Derrick Jones Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Rumors: Bamba, Vucevic, McGruder, Melvin

October 19th, 2018 at 8:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Magic lottery pick Mohamed Bamba will come off the bench and have his minutes monitored, John Denton of the team’s website reports. Coach Steve Clifford doesn’t feel the 20-year-old 7-footer is ready to jump into the lineup any time soon. “I want him to play 82 (games), and he’s going to be out there and playing quality minutes,” Clifford said. “But he’s just not ready to play starter’s minutes against starting players. (A reserve role) is a big part of how you bring a player along. He’s in a role that’s ideal for him.” The unspecified minutes restriction is designed to have him “playing his best in March and April,” Clifford added.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

The Magic can be expected to do their due diligence and gauge starting center Nikola Vucevic’s trade value, according to Michael Scotto of The Athletic. Vucevic is in his walk year and will enter unrestricted free agency in July. Vucevic doesn’t fit president Jeff Weltman and GM John Hammond’s desire for length and versatility, Scotto adds.
Rodney McGruder and Derrick Jones Jr. have been effective as starters during the first two games, which further complicates the long-range plan for the Heat’s rotation, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel notes. With Dion Waiters, James Johnson, Justise Winslow and Wayne Ellington currently sidelined, finding enough playing time for rotation-worthy players hasn’t been an issue, Winderman continues. When those players return, Miami will have 13 players who arguably should be in the rotation, Winderman adds.
Former WNBA star Chasity Melvin has been named an assistant coach with the Greensboro Swarm, the Hornets’ G League affiliate, according to a Swarm press release. Melvin, who played 12 WNBA seasons, is the first female coach in franchise history. She was hired through the NBA Assistant Coaches Program.

Heat Notes: Jones, Richardson, Waiters, Deng

September 2nd, 2018 at 10:23am CST by Arthur Hill

Derrick Jones looked like a star in Summer League, but it won’t be easy for him to get playing time, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel in a mailbag column. Jones was the Heat’s top scorer in the Sacramento league, averaging 21.3 points in three games, along with 7.3 rebounds. A two-way player last season, he appeared in 14 games for Miami and started eight.

Jones, a small forward who signed a two-year deal in July, faces heavy competition for minutes. Josh Richardson will start at that position, and using Jones as a backup means moving Justise Winslow to either power forward or the backcourt and the Heat are already overloaded in both areas. It may take a roster move or two for Jones to get an opportunity.

There’s more this morning out of Miami:

In the same column, Winderman tabs Richardson as the Heat player most likely to raise his game to an All-Star level in the future. Richardson became a full-time starter last year in his third NBA season and responded with a 12.9/3.5/2.9 line. The four-year, $42MM extension that Richardson agreed to last year will kick in this season, raising his salary to $9.367MM.
Fans shouldn’t expect too much from Dion Waiters in his return from injury, Winderman cautions in a separate piece. Waiters played just 30 games last year before undergoing season-ending ankle surgery in January. He should improve the team, Winderman notes, but will be competing for minutes with Richardson, Tyler Johnson and possibly Dwyane Wade.
The Heat still have little hope of finding a taker for Johnson’s contract, Winderman adds in the same story. The Nets’ offer sheet that Miami matched in 2016 starts to balloon this year, paying Johnson $19,245,370 in each of the next two seasons and giving him the second-highest salary on the team. Winderman notes that the Rockets moved Ryan Anderson‘s similar deal this week, but Anderson agreed to a substantial giveback in the final year of his contract, which Johnson doesn’t have incentive to do.
After agreeing to a buyout with the Lakers, Luol Deng is unlikely to return to Miami, tweets Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Deng would find minutes hard to come by in an already-crowded Heat rotation and wouldn’t want to risk being stuck on the bench like he was in Los Angeles. Deng spent two seasons in Miami before signing with the Lakers in 2016.

Heat Sign Derrick Jones Jr.

July 1st, 2018 at 12:38pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Heat have signed Derrick Jones Jr. to a two-year deal, according to a team press release. The pact will be a minimum salary arrangement with Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel reporting (Twitter link) that the second year is non-guaranteed.

Jones Jr. played with Miami on a two-way deal last season, seeing action in 13 games for the team’s G League affiliate and in 14 with the NBA club. During his time with the Heat, he averaged 3.7 points in 15.2 minutes per game.

Most signings cannot be made official during the league’s moratorium. However, minimum salary deals are an exception to that rule, as we outline in our Glossary section. Other transactions that are allowed include signing first-rounders to their rookie scale contract and a restricted free agent signing his qualifying offer or a max deal with his current team.

