The Mavericks moved into the first round and have acquired 6-foot-4 shooting guard Dominique Jones from South Florida. Jones was drafted by Memphis for Dallas, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein. The Mavericks purchased the 25th overall pick, according to sources.
After discussing potential draft-night deals with several teams -– including talks earlier this week with Miami to acquire the 18th overall pick that was ultimately dealt to Oklahoma City -– Dallas struck this trade with the Grizzlies to acquire the Big East's second-leading scorer. Stein reports the Mavs paid the maximum $3 million to get the pick.
Mavs owner Mark Cuban took to Twitter to announce that the Mavs tried to move into the top 20 to get James and said "got lucky to get him at 25."
The 6-4, 215-pound guard with a 6-foor-9 wingspan averaged 21.4 points last season for South Florida. He was the only player in the nation to average 21 points, six rebounds and three assists.
Here's Jones' bio from the NBA draft guide:
Career Highlights: All-Big East First Team and AP Honorable Mention All-American as a junior. Also a Wooden Award finalist and midseason Naismith Award finalist. Ranks first all-time in school history attempted free throws (615), second in free throws made (453), fifth in scoring (1,797 points), three pointers attempted (495), field goals attempted (1,339) and field goals made (592), seventh in three point field goals made (160) and steals (144), and 10th in assists (328). One of 17 players invited to the 2009 USA Basketball World University Games Team training camp to compete for a roster spot. Named to the Big East All-Rookie Team as a freshman and earned All-Big East Honorable Mention as a freshman and sophomore.
Junior (2009-10): The only player in the nation to average at least 21 points, six rebounds and three assists per game. Named to the All-Big East First Team. A member of the AP All-America Honorable Mention team. Finished second in the Big East in points per game (21.4) and 15th in the nation. Had highest mark for conference games only (23.2 ppg). Set a school single-season record for free throws attempted (282) and free throws made (209), and finished second in scoring (705). Broke the USF mark for points in a game with 46 in an overtime win against Providence on 15-of-23 shooting from the field and 14-of-18 from the line. Nearly had a triple double with 10 rebounds and eight assists as well. Had 37 points,
eight rebounds and three assists against Pittsburgh. Other top performances included: 30 points against Syracuse; 29 points, eight rebounds and four assists at Georgetown; 28 points vs. Seton Hall; 28 points and seven rebounds against West Virginia; 27 points and five steals vs. Central Florida; and 27 points and nine boards vs. Providence.
Sophomore (2008-09): Led the team in scoring (18.1 ppg), rebounding (5.6 rpg) and steals (1.3 spg), and was second in assists (3.9 apg). Named All-Big East Honorable Mention for the second consecutive season. Became the second-faster player in school history to reach 1,000 career points. Scored in double figures in 27 of his 31 games on the year, including his final 20 of the season. Erupted for a season-high 36 vs. Iona, going 12-of-16 from the field, 7-of-9 from three-point range and 5-6 from the free throw line. Had his best scoring performance in a Big East game at West Virginia with 35 points, eight rebounds, three assists and no turnovers. Totaled 31 points at Central Florida and 30 points, eight rebounds
and five assists vs. Cincinnati.
Freshman (2007-08): Averaged a team-high 17.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. Earned All-Big East Honorable Mention accolades and was a unanimous selection on the Big East All-Rookie Team. Started all 31 games and named team co-MVP. Shattered the USF freshman scoring mark by tallying 531 points. Scored in double figures in 28 of 31 games, had 20 or more points in 10 games and three games over 30 points. His 31 points vs. Seton Hall were a then career-high and the highest scored by a Big East freshman. The first Big East freshman since Allen Iverson in 1994 to score 30 or more points in consecutive games. Tallied a then-career high 30 points vs. Central Florida, going 10-of-13
from the field and 4-of-6 from three-point range. Notched 30 points and 14 rebounds at Richmond. Registered 24 points vs. Rutgers, shooting 9-of-12 from the field and 5-of-5 from three-point range. Notched a game-high 29 points vs. Syracuse, hitting 10 straight free throws in final 1:24 to ice game. Scored a season-high 31 points vs. Seton Hall.
Strengths: Athletic slasher. Difficult to stay in front of. Creates his own shot consistently. Great speed, lift and strength. Good mid-range shooter off the dribble. Gets to the free throw line often. Rebounds and blocks shots well for his size.
Personal: Favorite NBA player is fellow Lake Wales native Amare Stoudemire.