The former Mavericks inside star stayed in the Heat training hall for 4 days. Can he get a contract?

According to Barry Jackson, a reporter from The Miami Herald. Kai Jones, currently in free agency, held a trial for the Miami Heat on Monday, and Jackson made it clear that it was not an ordinary day of trial, and in fact, Jones spent a full four days at the Heat’s Kaseya Center as the team was seriously thinking about the possibility of signing him. Although the Heat have not made the final decision yet, there are reports that the Heat are very satisfied with the skills and strength shown by the former first-round pick in training and have shown their appreciation for him.

Currently, the Heat's lineup includes 14 players holding standard contracts, and Jones also has the opportunity to win a 15-man quota, but the total salary of the Heat is only slightly higher than the luxury tax line, and they are likely to choose to retain this quota and increase operational flexibility. On the other hand, Jones has only played in three seasons in the NBA field, and he did not appear in the NBA field in the 2023-24 season, which means he still has the opportunity to sign a two-way contract player.

Jackson also said that the Heat could of course consider providing Jones with a training camp contract containing Exhibit 10, which is the least risky operation for them. They can also consider whether to provide him with a standard contract through Jones' performance in training camp and preseason stages. But the problem is that according to previous news, Jones has had in-depth exchanges with Italian league powerhouse Virtus Bologna and is close to reaching an agreement. Bologna Vitus is obviously able to provide him with more guaranteed portions of his salary and more important team roles, and their offer is obviously more competitive. In this case, a non-guaranteed bootcamp contract should be difficult to attract Jones.

Jones was born in January 2001 and is 24 years old, 211cm tall and weighs 100kg. He is the inside player selected by the Charlotte Hornets in the 19th pick in the first round in the 2021 NBA Draft. In the NBA regular season last season, Jones played 40 times for the Los Angeles Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks, with an average of 11.7 minutes per game, with averaging 5 points, 3.1 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.4 steals, and 0.6 blocks, 0.5 turnovers and 1.2 fouls, with a shooting percentage of 79.8%, a three-point shooting percentage of 20%, and a free throw shooting percentage of 71.9%. In the NBA Development League last season, Jones played 15 times on behalf of the Clippers' subordinate team, the San Diego Clippers, with averaging 31.2 minutes per game, averaging 12.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.5 blocks, and 1.1 turnovers and 2.3 fouls. His shooting percentage was 72.6%, a three-point shooting percentage of 36.4%, and a free throw shooting percentage of 88.9%.