It's quite easy to get excited about the possibility of the Miami Heat signing a former first-round pick to fill out the final spot on their roster, but fans should know better and pump the brakes on the idea of this move. Unless the Heat changes course on how they've operated recently, it's painfully obvious they're not signing Kai Jones. At least not right now.
According to recent reports, Jones is expected to remain "with the Heat" through Thursday as they reportedly "kick tires" on the idea of signing him. However, as Heat reporter Barry Jackson points out, this potential final addition to the roster is anything but a lock at this point.
Heat is going to keep Kai Jones at Kaseya Center through Thursday as they continue "kicking the tires" on the veteran center/PF, per source. He's not eligible for a 2-way. Miami has 14 players on standard contracts; Heat could add 15th before camp or early in the season.
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) August 12, 2025
If the Heat were sold on Jones, he'd already be signed. This tells me they're giving themselves time to figure out a legitimate path toward signing Jones while remaining out of the tax. If that doesn't happen, this story will almost certainly disappear into the abyss.
The path to signing Kai Jones
I suppose if the Heat were absolutely blown away with his workouts and meetings over the next couple of days, there's a potential path in which they could waive-and-stretch Simone Fontecchio, which has already been rumored as a possibility, to make room to get under the tax to then sign Jones.
Do I find that potential possibility to be especially realistic? Absolutely not. However, I do suppose it's something that should not be completely off the table.
In the end, it'd be surprising if the Heat concluded that it's worth going further into the tax to sign Jones, a relatively unpredictable project.
Jones is talented, but that's never been in question over the course of his first few years in the NBA. The big question is, do the Heat feel as if they could be the one outlier that will get the most out of Jones?
Maybe the answer to that question is yes, and the Heat uncharacteristically moves forward with this signing. However, I'd find that difficult to believe.
It's true what's really happening here; it's that the Heat are doing all the homework they can on Jones in the event they make another trade before the start of the season that would successfully take them under that tax. At that point, that's when the potential signing of Jones would make more sense.
For now, this does seem like more smoke than actual fire, no matter how much Heat fans may want the franchise to take a flier on the young talent.