Heat Make Qualifying Offer To Derrick Jones

June 14th, 2018 at 11:29am CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat have tendered a qualifying offer to two-way player Derrick Jones, according to Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel.

The move comes with minimal financial risk, as qualifying offers for players on two-way contracts are just $77K. Jones will now be a restricted free agent, and Miami will be able to match any offers he receives.

The rookie forward originally signed with the Suns last fall, but played just six games before being waived in December. He joined the Heat three weeks later and started eight games while the team was dealing with multiple injuries. Jones played 14 games in Miami, averaging 3.7 points and 2.4 rebounds per night.

The Heat will have to make a similar decision soon with guard Derrick Walton, their other two-way player, Winderman notes. They also must determine whether to pick up the guarantee on Rodney McGruder’s $1,544,951 contract for next season by June 29. They turned down their 2018/19 option on Jordan Mickey last month.

Southeast Notes: Batum, Fournier, Heat, Wade

April 25th, 2018 at 6:11pm CST by clarkcrum

In a mailbag piece for The Charlotte Observer, Rick Bonnell argues that despite the frustration voiced by fans over the contract of Nicolas Batum, who’s still owed $76.7MM in guaranteed money over the next three seasons, the Hornets should not even consider waiving the swingman.

That’s because under the new CBA rules, Batum’s salary would continue counting against the Hornets’ cap even after his release, as there is no longer an amnesty provision incorporated into the new CBA. Moreover, the Hornets had more issues this season than Batum.

Instead, Bonnell suggests that Batum’s contract, although troublesome, is not “untradeable,” and that the Hornets should be able to trade Batum away if they are willing to take on some other bad contracts in return.

And in another article for the Observer, Bonnell opines that Batum doesn’t necessarily need to be traded. Rather, the Hornets’ next head coach should look to resurrect Batum’s game, which may mean letting him handle the ball more as arguably the team’s top ball-mover and facilitator.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

After a tough season in which his team finished 25-57 and missed the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season, Magic guard Evan Fournier plans on joining his countrymen on the French National Team for the third window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers, he tells FIBA.
In a season-ending piece for the Sun-Sentinel, Ira Winderman gives his thoughts and other information on the 17 players who finished the 2017/18 NBA season as members of the Heat – including two-way players Derrick Walton Jr. and Derrick Jones Jr.
In another article for the Sun-Sentinel, Winderman compares this upcoming offseason to the summer of 2016, when Dwyane Wade left the Heat for Chicago. Ultimately, Winderman believes that unlike two years ago, it’ll be wholly up to Wade as to whether he wants to play in Miami next season, as long as he’s willing to accept a reasonable contract.

Southeast Notes: Spoelstra, Prince, Gordon/Isaac, Johnson

March 23rd, 2018 at 6:52pm CST by clarkcrum

Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra is excited about the prospect of getting the team’s two-way players, Derrick Jones Jr. and Derrick Walton, back with the team this weekend, reports Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel.

With the G League regular season concluding tomorrow, the 45-day restriction upon two-way players is lifted, freeing them to return to the NBA for the remainder of the regular season. Jones Jr. is back with the Heat for tonight’s game against Oklahoma City, with Walton joining the team before Sunday’s game in Indiana. As for the two-way system itself, Spoelstra is a fan, even though he thinks a few issues need ironing out.

“The system is a little bit clumsy, but I’m sure we’ll iron that all out in years to come. I’m a big fan of the two-way contract. I think it’s good for teams, it’s good for the player. We’ve seen the benefits of developing our guys with us (the Heat), but also getting those guys a lot of game reps in our culture, in Sioux Falls.”

Jones Jr., 21, is averaging 17.1 points and 7.4 rebounds in 29.1 minutes per game this season for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Heat’s G League affiliate, while also starting eight games for the Heat during the team’s struggle through injuries. Asked whether his development is of importance to the team, Spoelstra said of course:

“Absolutely. We always envision where a player can go. We do that with an open mind and a commitment to our player development. He’s improved this year with us and that’s worth noting, because he’s committed to our (the Heat’s) process. I think he has to break into this program as a defensive-minded player. That’s really where his potential is. It’s been very intentional that we try to get him on the best wing opponent every night and really embrace that challenge regardless of how many minutes he plays and what his offensive responsibility is. He has to guard, he has to be able to impact on that side of the floor. And that got better. It still has a long ways to go, but he’s starting to understand where he can break through.”

