111-102 loss to Minnesota.
Jones' poor performance opposite Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns highlights LA's current depth concerns at the center position. Anthony Davis (back) will be prone to numerous rest days throughout the season, so a solid backup is crucial to the team. The Lakers may find the answer in Thomas Bryant (thumb), who is scheduled to return within the next two weeks.
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Lakers' Damian Jones: Starting Friday
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Jones will start Friday's contest against Minnesota, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.
Jones practiced with the first unit during shootaround and will get the start with Anthony Davis (back) ruled out. Across three appearances, the veteran big man has totaled 10 points, seven rebounds, two assists and one block in 25 minutes. He figures to see an increased role Friday, but he's unlikely to be a prolific producer.
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Lakers' Damian Jones: Practicing with first unit Friday
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Jones was spotted practicing with the Lakers' starting unit at Friday's shootaround, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.
With Anthony Davis (back) considered a game-time decision for Friday's matchup with Minnesota, it appears the Lakers are prepared to start Jones at the five spot if Davis is ultimately unable to go. If Davis ends up being cleared to play, the Lakers could potentially limit his workload, so Jones is a candidate to see increased run against the Timberwolves either way.
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Lakers' Damian Jones: Sees season-high 12 minutes
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Jones ended with four points (1-2 FG, 2-4 FT), four rebounds and one block across 12 minutes during Wednesday's 110-99 loss to Denver.
Jones finished the contest with his largest workload of the campaign, albeit in a game the Lakers trailed by 15 entering the fourth quarter after being tied at halftime. Jones sits as the team's current backup center on a Lakers team lacking size, though the eventual return of Thomas Bryant (thumb) could change things.
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Lakers' Damian Jones: Removed from starting lineup
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Jones won't start Tuesday's season opener versus the Warriors, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Jones started but only played 17 minutes in the Lakers' preseason finale last Friday. With Anthony Davis starting at center, Jones will resume his role as the team's backup big man. However, we have seen in the past that Davis is not fond of starting full-time at center, so Jones could see some spot starts when the Lakers go big.
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Lakers' Damian Jones: In starting lineup
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Jones is starting at center in Friday's preseason game against the Kings, Mike Trudell of the Lakers' official site reports.
It is unclear what type of workload Jones will see once the regular season tips off, but he should see healthy minutes in Friday's exhibtion contest. He is competing with Thomas Bryant for center minutes in the Lakers' rotation.
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Lakers' Damian Jones: Moves to bench
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Jones will come off the bench for Wednesday's preseason game against the Suns, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Jones got the start in Monday's exhibition loss to the Kings, but he'll shift to a reserve role Wednesday as the Lakers experiment with a small-ball lineup. Kendrick Nunn will also head to the bench as Patrick Beverley and Austin Reaves join Russell Westbrook, LeBron James and Anthony Davis as the starters.
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Lakers' Damian Jones: Joining Lakers
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Jones and the Lakers agreed Thursday to a two-year contract, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports. The second year is a player option.
Jones has proven to be a solid backup center. He's coming off a career year with the Kings, where he averaged 8.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 18.2 minutes. His role for next season will partially depend on whether Dwight Howard returns.
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Kings' Damian Jones: Stellar play continues
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Jones finished Tuesday's 123-109 loss to New Orleans with 22 points (8-10 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 5-5 FT), four rebounds, one assist and one block across 29 minutes.
Jones continues to post monster numbers amid Domantas Sabonis' (knee) absence. With Alex Len (back) and Richaun Holmes (personal) also out, Damian has free rein in the paint. He's taken full advantage, averaging 17.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocked shots over seven starts.
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Kings' Damian Jones: Records monster double-double
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Jones provided 17 points (7-9 FG, 3-3 FT), 17 rebounds, two assists and six blocks over 31 minutes during Friday's 122-117 win over the Rockets.
Jones has been excellent since moving to the starting lineup five games ago and has scored in double digits in each one of those contests, but this one might go down as one of the best performances of his career. Aside from recording a career-best figure in both rebounds and blocks, he also missed just two shots from the field. The big man is now averaging 16.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game since moving to the starting unit with Richaun Holmes (personal) sidelined.
