3. Derrick Jones Jr.
After two short stints in Portland and Chicago, Derrick Jones Jr. signed with the Dallas Mavericks on a one-year, $2.7 million contract. Jones is having the best season of his career, starting in 39 of the 40 games he's played this season and playing a career-high 26 minutes a game.
Some highlights for Jones this year have been hitting a career high six threes against the Oklahoma City Thunder and scoring over 20 in five games this season, with his previous two times scoring more than 20 was during his time with the Heat.
Derrick Jones jr. forces it in and gets the and-1 whistle 😤pic.twitter.com/1BQAY618QV
— Mavs Nation (@MavsNationCP) January 14, 2024
While Miami came into the season with a lot of wings, the Heat's strength is their defense. And a reunion with Jones would have helped on that end with his length, especially in the zone defense where Jones was used at the top of the zone to disrupt passes during his time with the Heat.
Although it's uncertain if Jones would have been a starter in Miami as he is in Dallas, given the Heat having players such as Jimmy Butler, Josh Richardson, Caleb Martin and Haywood Highsmith miss time, Jones would of had his opportunities to play in a fair amount of games so far and provide an impact with his defense.