NBA News & Rumors: Dahntay Jones Joins Brooklyn Nets

The Brooklyn Nets have added a veteran guard to hone up its backcourt with reported signing of journeyman Dahntay Jones.

Jones played for the Los Angeles Clippers last season, but was barely a factor off the bench. The 34-year-old swingman’s addition is likely to add more outside options for the Brooklyn Nets for the coming season.

How Jones will figure for the Nets does, however, comes with a lot of questions than answers. His best years in the NBA were probably best remembered from 2008-2010.

In 2008, the 20th pick of the Boston Celtics in the 2003 NBA Draft started in 71 games for the Nuggets, carrying a high .647 shooting clip from rainbow territory. The following year, Jones took his bags and joined the Indiana Pacers where he probably had his best point-production year averaging 10.2 points per outing.

Since that stint with the Pacers however, Jones production has suffered an immense dip. Aside from the Nuggets, Pacers and the Clippers, Jones also had stops in Memphis (Grizzlies), Sacramento (Kings), Dallas (Mavericks) and the Atlanta (Hawks).

A reason seen for the addition of Jones was the fact that he has close ties with head coach Lionel Hollins. Both were together in Memphis from 2003-07, and seeing that the Nets were in need of someone with experience may have boiled down to his inclusion.

Aside from the fact that he can light it up with his outside bombs, Jones could probably help out in the mentoring department as well.

Looking down the roster of the Nets, the team doesn’t necessarily boast of a deep backcourt who can make life easier for new franchise star Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young. The only guards that can provide some support include Jarrett Jack, Wayne Ellington and probably Shane Larkin.

The Nets are in a semi-rebuilding mode, unloading most of its high-salaried players like Deron Williams in the offseason. Aside from Lopez and Young, the only heavy salaried player remaining on the roster is Joe Johnson, who was earlier pegged to be on the trading block.

The Nets are obviously investing in new blood and could make a run at the 2015-16 NBA playoffs, if everything falls into place. All that will however remain on how head coach Hollins whips up the squad.

Among the team favorites in the Eastern Conference this year are of course the Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls and the Atlanta Hawks.

The Nets did manage to book the last NBA playoff seat last season though the NBA offseason shakeup may have improved other teams from past season, not to mention players who may be returning at full strength after sitting out the 2014-15 season on account of injury.