Derrick Jones Jr. Tests Positive For Coronavirus

Heat wing Derrick Jones Jr. has tested positive for COVID-19, becoming Miami’s first player known to have contracted the virus, according to a report from Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

Jones has been asymptomatic and expects to join the Heat for the resumption of the 2019/20 season at Walt Disney World this summer once he has been medically cleared to do so, per Jackson and Chiang. He’ll have to self-quarantine for the time being and will need to return two negative coronavirus tests, at least 24 hours apart, before being cleared to travel to Orlando next month.

Jones, a minimum-salary player during the first four years of his NBA career, will be a free agent this fall and appears to be in line for a substantial raise. However, he previously stated that his contract situation wouldn’t dissuade him from playing in Orlando, and it sounds as if his positive coronavirus test won’t either, assuming his condition doesn’t worsen.

This year’s Slam Dunk Contest winner, Jones has averaged a career-high 24.5 minutes per contest in 51 games for the Heat, averaging 8.9 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 1.1 SPG with a .514 FG% in his regular rotation role.

Reports of NBA players testing positive for COVID-19 have been popping up with increasing frequency this week because teams began mandatory testing on Tuesday in advance of next month’s restart. Nikola Jokic, Malcolm Brogdon, and three Kings players (Jabari Parker, Buddy Hield, and Alex Len) are among the others who have tested positive.