Miami Heat guard Derrick Jones Jr. is slowly proving himself worthy of a NBA contract.
The NBA’s one-and-done rules regarding college athletes is a gift and a curse.
On one hand, plenty of players could stand to use a year or two more of amateur experience before trying their luck in the Association. On the other, the league benefits from a variety of young prospects, showcasing their sharpshooting and elite athleticism along with a potentially bright future in the NBA.
The Miami Heat’s Derrick Jones Jr. fits the bill of the latter.
Just 20 years old and in his second season in the NBA, Jones is gravity averse, using his levitational skills as a punctuation mark on rim assaults as often as he can.
In two seasons between two teams, Jones has been signed and waived, been a starter and come off the bench, sent to the G-League and elevated in an All-Star Weekend dunk contest. Before that, Jones was a four-star high school recruit whose brief college career was interrupted by an administrative short coming.
Jones has lived a basketball lifetime in his 20 years, yet still shows the promise his age foretells. Nestled into a contributing role on the Heat, Jones has become accustomed to his unpredictable lifestyle.
"“You just got to go through your day like you usually do. It happens,” Jones said before Miami’s February 7 game. “You get called up. You get put back down. I just think about it like it’s just me being able to come up here and learn a lot more and be able to better my game when I come up here, and when I go down there, I get to put everything to use that I learned up here.”"
But there is more to Jones’ story than connecting flights to and from Miami. Here’s a look back at Jones’ career, and what’s to come.
Then
A Pennsylvania native, Jones’ career began with a sibling rivalry. During the summer leading up to seventh grade was when Jones took first flight towards the hoop, brandishing his dunking ability to his older brother.
"“No one believed I could dunk,” Jones told the Players’ Tribune. He continued, “So the first time I dunked, I really just wanted to do one thing … shut my brother up.”"
With a new-found talent, Jones pursued an illustrious high school basketball career. At Archbishop John Carroll High School in Radnor, Pennsylvania, Jones, was ranked in the top 100 recruits of 2014-15 by Scout.com and in the top 50 by Rivals and ESPN.
Rocking a No. 24 jersey, he led the Patriots to a 23-7 record in his final season, while posting averages of 19 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks per game. Earning offers from Auburn, Connecticut, Saint Joseph’s Temple and Villanova, Jones committed to UNLV in November 2014.
Seemingly on his way to lighting up the hardwood in Nevada, Jones’ amateur career hit a snag. After taking the ACT before his college admission and being cleared to suit up for UNLV, the NCAA pressed forward with allegations that Jones’ scores, and those of other minority student-athletes from a Baltimore area testing center were invalid.
The claims were based around alleged inconsistencies regarding Jones’ GPA and ACT scores. Given the options to retake the test, pursue arbitration or toss the scorer altogether, Jones decided against all three. Instead, he ended his NCAA eligibility, forcing him to miss the final three contests of UNLV’s 2015-16 season.
Betting on himself, Jones declared for the 2016 NBA draft. Despite going undrafted, the Sacramento Kings invited him to join their Summer League team. Ironically, Jones’ games, for which he was sidelined with a groin injury, were played at his alma mater, UNLV.
Months later, the Suns signed Jones during training camp, giving the highflyer another runway. Making his NBA debut on opening night against the Philadelphia 76ers, Jones spent much of the season bouncing between the Suns and their then- D-League affiliate, the Northern Arizona Suns.
Arguably the biggest break of his career, Jones was thrust into the national spotlight when he was invited to perform in the 2017 NBA All-Star Dunk Contest in New Orleans. Going through the legs, and jumping over more people than most can, Jones secured a second-place finish behind the Indiana Pacers Glenn Robinson III.
The rest of Jones’ season was relatively routine. He earned time in 25 of the Suns’ remaining games and went on to play for their Summer League Team prior to the 2017-18 season.
Now
On December 31, 2017, just over two weeks after rejoining the Northern Arizona Suns, Jones signed one of the NBA’s new two-way contracts with the Miami Heat. The deal, which nets Jones a modest $75,000. has Jones splitting time between the Heat and their G-League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
Acquired shortly after Dion Waiters’ season ending ankle surgery and Justise Winslow’s knee injury, Jones got off to a hot start, playing in four of Miami’s victories during January’s six game win streak.
While his contributions in the box score are limited – Jones’ season high in Miami is eight points – his unwavering athleticism has granted him tough defensive assignments. Against the Houston Rockets, Jones provided coverage on perennial MVP James Harden, and against the Milwaukee Bucks, he helped out against Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Miami’s next man up mentality, especially in another injury-plagued season, has allowed Jones to stay active with both the Heat and Force, regardless of how much time he gets on court. Despite his age, Jones earned eight starts with the Heat in 10 games played, the same amount he earned through 38 in Phoenix.
Playing alongside Goran Dragic and Josh Richardson in the starting lineup, emphasized the invaluable role of controlling the game’s tempo from tip-off. And though his offensive contributions are limited, 11 of his 17 made shots this year have come at the rim, forcing the defense to respect his athleticism.
What’s to come
The biggest hurdle standing before Jones is the same thing that led him to Miami in the first place. The six-foot-seven wing is closing in on the end of his two-way contract, and Miami has a decision on whether to proceed with him as part of the potential, postseason roster.
For Jones, the good news is that injuries are still very real for Miami. With Waiters out for the rest of the season and Rodney McGruder inching his way back from a left leg stress fracture, Jones could service the Heat as a backcourt option.
At the same time, given Miami’s sure to be hectic push into the playoffs after the All-Star break, Jones might not be the pickup the Heat are looking for. After starting and playing in a series of games spanning January, the now eighth placed Heat could prioritize veteran leadership over young spark plugs to close out the regular season.
Regardless of how things end with Miami, Jones’ upside can’t be overlooked. His combination of lanky athleticism is highly sought after in this position-less iteration of the NBA, and his development can lead him to a multitude of effective roles leaguewide.
Prioritizing his perimeter scoring is key. Shooting just 2-for-15 from beyond the arc, the 3-ball is Jones’ most noticeable weakness. Though the sample size is small, improving his jumper could land him in a role similar to the San Antonio Spurs’ Danny Green: a 3-and-D player with contract stability.
Next: Miami Heat forward James Johnson: Then, now and what's to come
Whatever Miami chooses to do, the opportunities Jones has earned these past two years has certainly eclipsed the projections for the undrafted UNLV guard. Though contract uncertainty hangs in the balance, Jones is sure to deliver at least a few more NBA highlights.