High-flyer Derrick Jones Jr. is packing his bags and heading for the Northwest, as he departs the Miami Heat for the Portland Trail Blazers.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Jones has agreed to a two-year, $19 million deal with the Blazers in unrestricted free agency.
Free agent Derrick Jones has agreed to a two-year, $19M deal with the Portland Trail Blazers, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 21, 2020
Derrick Jones Jr. is known for being one of the best dunkers in the NBA, but he stayed generally productive on the court for the Heat. He averaged 8.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game while shooting 52.7 percent from the field, 28.0 percent from beyond the arc and 77.2 percent from the free-throw line in 2019-20.
In the 2020 playoffs, where the Heat lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals in six games, Jones Jr. played in 15 games and put up 1.5 points a night. He should get a bigger role on the Blazers, who fell to the Lakers in the first round of the 2020 postseason in five games.
As is the case every season in Portland, the Blazers' hopes rest on the shoulders of guards Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. The team acquired small forward Robert Covington from the Houston Rockets, which could mean Carmelo Anthony may not be coming back.
Melo is an unrestricted free agent and probably looking to start after playing well for the Blazers.
Portland also acquired Enes Kanter from the Boston Celtics on Friday, which means Hassan Whiteside's time in Rip City is most likely done, too, since Jusuf Nurkic is the starter and Kanter will be his backup.
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