Damon Jones is way over on the other side of the gym, under the basket, contemplating his thoughts. Far away from Steve Francis, Moochie Norris and Rashard Lewis, who are on joke time as they put on their socks and lace up their sneaks. It's late summer at the Westside Tennis Club in Houston and the run is about to start.

Jones is cool with everybody and he's usually right in the middle of the jokes. But there is one big difference between Jones and his peers. They have guaranteed contracts and he does not. Actually, he doesn't even have a non-guaranteed contract. So Jones approaches these pick-up games with regular season focus.

	There's no better place to work on your game than Westside.

Those guys are here to stay in shape. Jones is here to audition. Namely for Cavaliers head coach John Lucas. Last season Jones was part of one of the league's top benches in Detroit. The Pistons decided to overhaul the team and he is no longer in their plans.

Jones knows this is the right place to spend his summer if he's looking for a job. The pick-up sessions here at Westside are watched closely by Lucas. And Lucas needs a point guard. No less than 40 NBA players will pass through this gym over the course of the summer. Many of them in need of homes.

"I can tell if a guy can really play out here," says Lucas, who started these workouts 10 years ago. Lucas has been keeping his eye on Jones all summer. He likes the angular point guard's speed, leadership and willingness to face tough matches like Francis. As Lucas watches from the sidelines, he reels off a list of what his ideal point must do.

"I need somebody who can run all day," says Lucas. "He's gotta be fast. My team is young and all they want to do is run, so I need someone to constantly push it. He's got to be able to throw the lob, too. Put it right up there for D-Miles. And I need someone who can do that for 30 minutes a game."

Sounds like a dream job. It's one Jones wants. "I'm looking to stick somewhere," says Jones, who's been with six teams in four years. "It's all about years for me."

Lucas likes what he sees from Jones and will invite him to training camp. But there are other players that he will take a look at in the weeks before camp begins. He'll bring in former St. John's point guard Omar Cook and well-traveled vet Rick Brunson to see how well they mesh with his starting 2-guard, Dajuan Wagner. Through workouts at Westside, Lucas realized Wagner's true scoring potential and doesn't want him to spend time at the point like he originally planned, making his point guard search all the more pressing.

"Dajuan looks to score all the time," says Lucas. "And he can."

The man Lucas really has his eye on also stopped in Houston. But only to talk. Rod Strickland was in town just long enough to be wined and dined by Lucas, who would like the vet to balance out his club's inexperience. Cavs GM Jim Paxson has offered Strick the $1 million veteran minimum. But Strickland, who wants the mid-level exception, probably will price himself out of the Cavs hands.

That leaves Jones. He put himself in a great position by showing up at Westside everyday, giving Lucas a chance to get familiar with his game. The only point guards currently on the Cavs roster are Bimbo Coles and Milt Palacio.

"I'm just looking for an opportunity to show what I can do," says Jones. At Westside, that's just what he got.

Chris Palmer covers The NBA Life for ESPN The Magazine. Email him at christopher.palmer@espnmag.com.