Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports: Heat guard Eddie Jones said Tuesday he is making steady progress from offseason shoulder surgery and will be ready for the start of the season.

Following the repair of a torn left labrum in May, there was thought Jones not only would be kept from contact throughout training camp but also could be sidelined beyond the Oct. 31 regular-season opener.

"I'm doing well," he said after a workout at AmericanAirlines Arena. "I don't know for sure if I'm going to play in the preseason, but it's possible I might."

"I know I will be ready for the regular season," Jones said.

In other Heat news, Loren Meyer, a journeyman center who has spent time with Dallas, Phoenix and Denver, is the latest big man to work with the Heat. A 1995 first-round pick out of Iowa by the Mavericks, Meyer did not play in the NBA last season. ...

Former Heat point guard Eric Murdock recently worked out with the team but was outplayed by undrafted free-agent acquisition Mike James, who outperformed several NBA veterans in earning an invitation to training camp.