2010 Free Agent: James Jones

[Bruno]

http://www.nba.com/media/act_james_jones.jpg
Born: Oct 4, 1980
Height: 6-8 / 2.03
Weight: 220 lbs. / 99.8 kg.
College: Miami
Years Pro: 6

Info (http://www.nba.com/playerfile/james_jones/career_stats.html)

Partially guaranteed contract. Miami will likely waive him to create more cap space.

[Blackjack]

mountainballer ... come out and play-e-yay. :lol

[Blackjack]

On a serious note, he's got the size and shooting ability the Spurs need and he's a pretty capable defender when he's healthy. It's been a while since he's seen consistent minutes, so I'm not really sure where his game is at at this point.

He could be the best option they can find under the circumstance but I haven't a clue if that's just an indictment of the pickings or an actual good "get."

[MaNu4Tres]

Will fit within the Spurs price range after the assumed signing of Splitter for the majority of the MLE.IMO

The combination of his 3 point stroke and being capable defender with size 6'8"( 7'2" wing-span) makes him probably the best fit available with the money that would be left after signing Splitter.

If Hairston, Gee and the #20 don't show any progression throughout the summer workouts/Summer League games in July and early August, then Spurs could really look into bringing James Jones or Dorell Wright into the program as a security blanket for THG.IMO

If you asked me to pick between the two, I'd pick Dorell Wright.

[Mel_13]

He's missed more than 100 games over the past three seasons. Anyone know what sort of injuries and whether they represent a significant concern? I really liked him when he was with Portland a few years back.

Also, if we're talking about soon-to-be former Heat wings, does anyone have any idea what kind of price Quentin Richardson will be able to command? Same age as Jones, coming off two healthy seasons and over 1,000 NBA 3's on his resume.

[ElNono]

He's missed more than 100 games over the past three seasons. Anyone know what sort of injuries and whether they represent a significant concern? I really liked him when he was with Portland a few years back.

Also, if we're talking about soon-to-be former Heat wings, does anyone have any idea what kind of price Quentin Richardson will be able to command? Same age as Jones, coming off two healthy seasons and over 1,000 NBA 3's on his resume.

QRich is a certified playoff choker. Pass.

[Bruno]

Jones market value is at an all time low after 2 horrible years in Miami. IMO, he could be had with a 1 year vet min contract. At a that cheap price and if he is healthy, he would be a very nice gamble to make.

[Blackjack]

Let's just say I'd much rather role the dice on a guy like Jones than stick with the status-quo, Bogans.

[ElNono]

I would take a gamble on Jones. However, his health is a real concern.

[Blackjack]

Absolutely. But they do have Hairston in tow and I honestly believe he's capable of bringing more to the table than Bogans did last year. I even believe you'll see that corner three and his overall shooting be an asset for him and the team if he sees consistent minutes and is afforded the latitude Bogans was.

Pop needs to play and develop the young guys from the beginning this year for their and the team's overall benefit.

[Mel_13]

Absolutely. But they do have Hairston in tow and I honestly believe he's capable of bringing more to the table than Bogans did last year. I even believe you'll see that corner three and his overall shooting be an asset for him and the team if he sees consistent minutes and is afforded the latitude Bogans was.

Pop needs to play and develop the young guys from the beginning this year for their and the team's overall benefit.

This is why I have a problem with bringing in a vet like Bell. Barring injuries, his presence means less opportunities for the young guys. They may never amount to much, but we won't know unless they get on the court.

I'd much rather see a guy like Jones as the veteran wing. Not so much because he is much younger and brings size to the wings that we don't have on the roster. Rather because he would come in knowing he would have to earn minutes. If he earns them over the younger guys, fine. We saw Bogans get the benefit of the doubt even though Hairston outplayed him in camp. I believe Bell would get the same treatment. Jones' recent history means he'll have to earn his minutes.

[MaNu4Tres]

This is why I have a problem with bringing in a vet like Bell. Barring injuries, his presence means less opportunities for the young guys. They may never amount to much, but we won't know unless they get on the court.

I'd much rather see a guy like Jones as the veteran wing. Not so much because he is much younger and brings size to the wings that we don't have on the roster. Rather because he would come in knowing he would have to earn minutes. If he earns them over the younger guys, fine. We saw Bogans get the benefit of the doubt even though Hairston outplayed him in camp. I believe Bell would get the same treatment. Jones' recent history means he'll have to earn his minutes.


Good point :tu

I shockingly agree with you and Blackjack.

[TD 21]

Character and personality wise, he's definitely Spurs material.

6-8, can shoot the three and defend.

But, going on 30, coming off of multiple injury plagued seasons and never all that athletic or laterally quick to begin with, I'm skeptical as to where his defense would be at at this point. He might help with the big SF's, like Anthony, Durant, Gay, etc., but what about Bryant? If the Spurs were to sign Jones, they'd be limited to Hill, Ginobili and Hairston, to put on Bryant, because I doubt Jones could stay with him off the dribble. That's not good enough.

