1. Growth and potential
It is rare in the modern-day NBA to find a player who can defend just as well as they can score, or vice-versa. But if a team is able to do so, it usually leads to victories.
As the Eastern Conference looks more and more grim thanks to the absence of its 15-year bully in LeBron James, the throne is finally up for grabs. The Heat are currently a “middle of the pack” franchise in the NBA, and they must find the right superstar to keep them from falling — whether that be in free agency or within their own roster.
Derrick Jones Jr. could be in for a breakout season in 2018-19, playing for a Heat team that is currently taking applications for a new face to lead the team.
Next: 2018 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far
The summer star has shown that the sky is the limit for his ceiling as a two-way swingman in the NBA, and barring injury, he could wind up being a steal for the Heat playing on a minimum contract.