Heat Should Sign Athletic First-Round Pick In Free Agency

The Miami Heat have quietly been one of the more impressive teams this offseason. While facilitating some impactful deals to improve their roster strength, the Heat have effectively formed a core of talented young players who are primed to compete for a long time.

Miami's backcourt is well-stocked in this regard. Led by Tyler Herro and Norman Powell, the Heat have solid depth in their guard rotation with players such as Terry Rozier, Davion Mitchell, Pelle Larsson, and their rookie Kasparas Jakucionis.

Moving to the frontcourt, however, the Heat may be a little shorthanded, specifically in the big man rotation.

As constructed, Miami's center rotation features Bam Adebayo and Kel'el Ware, two immensely talented big men. While this is an impressive core, the drop-off is quite drastic, as their backup bigs include Nikola Jovic, effectively a floor-spacing wing, and Vladislav Goldin, a rookie.

The lack of depth in the center rotation is something that needs to be addressed, and several trade proposals have been presented to do so. The Heat could also look to acquire a solid big man in free agency, and among the available candidates, Miami should consider former Dallas Mavericks center Kai Jones.

Miami has shown an inclination toward signing Jones, as he has reportedly been working out with the team recently. In many ways, he could prove to be the ideal pickup for the team.

Jones was selected by the New York Knicks with the 19th-overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, but never played for the team as he was traded to the Charlotte Hornets.

At 6'11", he possesses incredible athletic ability for his size. His agility and jumping ability are truly impeccable and could be viewed as valuable qualities for a team like the Heat.

Although Jones didn't receive a lot of playing time with the Hornets or the Clippers, he truly stood out during his 12-game stint with the Mavericks last season. While averaging 21.7 minutes per game, he put up 11.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, along with 0.8 steals and 0.8 blocks, showcasing defensive contributions as well.

By utilizing him as an active lob threat, Dallas saw a lot of productivity from the athletic big man. With this, Jones' greatest assets were put to use, and he notched efficient shooting figures of 83.6% from the field.  

He also showed some potential to be a floor-spacer, with 33.3% shooting from three-point range. But with fewer than one three-pointer attempted per game, this could be viewed as an outlier.

Signing Jones could prove to be beneficial for Miami. Given the likelihood that they will start with a frontcourt rotation featuring both Adebayo and Ware, the Heat will need backups for their starting big men.

During his short stint with the Mavericks, the 24-year-old displayed the ability to be a solid backup and key rotation player. With the way the Heat are constructed, there is every reason to believe that he would be effective.

The only challenge with acquiring Jones involves the risk stemming from his past controversial behavior. His stint in Charlotte was cut short after the center went on a rant on social media in 2023. Although he's been relatively reserved since, the Heat would do well to address this early.

With the acquisition of Jones, Miami would have a significantly more balanced roster. The addition of more youth only revitalizes their outlook for the next season, as they emerge as a dark horse in the East.