Jones had his best season yet in his third NBA campaign and first full season with Miami. He set new personal bests in games played (60), starts (14) and minutes per game (19.2) while averaging career highs with 7.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 0.8 steals. He set a new high-water mark with 18 points at Boston on Jan. 21, adding nine rebounds. The UNLV product then equaled that mark Mar. 2 against Brooklyn. After seeing a drop in his shooting efficiency in his sophomore year, Jones bounced back, draining 49.4 percent of his shots. That included a big improvement in his long-range game, as he raised his 3-point percentage to a career-best 30.8. Jones grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds versus the Lakers on Dec. 10 after pulling in 11 boards two days earlier against the Clippers. In fact, December was his finest month of the season, as he averaged 8.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and 1.2 assists per contest. On the year, Jones finished fourth on the Heat in rebounding, third in blocks and third in field-goal percentage.

Jones started the 2017-18 season with the Suns, coming off the bench for six games. He averaged 1.5 points, 0.7 rebounds, 0.5 assists and 0.7 blocks in 5.5 minutes for Phoenix. The sophomore forward was assigned to the Northern Arizona Suns of the NBA G League before being waived in December. He later signed a two-way contract with the Heat, splitting time between the pro ranks and the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami's G League affiliate. Jones made his debut for the Heat on Jan. 9, collecting eight points and five rebounds. His top performance came Apr. 6, when Jones posted 10 points and four rebounds in just 11:48 on the road against the Hawks. He collected a season-high five boards on two occasions, including Jan. 22 against Houston, when he also set a season high with three blocked shots. All in all, Jones averaged 3.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 15.1 minutes per game with Miami.

Jones went undrafted during the 2016 NBA Draft. He signed with the Kings for the Summer League, but a groin injury kept him out. Jones later signed with the Suns prior to training camp, and the 19-year-old was able to secure a roster spot to start the season. He made his NBA debut against the 76ers on Nov. 19, playing three minutes. Jones spent much of the 2016-17 season in the NBA D-League with the Northern Arizona Suns, averaging 14.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks. Jones appeared in five games for Phoenix before the All-Star break. He was selected to compete in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, making it through the final round before losing to Glenn Robinson III. After the break, the rookie forward began seeing more playing time. Jones averaged 20.9 minutes per game the rest of the way, providing averages of 6.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 0.6 assists and 0.5 blocks while shooting 55.3 percent from the field. His best game came Apr. 9, when he posted season highs with 15 points and three steals in 27 minutes against the Mavericks. Jones snagged a season-high eight rebounds against the Rockets on Apr. 2, adding 10 points.