Miami Heat: Should the team resign Derrick Jones Jr.?

Uber-athletic forward Derrick Jones Jr. is a free agent after the 2019-20 season. Should the Miami Heat bring him back? If so, for what price?

After the 2019-20 season ends, the Miami Heat will have a decision to make regarding Derrick Jones Jr. The 23-year-old, high-flying forward is set to become an unrestricted free agent after his best season to date.

Jones missed 14 of the Heat’s first 18 games this season but played in the remaining 47, including 15 stars. In those 47 games, Jones averaged 9.1 points and 4.4 rebounds on 50.8 percent field goal shooting in 25.3 minutes per game.

As his nickname “Airplane Mode” indicates, Jones is an explosive dunker. He took home the 2020 Dunk Contest title and routinely performs highlight-reel slams.

Although dunking puts Jones on the map, it’s not his most valuable skill; rather, it’s his defensive abilities. Jones’ agility combined with his 6’6″ frame and 7’0″ wingspan makes him a versatile and disruptive defender. In Miami’s 2-3 zone, Jones often plays up top but he would likely succeed in the corners, too.

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At just 23 years old, Jones is good enough to help Miami win now, young enough to improve, and detriments brought on by his shooting deficiency are mitigated by the abundance of shooters Miami has. He’s a player Miami should absolutely look to bring back.

Although free agency isn’t his – or anyone else’s – focus at the moment, Jones has expressed a desire to stay in Miami. Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reported that Jones told reporters during an April online press conference that he wants to remain with the Heat.

"“I want to be in Miami,” Jones said Friday while sitting in front of a pristine Miami blue sky on the Zoom conference call. “Like I told y’all before. I don’t want to leave. You see the backdrop. I love it here. This is beautiful. I want to be here my whole career. Just if I can have that and we can come to an agreement with the Heat, I’m with it. I just want to be here. This is beautiful for me and my family.”"

An ideal contract for Jones would be for three years and worth somewhere between $8 million and $10 million per season. For a young player whose fate as a role player seems sealed, this is an appropriate contract.

Anything north of $10 million dollars per year would be an overpay for Jones’ services. His minuscule offensive production – along with infrequent flashes of shot creation – limit his upside. Overpaying Jones could cause trouble in a few years when the stars align and Miami will have the chance to become a juggernaut.

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Implications for Miami’s future roster construct should be considered when negotiating a new contract for Jones. The Miami Heat could sabotage its own success in free agency by overpaying him. If the Heat can sustain its level of play from the 2019-20 season, Miami would be a top-notch destination for free agents in the near future.

2021 free agency will be the last one Miami can be a real player in if they keep this core of players. Bam Adebayo, Duncan Robinson and Kendrick Nunn will all be due for new contracts. Miami has bird rights for all of them, meaning they can go over the salary cap to resign them. This enables Miami to sign a free agent from out of town before paying them. It’ll take some buying in from the players for Miami to execute this plan but it would allow the team to add another All-Star.

The free agency class that summer could be loaded. Plenty of contract options are yet to be decided on for players and teams but at the moment, it’s possible that LeBron James, Giannis Antetonounmpo, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will all be unrestricted free agents. All-Star point guards Kyle Lowry and Chris Paul could also be on the market. So could lower-tier stars like Blake Griffin, Victor Oladipo and Gordon Hayward.

It will take considerable goof fortune and preparation for Miami to reel in a big fish in free agency but it’s not a total fever dream. Miami has a real chance to be appealing to free agents and the front office should consider that when making decisions. Because of the multitude of extensions, Miami will have to dole out to its key players in 2021, the front office should run a tight ship in the waters of free agency after this season.

Jones is one of the key negotiations for Miami when the offseason arrives. He’s young and talented but with questionable upside as an offensive weapon. The Miami Heat should certainly look to resign him, but because they have the chance to make considerable roster upgrades soon, they should only bring him back for the right price.