With the dominoes starting to fall, the Miami Heat could find a power forward via trade sooner rather than later. Terrence Jones is a player who could make a lot of sense.
Well, it appears trade season is officially upon us.
During the All-Star Game, Adrian Wojnarowski of the Vertical reported that the Sacramento Kings were close to dealing Demarcus Cousins. After about an hour of chaos and uncertainty (on the Twittersphere, at least), we learned the exact details of the trade.
Demarcus Cousins and Omri Casspi for Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway, New Orleans’ 2017 first round draft pick (top three-protected) and a future second round pick, as well.
Wow.
Lost in the aftermath of our first major trade of the year is the fact that Terrence Jones, who just signed with the Pelicans this past offseason, now needs a new home. As disclosed by Chris Haynes of ESPN:
New Orleans now seeking trade partner for forward Terrence Jones, league sources tell ESPN. Mutual decision on behalf of team, Jones' camp.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) February 20, 2017
For those who don’t know, Jones is a 6-foot-9 power forward, in his fifth year in the NBA. He currently averages 11.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game, to go with 1.0 blocks and 0.8 steals. Jones is shooting 47 percent from the floor, 61 from the foul stripe, and (a paltry) 25 percent from three.
Is he a game changer at the power forward position? Absolutely not. But he would still be an upgrade over Luke Babbit.
I’m not sure if that’s enough to entice Pat Riley, but I imagine he will do his due diligence and figure out what the Pelicans would ask for in return. After all, Ethan Skolnick and Dan LeBatard both said (on their respective radio shows) they expect the team to be active around the trade deadline.
Let’s surmise how we could make this happen.
How to make a potential deal work
After a somewhat disappointing season with the Houston Rockets in 2015-’16, Jones had to sign with New Orleans for the league minimum. A one-year, $980,431 deal.
According to Marc Stein of ESPN, he turned down more money elsewhere for the chance to play alongside former Kentucky teammate Anthony Davis. (I’m guessing he wasn’t as excited about the Cousins trade as the rest of New Orleans was.)
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Because Jones’ deal is so cheap, it sort of limits Miami’s prospects as far as making a one-for-one trade work financially.
Also important — the Pelicans traded Luke Babbitt to the Heat last July. Due to NBA rules, a team cannot reacquire a player traded away during that season. Meaning that Miami is forbidden from sending Babbitt back to New Orleans.
Considering how many players the Pelicans lost in exchange for Cousins, they can’t make another transaction that sees them lose two guys in return for one.
So that leaves Miami with just three options they could deal to make a player-for-player swap work. They are Rodney McGruder, Willie Reed and Josh Richardson.
Reed and Richardson are most likely out of the question. But perhaps McGruder for Jones is feasible? McGruder is about to be 26 and how he fits into Miami’s future is still a question. He’s also playing the best basketball of his (short) career, so it may be smart to strike while the iron is hot.
Chances a McGruder for Jones swap actually happens?
A McGruder-for-Jones deal isn’t all that likely, for many reasons.
First off, head coach Erik Spoelstra is extremely high on McGruder. With good reason too, he’s been excellent recently. Over his last ten games, McGruder is averaging 8.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists, while shooting 39 percent from three. Not only that, but he also spends long stretches defending the opposing team’s best player.
Had Justise Winslow been able to stay healthy this year, dealing McGruder may have been a little easier. But without him, and McGruder, Miami would be very thin at the 3.
Further, Reed’s rim protection and ability to finish around the basket are too important for the team’s immediate success. While Richardson is a key part of their future. They can’t reasonably part with either of those two guys.
If Miami was going after a slightly bigger fish, then maybe you could talk Riley into dealing away any of those three players. But Jones simply isn’t the guy to risk future assets for.
Fingers crossed New Orleans is willing to part with their superflous power forward for a future second round pick. (I mean, very far in the future. Like 2022 far; that’s the next one Miami is allowed to trade.)
Regardless, keep an eye on the landscape for the next few days. Just like Jones, other players are sure to pop up when you least expect it.