UNLV in the NBA | Week of Oct. 25–31, 2026
The Clippers are hemorrhaging games and shedding relevance fast — but one Runnin' Rebel is making sure his name stays in the conversation for all the right reasons.
Derrick Jones Jr. Is a Trade Deadline Name to Know
With Los Angeles sitting firmly in seller territory, Sports Illustrated reports that Derrick Jones Jr. has emerged as a genuine trade target for the injury-riddled Oklahoma City Thunder. The fit makes intuitive sense: OKC needs defensive reinforcements, and Jones is providing exactly that kind of value on a Clippers squad that has little else to play for this early in the season.
The case for him was made most emphatically on Thursday, Oct. 29, in a loss to the Lakers. Despite the Clippers falling 87–103, Jones authored a standout individual line: 15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals, and 2 blocks in 27 minutes. That kind of two-way explosion — particularly the defensive production — is precisely what contenders chase at deadline time.
The following Saturday against Minnesota, Jones was quieter — 10 points, 1 rebound, 1 block in 25 minutes during a 101–127 blowout loss — but the bigger picture heading into the week was already drawn. He also logged 11 points and 6 rebounds in a 101–108 defeat to OKC itself on Oct. 25, giving Thunder brass a live, firsthand look at what they'd be acquiring.
For a Thunder team built to win now but battling attrition, a defensive versatility wing like Jones fits the profile of a difference-making deadline add. Whether the Clippers would move him — and at what price — remains to be seen, but Jones is doing his part to drive up his own market value.
Elijah Harkless Logging Minutes in Detroit
The other notable UNLV name with NBA box scores this week is Elijah Harkless, the second-year guard carving out a role with the Detroit Pistons. Harkless appeared in multiple games across the week, though his usage remained limited — his most notable outing came Oct. 28 against the Knicks, where he finished with a +2 plus-minus in 2 minutes of action. Detroit went 1–1 in the games where Harkless dressed, including a 110–94 win over the Nets on Oct. 30. He's a depth piece for now, but staying on an NBA roster and staying ready is the job at this stage of a young career.
The Bottom Line
This was Derrick Jones Jr.'s week. The noise around a potential move to OKC is real, and his defensive performances — headlined by that four-steal, two-block game against LA — are the exact currency that playoff-hungry teams spend big to acquire. Rebels fans watching the trade wire should keep his name bookmarked. The deadline is months away, but the case is already being made.
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