Getty Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat.
The Tyus Jones-to-the-Miami Heat smoke is getting a bit thick these days.
Jones has been the subject of trade rumors for a few months now, but one NBA insider recently pointed the arrow straight at Miami as a likely trade partner.
With veteran point guard Kyle Lowry playing at a noticeably lower level than other Heat starters, including Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, adding a player of Jones’ caliber could give the 21-15 Heat a big boost.
On the January 8 episode of “Bully Ball with Rachel Nichols & Demarcus Cousins,” NBA insider Rachel Nichols and former NBA player DeMarcus Cousins discussed possible trade options for the Heat, with Nichols highlighting Jones, who currently plays for the Washington Wizards.
“Their foundation is Jimmy and Bam,” Cousins said. “Obviously, you’re not getting the production that you want from Kyle Lowry, so that’s a contract that can be sent out. There’s just so many options for this Heat team. They have some draft capital, they have Tyler Herro as a big trade asset, so they can definitely make some moves and fill this roster out.”
“Watch for Tyus Jones,” Nichols said. “He’s an interesting name around the Heat.”
NBA Insider Zach Lowe Also Named Heat as Likely Trade Partner for PG Tyus Jones
“I also think there’s some Miami-Washington potentiality with Tyus Jones and another player from Washington to make the salaries match [for Kyle Lowry]…Tyus Jones I bet you could get for multiple seconds. But I’m not sure about that.” – @ZachLowe_NBA
On the January 8 episode of his podcast, NBA insider Zach Lowe also endorsed a potential swap involving Lowry, whose $29.6 million salary will also have to be moved. Lowry is in the final year of his contract, and Jones in in the first year of his two-year, $29 million deal with the Wizards.
The money could work — the only question would be what kind of draft compensation Washington might ask for in return.
Lowe thinks multiple second-round picks might do it. Other Wizards and Heat players would likely be involved, of course, with Lowry the most likely.
Tyus Jones Is Having a Career Year in Washington
“Tyus Jones continues to play ultra-efficient basketball & would be an excellent fit on a team like the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns or Miami Heat. The Wizards need to get a return for the 27-year-old before he enters free agency this summer.” – @GregSwartzBR
Via…
Jones, 27, is in his ninth season in the NBA and his first with the Wizards. He’s having a career year so far in Washington, averaging 12.7 points, 5.6 assists and 2.8 rebounds in 27.8 minutes a game, all career bests. The veteran point guard spent his first four seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves before playing for the Memphis Grizzlies for another four years.
Those numbers are far better than Lowry’s. The 37-year-old Heat veteran is averaging 9.2 points, 4.0 assists and 3.6 rebounds in 28.4 minutes.
The Wizards currently have a 6-30 record. Trading a player like Jones in exchange for picks and a placeholder such as Lowry would make sense.
“He is another guy a lot of contenders are going to be watching,” an Eastern Conference exec told Heavy Sports about Jones back in November of 2023. “If you’re the Heat, they’re looking at him, when it comes time to add a guard, which I think everyone expects they’ll do. He is a tough guy, he will come off the bench, he will do whatever the role you want filled is. He is a little bit of a bulldog.”
Clearly, the Jones-to-Heat talk has been going on for some time, but it’s starting to get deafening. We’ll see if it quiets any time soon.