Having said that, I could definitely see the Spurs signing Jones. There just aren't many quality options available to fill this role (similar to last off season, where they settled on Bogans), particularly with what the Spurs have to offer.

The thing about Jones is, if he bounces back to where he was prior to signing with the Heat, he's just good enough to be ahead of Hairston/Temple/Gee in the rotation, but, if he struggles, he's not credible enough to ruffle feathers if he's placed behind one of them in the rotation, either.

[Blackjack]

It's just that for their ultimate success they're going to have to have a lot of internal growth. And when you look at a best case scenario with Bell, it's solid defense (depending on matchups) and solid shooting.

But he's not a stopper and even in his best days, he was never a Bowen. He was tough, feisty and competitive, but he lacked the size or real athleticism to really dominate or deter the best scorers. His reputation has always been overinflated.

So what is he now? He's still 6-5 at best, coming off surgery and a lost season (for all intents and purposes) and he'll be what, 35 this year? I just don't see him as anything more than a stopgap or a decent player to play given the matchups. He's not a stalwart to the rotation or someone that deserves latitude afforded to him because he's just that good or important to the team's chances.

I like Sato as an option because he's in the prime of his career and I don't see much if anything Bell dominates him in. Sure he's a more proven commodity and he's built up a reputation with the league and its officials, but you just can't dismiss the surgeries, missed games and fact that he's definitely past his prime. At what point does a known commodity become an old or used commodity? At what point does that known commodity just become what used to be?

I think this team needs to look for upside in their players more than they have in a long time to get where they want to go. Simply bringing in options deemed to be low-risk, low-reward just isn't going to get it done, IMO. They need to hope for one of those "diamonds in the rough," Pop always used to talk about; and guys like Bell just aren't it.

[Darkwaters]

For vet min, sign him up. I'll take a gamble on a guy like this. Worst case scenario is we do the Theo Ratliff treatment to his contract.

[mountainballer]

mountainballer ... come out and play-e-yay. :lol

:p: Jones? James Jones? if he really hits the FA market Spurs need to rethink the offseason and trow the MLE at him!
ok ok. the LLE? No?...

to be true I don't know how to currently value him. in general I still believe he has a lot of qualities that fit well with the Spurs and that there would be a place for him with this roster. but I also know that he just had an ugly season, after an ugly season. maybe the injuries. whatever.

the pros. he had two decent seasons in Phoenix and then a really good season in Portland. that's just two years ago. and 2009 he played a really great PO series against the Hawks, becoming a big factor why the series went 7 games.
but overall, the moment he joined Miami, he sucked.
btw. could Miami have a coaching problem in the first place? all their promising young players didn't exactly improve like you would expect them. most had a nice even great start, but how comes that Chalmers, Beasley, Cook, Wright all lost track at some point in the last season?
this doesn't explain anything about Jones, but I sometimes thought that Spoelstra just plays try and error with his rotations, instead of building a team with defined rotations. some player don't respond well with this. Jones might be one.
he was unlucky to start his first season in Miami on the injured list, but back again he got 30 minutes one night and 7 minutes the other. only a few stretches of games with regular minutes per game. (like during his PO run)
this season the same picture.
what I try to say: JJ looked bad a lot the last 2 years, but he might actually not be that bad.
however. I would love if the Spurs try to find out, but I realize that in the current situation anything more than a min contract would be bad business. on the vet min he is a nice option to get a veteran back up SF, who can be a good defender for 3 positions.

[Bruno]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5322877


a league source told ESPN.com that the Heat were working Thursday on a buyout of James Jones' contract to further increase their financial flexibility for free agency this summer.

Jones has $15.5 remaining on his contract through 2012-13, but those final three seasons are only partially guaranteed if James is waived by June 30.

Waiving Jones would knock another $2.8 million off the Heat's salary cap for the 2010-11 season, giving them roughly $27 million to spend in free agency after July 1.

As expected, Jones will likely be waived.

After the James Anderson pick, I'm on the James Jones bandwagon. Spurs need to add size to the perimeter after having drafted a small wing. Players like Sato, Bogans or Bell are too short.

[spursfan1000]

I would take him for the vet min.

[benefactor]

I would take him for the vet min.
He made 4.3 million last year. It will probably take the LLE.

I wanted Sato, but I've also shifted my interest towards Jones. The Spurs have to find a player that is more SF sized to back up RJ.

[TimmehC]

Dude has a sweet 3-point shot. Bring him in.

[tdunk21]

Dude has a sweet 3-point shot. Bring him in.

yeah....he says reggie miller was his mentor

[Spurs Brazil]

I think he's a great option for the LLE

He'd be very good option as a backup SF

[tomtom]

He'd be a good fit, no way he'd do any worse than Bogans

[mountainballer]

jesus. did I just read 6 or 7 consecutive posts supporting the idea of bring James Jones in??
wow. I have been trying to find a co driver on his bandwagon for about 3 years I guess. great to see I'm no longer the lonsome supporter of this idea.
because I'm sure it's a good idea. there is no other team in the league where JJ would fit as well as with the Spurs. that's my theory. please RC/Pop, verify it!