As we’ve noted generally before, neither Jones Jr. nor Walton are playoff-eligible for the Heat unless signed to a standard contract before the final game of the regular season. This is unlikely as Miami already has 15 players on its roster.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Hawks‘ forward Taurean Prince has improved his three-point prowess throughout his career, but no more so than this season, writes Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype, where he is shooting 40.4% from behind the stripe.
The Magic are excited to be able to play versatile forwards Aaron Gordon and rookie Jonathan Isaac together for the remainder of this season, writes John Denton of NBA.com.
Just in time for the playoffs, James Johnson is finally realizing the level of play the Heat expected when they signed him to a lucrative contract this summer, Winderman adds in another piece.

Heat Notes: Wade, Babbitt, DPE, Jones

March 3rd, 2018 at 6:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat are missing three shooting guards because of injuries, but coach Erik Spoelstra won’t consider using Dwyane Wade as a starter, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Just as he did in Cleveland before being traded, Wade has become the leader of the reserves and his coach doesn’t want to take him out of that role.

“I want [Wade] to get as comfortable with that second unit as possible,” Spoelstra said. “That to me is a dynamic, game-changing lineup that I want them to continue to gain confidence in, get more comfortable with.”

Wade agrees with Spoelstra’s decision, saying he needs to get used to working with his new teammates. He is averaging 13.6 points in seven games since returning to Miami.

There’s more Heat-related news to pass on:

The team still hasn’t determined the best fit at power forward to complement center Hassan Whiteside, Jackson adds in a separate story. Justise Winslow, James Johnson and Kelly Olynyk have all been tried in the starting lineup, but none has excelled in that role. Luke Babbitt is getting the start tonight, and the Heat were 21-14 last season with him in the starting lineup. However, Spoelstra doesn’t seem to consider him a long-term solution. “Luke is a guy we all like having on the floor, not for big minutes,” Spoelstra said. “But he helps your best players out there. He’s smart. He knows how to play off of guys. He knows how to be in the right spot defensively. But I am not looking for anything from last year. This team is totally different.”
The Heat are missing two important ingredients to attract players who agree to buyouts, according to Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Most free agents on the buyout market are looking for guaranteed playing time on a team with the potential to make a long postseason run. The Heat already have a crowded roster and currently hold down the final playoff spot in the East with a 32-30 record. Miami has nine days before its $5.5MM Disabled Player Exception expires, but Winderman doesn’t expect the team to use it. He adds that the Heat are considering Rodney McGruder, who recently returned from surgery on a stress fracture in his left tibia, to be their buyout addition.
Two-way player Derrick Jones is active tonight, cutting him down to just five NBA days left on his 45-day limit, Winderman tweets. Once he hits that mark, Jones can’t be with the Heat until the G League season ends, unless he is signed to a rest-of-the-season contract or a 10-day deal.

Heat Notes: Ellington, Trade Deadline, Jones, Whiteside

January 28th, 2018 at 10:20am CST by Arthur Hill

For the second straight season, the Heat will face a difficult decision regarding Wayne Ellington, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Ellington, who is averaging a career-best 11.5 points per game and ranks fourth in the league in made 3-pointers, is headed toward free agency again after signing a one-year deal with the team last summer.

The Heat have 11 players already under contract for next season, with $119.1MM in committed salary, well over the $101MM cap and close to the $123MM tax threshold, so the options with Ellington are limited. They can re-sign him and accept the tax, which seems unlikely because they aren’t title contenders, they can let Ellington sign elsewhere and lose a key rotation piece or they can try to trade someone else to clear cap room like they did last summer with Josh McRoberts.

There’s more this morning out of Miami:

With the trade deadline 11 days away, the Heat will only consider deals if they can obtain an All-Star level player, Jackson relays in the same story. Miami leads the Southeast Division and is fourth in the East at 28-21 and wouldn’t make a lateral move if it continues to play well. The Hornets may try to move guard Kemba Walker, but Jackson doesn’t see him as a good fit because of Goran Dragic‘s presence on the roster and Charlotte’s desire to get rid of another big contract in any Walker deal.
The Heat face a decision soon on rookie forward Derrick Jones, who has six NBA days remaining on his two-way contract, Jackson adds. The front office has discussed converting his deal into a standard contract after the deadline and giving him the roster spot currently occupied by A.J. Hammons, who has spent the season in the G League.
By signing Kelly Olynyk and drafting Bam Adebayo during the offseason, the Heat may have made center Hassan Whiteside expendable in a trade, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Whiteside is playing just 26 minutes per night, compared to 24 for Olynyk and 20 for Adebayo, and the Heat are showing they can be successful without him on the court. Whiteside tops the Miami payroll at nearly $23.8MM and Winderman lists a few salary matches in potential trades, including Kevin Love, Harrison Barnes, C.J. McCollum and Marc Gasol.

