LAS VEGAS _ Even before they arrived to Las Vegas for summer league, the Phoenix Suns decided to double down on the Miami Heat.
Of course, with James Jones now a Suns executive, there is history there.
And faith in what Micky Arison, Nick Arison, Pat Riley, Andy Elisburg and Erik Spoelstra can continue to achieve.
In possession of what appeared (and some would say still appears) to be a highly valued 2021 unprotected first-round pick from the Heat, the Suns went all in on draft night in forwarding that selection to the Philadelphia 76ers in order to gain the rights to No. 10 choice Mikal Bridges, the forward out of Villanova.
The deal also included the rights of No. 16 pick Zhaire Smith, the forward out of Texas Tech, going to the 76ers _ thus the doubling down by the Suns.
That No. 16 pick was the first of two acquired from the Heat in the 2015 trade for Goran Dragic, The second pick due from that trade is the unprotected 2021 first-rounder.
In the wake of the draft, Philadelphia coach Brett Brown, who has been leading the 76ers' personnel wing in the wake of the resignation of general manager Bryan Colangelo, said, "That pick might be the key to all of this. That pick might be the thing that links a possible trade."
Since that trade, the 76ers have been linked in bids to put that 2021 Heat first-rounder into packages for disgruntled San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard.
As a matter of perspective, the only Heat players currently under contract for 2020-21, the season that will determine that value of that pick, are Dion Waiters and Josh Richardson. That's it.
So who knows?
The Suns, the team that initially so coveted those two future Heat picks in 2015 at the cost of Dragic.
"Look at Miami's history," Phoenix general manager Ryan McDonough said in the immediate wake of the draft. "It's a good, stable organization that's usually in the playoffs. From top down, the ownership and management is pretty good, so we factored that into it.
"Truth be told, we also factored in that they are in the Eastern Conference and are in a destination market. There was a lot of discussion about that pick."
Nearly a month later, while watching Bridges and Smith square off during a Thursday summer-league game at UNLV, Jones, now the Suns' vice president of basketball operations, said he was confident the Heat will value that 2020-21 season just as they did the six when he was on the roster from 2008 to 2014.
"I think, more than anything, you just look at the history of the Miami Heat and what they've done, what Pat has done, Micky, Andy and more importantly Spo," Jones said as he sat courtside at the Thomas & Mack Center alongside his family. "Spo is a tremendous coach. He always gets the most out of his players and he's always competitive and he's always in the mix.
"So as long as Spo is there and the Miami Heat organization stays intact, which you expect, with Nick and the rest of the guys in the front office, you expect them to compete. For us, we're trying to grow right now. We weren't trying to bet on Miami's inability to be competitive."
The emotional ties are still there, with Jones part of the Heat's Big Three teams that advanced to the NBA Finals from 2011 to 2014, sharing in 2012 and '13 championships alongside LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
To Jones, the Heat have shown they don't play to tank, and certainly would have no motivation when their first-round pick is headed elsewhere.
"I mean they're a championship organization and understanding that, I know it personally, they're going to try to win every game," he said. "They're going to try to get better every day and that's the way they operate. And if that's the mentality, you know they'll have consistent success, which the Miami Heat have had."
To Jones, there are two givens, his enduring love for South Florida, with an upcoming return to his Southwest Ranches home in summer, and an abiding respect for the Heat's culture.
"We know the Heat," he said. "They're about trying to win titles."
