Free agent center Kai Jones is participating in workouts with the Miami Heat this week as the team evaluates potential options to bolster its depth at the center position.
While Miami could use additional size in the middle, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel expressed doubt that the former first-round draft pick will ultimately secure a roster spot – assuming the Heat even extend an offer.
Any deal, Winderman notes, would almost certainly be non-guaranteed. The skepticism stems largely from the Heat’s current financial landscape.
Miami is slightly above the luxury tax threshold, and given that constraint, the team is considered “far more likely” to fill a frontcourt need using a two-way contract rather than committing to a 15th player on a standard NBA deal at the start of the season.
That option isn’t available for Jones, as he has already exhausted his two-way contract eligibility.
Winderman also points out that it’s not unusual for the Heat to bring in free agents for offseason workouts, many of which are conducted behind closed doors without public attention.
This session with Jones is simply one of several auditions the franchise hosts each summer.
Meanwhile, Jones is reportedly garnering strong interest overseas. Italian powerhouse Virtus Bologna has been linked to the 24-year-old and could offer him both guaranteed money and a larger role than he might find in Miami.
Given that, it’s uncertain whether Jones would view a non-guaranteed training camp invitation from the Heat as an attractive opportunity.
Heat Notes: K. Jones, Herro, Johnson, Rotation, Schedule https://t.co/VJ7u9H5Ney pic.twitter.com/SITDmLtv5D
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) August 14, 2025