Southeast Notes: Whiteside, Heat, Howard, Wall

January 24th, 2018 at 6:07pm CST by Arthur Hill

Heat center Hassan Whiteside believes his team’s lack of national exposure contributed to him being overlooked for the All-Star Game, relays Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Whiteside is having a solid season, averaging 14.7 points and 11.8 rebounds per night, and the Heat are fourth in the East at 27-20, but Kristaps Porzingis, Kevin Love and Al Horford were selected ahead of him as reserve frontcourt players.

“You know, it’s confusing,” Whiteside said. “I get confused about it sometimes. Is it about stats? Or is it about winning?”

Of the 15 teams with the league’s best records, the Heat were the only ones not to have an All-Star. Whiteside suggested it’s because the team has barely appeared on national television. TNT hasn’t televised a single Miami game this season, while ESPN has shown just one, with another scheduled broadcast bumped for a Celtics-Timberwolves contest.

“The NBA pushes teams,” he said. “The NBA pushes guys. The media pushes people. There’s teams all got Christmas games that stink, so I’m not going to say what teams, but you all know those teams that shouldn’t be playing on Christmas.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

The Heat have taken a creative approach to getting maximum value out of their two-way players, Jackson adds in a separate story. Both are close to their NBA limit, with nine days left for Derrick Jones and six for Derrick Walton. Miami is conserving their time by not having them travel with the team on the flight home from Houston after Monday’s game and not having them at practice today. All two-way players will be eligible to join their teams after their G League season [or playoff run] is over, even if they have used all 45 days. For Jones and Walton, that will be March 24, unless Sioux Falls makes the postseason.
Gambling on Dwight Howard has turned out to be a good move, Hornets coach Steve Clifford tells Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Howard’s problems with free throws and turnovers haven’t gone away, but his coach contends the 32-year-old center has made a difference by still being a dominant rebounder and rim protector. “This might be his best [season] since his second year in Houston,” Clifford said.
Mavericks guard J.J. Barea is getting a strong reaction to his negative comments about John Wall, relays Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. After the Wizards lost Monday in Dallas, Barea told reporters he doesn’t believe Wall is liked by his teammates. “I’ve never had a teammate say he didn’t like me,” Wall said to Candace Buckner of The Washington Post (Twitter link). “If it’s true, nobody would be man enough to say it to me so I don’t believe it. … I don’t let that affect me.”

Southeast Notes: Walker, Johnson, Vucevic

January 21st, 2018 at 7:21pm CST by Austin Kent

The Hornets may have permanently damaged their relationship with All-Star guard Kemba Walker, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer writes. When news broke that the franchise was eager to unload their best player in order to clear cap space and initiate a rebuild, the 27-year-old was apparently devastated.

Bonnell argues that Walker has been a world-class representative of the Hornets, a leader on the court and in the community. The scribe also argues that he’s a part of the solution in Charlotte, not the problem, and that it was customarily clumsy for the organization to dangle him for financial relief.

Bonnell cites Charlotte’s fruitless attempt to sign Gordon Hayward away from the Jazz as a restricted free agent in 2014 and the club’s ill-advised decision to sign Lance Stephenson to a three-year, $27MM deal shortly thereafter as other examples of the Hornets being managed clumsily.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

The Heat continue to be ravaged by injuries at the two-guard position, the latest one to fall being Tyler Johnson. Now, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel writes, head coach Erik Spoelstra will have to decide between two-way player Derrick Jones Jr., reserve Wayne Ellington or an out-of-position Josh Richardson.
Despite the temporary scare, Heat guard Tyler Johnson‘s leg injury wasn’t as bad as initially feared, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald writes. “I was really worried because initially it felt like my knee popped,” he said. “That’s why when I went down I started grabbing at my knee and that was what was more worrisome than anything else. I’ve never had a bad knee injury so I didn’t know what it felt like. I was just thankful once I got to the back and my adrenaline kind of went down the pain in my knee wasn’t nothing I really ever felt before. My foot was down and it just kind of got tangled up.“
A fractured bone in Nikola Vucevic‘s hand has kept him out of action since December 23 but the Magic big man is making progress, John Denton of Orlando’s team site writes. “Little by little [the strength is returning] and the best thing is just me using my hand because that will help it. I’m just doing stuff every day. Even video games, will help because I’m using my hand,” Vucevic said.