Miami Heat forward Derrick Jones Jr. has been cleared from coronavirus and will re-join his team in the Orlando bubble for the 2019-20 season restart, per Five Reasons Sports Network.
To recall, Jones Jr. tested positive for COVID-19 late last June. Aside from Jones, two more players from the team tested positive for the dreaded disease, leading the team to shut down their practice facility.
Derrick Jones Jr — confirmed and named by several outlets 2 weeks ago as testing positive for Covid-19 — has been cleared and is expected to join the Miami Heat to enter the bubble tomorrow, according to multiple Five Reasons Sports sources
— Five Reasons Sports (@5ReasonsSports) July 8, 2020
Two weeks ago, the NBA called for mandatory testing of its players and staff in preparation for the resumption of the 2019-20 season. Upon receiving the unfortunate news about Derrick Jones Jr., Heat veteran guard Goran Dragic admitted that he contacted his teammate immediately.
“Nobody wants that to happen to anybody,” Dragic said, per Shandel Richardson of Sports Illustrated. “When we found out, I gave him a call and asked him how he was doing. I didn't have any concerns. At the end of the day, you can catch it anywhere … It is what it is. Everybody is healthy now.”
The Heat are one of the 22 teams set to return to action in Orlando for the resumption of the season. Their record stands at 41-24 for fourth place in the East, which means they have already qualified for the playoffs.
Analysts have considered the Heat as dark horse contenders to win the title, especially after beefing up their roster with Andre Iguodala, Jae Crowder, and Solomon Hill.
Jones, a former G-League and two-way contract player, is playing the best basketball of his young career. The 2020 Slam Dunk champ is averaging career-highs of 8.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists across 24.5 minutes per game.
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