NBA Notes: Kai Jones, Heat, Thunder, Daniel Theis

Free agent center Kai Jones worked out for the Heat on Monday, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes.

Jones, 24, was the 19th overall pick in the 2021 draft and split last season with the Clippers and Mavericks. He averaged 5.0 points and 3.1 rebounds in 40 total games, but found a bigger role in Dallas after being waived by Los Angeles on March 1. In 12 games with the Mavericks, Jones averaged 11.4 points and 6.6 boards, starting six times.

Reports over the weekend suggested Jones was making progress toward a deal with Italy’s Virtus Bologna, but this workout indicates he’s still aiming for an NBA roster spot in 2025-26. Miami has multiple openings on its 21-man camp roster and has a history of giving veteran free agents a shot, including R.J. Hampton and Nassir Little in recent years.

Jones is no longer eligible for a two-way contract, meaning he would need to make a standard 15-man roster.

Thunder dynasty? It may look like the Thunder are built for a long run, but ESPN’s Tim Bontemps explains why the new tax apron rules make it more difficult for contenders to keep cores together.

“You have to be right on every decision,” one Western Conference scout told Bontemps. “Now, you have to look at things in not a one-year window, but a three-year window. You literally can’t mess anything up.”

Theis details NBA departure: Former NBA big man Daniel Theis says he turned down an offer from the Knicks before signing with AS Monaco in February.

Mitchell Robinson was returning from injury, and then-coach Tom Thibodeau told Theis he would be insurance if Robinson couldn’t play. Theis opted for Europe instead, believing a strong finish overseas could boost his market this summer.

“I didn’t just look at the money, but the school, the life, everything,” Theis told Euro Insiders. He also said years of trades and moving wore him down, calling the process “like Panini stickers — you take two, I take one.”