Derrick Jones Jr. leaving Heat to sign with Trail Blazers in free agency
The Miami Heat’s entire 2019-20 roster won’t be returning.
Forward Derrick Jones Jr. will not be back with the Heat this upcoming season. Jones, 23, will sign with the Portland Trail Blazers on a two-year, $19 million contract that includes a player option in the second year, a league source confirmed.
The Heat had expressed interest in re-signing Jones and Jones was interested in remaining with the organization. But with Miami not offering more than one season of guaranteed money to protect 2021 cap space, Jones took an offer that includes multi-year money if he exercises his player option for the 2021-22 season.
Jones’ departure comes after the Heat received commitments to return from guard Goran Dragic and center Meyers Leonard just minutes after free-agent negotiations opened at 6 p.m. Friday. Veteran forward Udonis Haslem announced last week that he’ll also return to the Heat for an 18th season.
Jones (6-6, 210) averaged 8.5 points while shooting 52.7 percent from the field and 28 percent on threes, 3.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists and one steal in 59 regular-season games with the Heat last season.
The high-flying forward played a smaller role in the playoffs, averaging 1.5 points, 0.8 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 15 games.
The Heat’s midseason trade that brought Jae Crowder and Andre Iguodala to Miami helped to minimize Jones’ role in the postseason. Jones, who won the Slam Dunk Contest during All-Star Weekend in February, averaged just 6.5 minutes of playing time in the playoffs compared to 23.3 minutes in the regular season.
Jones’ game has grown since he first signed with the Heat on a two-way contract in the middle of the 2017-18 season, becoming a better defender, rebounder and three-point shooter.
This marks the first sizable contract of Jones’ NBA career, as he played on a $1.6 million salary last season. He went undrafted out of UNLV in 2016.
This story was originally published November 20, 2020 at 10:40 PM.
