Derrick Jones Jr. Considered Signing With Heat Before Joining Mavericks

Derrick Jones Jr. considered signing with the Miami Heat before joining the Dallas Mavericks, according to NBA insider Marc Stein. Jones Jr. signed a one-year, $2.7 million contract with the Mavericks.

“Derrick Jones Jr., league sources say, gave consideration to signing with Miami before opting to ink a one-year veteran minimum deal with Dallas on Aug. 18,” Stein wrote in his latest NBA column.

Jones Jr. put up 5.0 points and 2.4 rebounds per game for the Chicago Bulls last season while shooting 50.0% overall, 33.8% from 3 and 73.8% from the free-throw line. The 26-year-old has career NBA averages of 6.3 points and 3.2 rebounds with the Phoenix Suns, Heat, Portland Trail Blazers and Bulls.

The Mavericks have been busy this summer. They re-signed Kyrie Irving and Dwight Powell, signed Seth Curry, Dante Exum and Jones Jr. and acquired Grant Williams from the Boston Celtics and Richaun Holmes from the Sacramento Kings.

Dallas won only 38 games last season. The team didn’t even qualify for the play-in tournament after making the Western Conference Finals in 2022. The Mavericks were only 5-11 in games Luka Doncic and Irving played together. That was the worst winning percentage (.313) for a pair of teammates who were both All-Stars since the ABA-NBA merger in 1976-77, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

Doncic signed a five-year, $215.2 million designated rookie contract extension with the Mavericks in August 2021. The four-time All-Star averaged 32.4 points, 8.6 rebounds and 8.0 assists last season while shooting 49.6% from the field, 34.2% from beyond the arc and 74.2% from the free-throw line. Doncic recorded 36 double-doubles and 10 triple-doubles in 66 games.

If Dallas doesn’t compete for a championship next season, rumors about Doncic wanting out could heat up. Doncic said, “Something’s got to change for sure” during his end-of-the-season press conference.