Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Heat sign Jones Jr. to standard contract
The Miami Heat have converted guard Derrick Jones Jr. from his previous two-way contract to a standard contract, meaning his time with the team next season no longer will be limited.
Jones joined the Heat in December on a two-way contract, a lower-paying deal that limited players last season to 45 days on an NBA roster.
The Heat previously had extended Jones a qualifying offer based on another twoway deal.
The new deal includes a guaranteed first season at Jones’ NBA minimum-scale salary of $1.6 million with a second, conditional year based on a guarantee date.
Although the NBA is in the midst of a signing moratorium until Friday, players are allowed to sign contracts at the minimum salary in the interim.
With the move, it allows the Heat to add another player on a two-way deal to split time next season between the NBA and the Heat’s developmentalleague affiliate, the G League Sioux Falls Skyforce.
The Heat’s other twoway player last season, guard Derrick Walton Jr., remains with a qualifying offer in place to retain him on a two-way contract for 2018-19.
Teams are allowed two two-way contract players. Walton’s qualifying offer does not currently count as one of those spots.
Jones, who previously had played or the Phoenix Suns, served as an emergency starter amid injuries to rotation players last season. Because he was not on the 15-player NBA roster, he was ineligible for the playoffs, but did work out and travel with the team for the first-round ouster at the hands of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Nicknamed “Airplane Mode” for his leaping ability, Jones finished as runner-up in the 2017 Slam Dunk contest during NBA All-Star Weekend in New Orleans, while with the Suns.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said at season’s end that Jones’ NBA future could possibly be as a defensive stopper.
“It’s been very intentional that we try to get him on the best wing opponent every night and really embrace that challenge regardless of how many minutes he plays and what his offensive responsibility is,” Spoelstra said.