[BronxCowboy]

Come on now, you're not the only one who's wanted Jones as a Spur in the past. It's just that he was overpaid last time around.

[ace3g]

did he have any injury problems last year, noticed he missed some games last season?

[benefactor]

Come on now, you're not the only one who's wanted Jones as a Spur in the past. It's just that he was overpaid last time around.
Pretty much. :)

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Intriguing prospect for the minimum. We could do worse. Is he a better defender than Matt Barnes?

[mountainballer]

Intriguing prospect for the minimum. We could do worse. Is he a better defender than Matt Barnes?

IMO yes. totally different though. Barnes is a better athlete and his defense is more abour energy and hustle. Jones is so much smarter. that's why I'm sure he will do well in a system like the Spurs defense. he has fantastic lenght and he anticipates and rotates very well. not a spectacular style of defense, but pretty efficient. not many spectacular plays, but at the end of the day his opponent's numbers usually show the effort of Jones defense.

[Seventyniner]

If he'll take the min, sign him up. We need cheap depth to fill out the roster and at least one more SF anyway. He was top 3 in the league in 3PT% the season before he went to Miami, if I remember right.

[tdunk21]

If he'll take the min, sign him up. We need cheap depth to fill out the roster and at least one more SF anyway. He was top 3 in the league in 3PT% the season before he went to Miami, if I remember right.

miami is a shit hole...i wonder why players decline on that team....example
james jones, jermaine o'neal, beasley.....

[coyotes_geek]

Count me in on the James Jones bandwagon. From the day he signed with Miami 2 years ago the writing was on the wall that he was going to get run off in 2010 in order to clear cap room. Not exactly a situation that was going to allow Jones to thrive.

I have my doubts that league min will be enough to get him though. Would probably take most of, if not all of, the BAE.

[BronxCowboy]

Has he actually been waived yet?

[coyotes_geek]

Doesn't look like he has as of yet. Should hear something soon though, because I believe his partially guaranteed contract becomes fully guaranteed if he's not waived by June 30th.

[mountainballer]

Doesn't look like he has as of yet. Should hear something soon though, because I believe his partially guaranteed contract becomes fully guaranteed if he's not waived by June 30th.

Heat might still try to somehow get him traded. won't happen. he will be waived on Wednesday.
Spurs should not hesitate to offer the BAE. Jones is smart. he will consider this offer. he knows he could find a pretty nice niche and regular minutes (at 3 and 4) with the Spurs and they already wanted him in 2005.

[DesignatedT]

I do think Jones would be a nice addition but can someone please change his photo. makes him look like a straight up douche.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

He was waived today.

http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/67568/20100629/heat_waive_james_jones/

[DesignatedT]

Still seems like the best option for us at the moment. Any more news on this kid?

[benefactor]

If Petro's getting 10 million then Jones will laugh at the LLE.

[Spurs Brazil]

Ira Winderman: Also, do not rule out a return by James Jones. Those wheels already have been set in motion. Minimum roster not looking so minimal. 14 minutes ago.

Read more: http://hoopshype.com/twitter_media.html#ixzz0tJ7UygS9

[mountainballer]

it would make a lot of sense if he comes back.
why was his contract structured in such a weired way to begin with?
but if they had involved him in the 2010 scenario (which means he knew from the beginning he will be waived 2010) and still wanted to give him security, but find a cap friendly solution, it was the best way to structure his contract like that. which also means, it might have been part of the plan that he comes back on a vet. minimum contract.
JJones is a Miami kid, he went to college in Miami and when he returned 2008, he said that this was always his dream. (as far as I remember he rejected a better offer from Portland then).
however, a role player like him, who can defend a bit and hit the 3 a bit would be a very valuable addition for the Heat.

let's guess they bring in Miller, bring back Haslem and Jones. the Heat roster looks better every day.

[mountainballer]

btw. a strange detail: Jones accepted an even lower buy out as already fixed as terms in his contract. that way he gave the Heat an additional 312 K cap space.
question: where on earth would a waived player give back money to the team that just waived him? Jones obviously wanted to help the Heat and IMO this only makes sense if he wants to return.

[coyotes_geek]

btw. a strange detail: Jones accepted an even lower buy out as already fixed as terms in his contract. that way he gave the Heat an additional 312 K cap space.
question: where on earth would a waived player give back money to the team that just waived him? Jones obviously wanted to help the Heat and IMO this only makes sense if he wants to return.

Sure looks like there was a wink and a nod shared between the heat and jones if he took a smaller buyout. I'm sure the heat knew that they wouldn't be able to afford Dorrell Wright if they got Lebron and Bosh, so it would make sense for them to want to bring Jones back.

Hopefully the extra money of an LLE offer over league minimum is enough to get Jones attention.