The Memphis Grizzlies have been enjoying stellar play from Tyus Jones this season, recently watching him drop a career-high 27 points in a road win against New Orleans.
He’s proven that he’s an important piece for the Grizzlies, backing-up one of the premiere players in the entire NBA, Ja Morant.
Tyus Jones leads the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio this season and is averaging 7.8 ppg, 4.4 apg and shoots 36% from beyond the arc.
Which teams may covet Memphis Grizzlies guard Tyus Jones in free agency?
There will be no shortage of teams that desire a young, playoff-tested veteran that takes care of the basketball when the 25-year-old becomes an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of the season.
It’s going to be very interesting to watch the negotiations play out between Jones and Memphis. But, ultimately it may come down to what kind of path Jones wants to take for the next chapter of his NBA career.
Does he want to continue to back-up one of the best players in the NBA? Or does he want a shot at running a team of his own as a starter?
Once he has the answer to that question, it’ll be a matter of which teams offer him a decent contract. Jones signed a three-year deal with Memphis in the summer of 2019 that netted him $26.4 million over three seasons.
We just saw Patrick Beverly, who is older and in most eyes not as valuable as Jones, secure a $13 million contract extension for one season. One would think negotiations would start there, well above his current $7.5 million he’s making this season.
With the Memphis Grizzlies doling out more than $100 million to Jaren Jackson Jr. and a max-contract to Ja Morant on the horizon, the front office will have to weigh how much they want to budget for a back-up point guard.
It’s not unrealistic to think Tyus Jones could command a contract somewhere in the vicinity of $13 million over four or five seasons. Most teams don’t want to spend $50 million on a back-up point guard; but, some might, including the Grizzlies.
We aren’t factoring in budgets, caps or anything like that for this hypothetical conversation, so keep that in mind. But, if the Grizz can’t retain Jones, who might try and court the former Duke Blue Devil?
Tyus Jones could bolt the Grizzlies for a bigger market
There’s a list of perennial playoff teams with proven MVPs and championship-expectations that could use Jones in a big way. He doesn’t have to get touches or points, but he certainly is capable of getting buckets if you need someone as a fourth or fifth option in an offense.
Boston Celtics
Right now Marcus Smart is the starting point guard, but the team has long coveted a true passing point guard. Boston would be an ideal fit for Jones to start and help Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum make a deeper run in the post-season. Jones would be an ideal player to get Brown and Tatum the touches they need reach their full potential.
Denver Nuggets
Yes, the team already has Jamal Murray, but he’s going to be coming off major surgery. The team could pair him along side Murray to allow the 21+ ppg scorer to play more off the ball. The unselfish games of Jones and reigning MVP Nikola Jokic might create one, big pass-happy team. Add in Michael Porter Jr. to the mix and that sounds like one heckuva unit.
LA Lakers
Could Jones be plugged-in to take over for the disgruntled Russel Westbrook? Jones would bring a drama-free approach to running the offense, allowing the offense to flow efficiently through LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Tyus Jones could leave the Memphis Grizzlies for a starting role
If Jones can’t envision himself being resigned to a back-up role to Ja Morant, he may want to go somewhere he can be the leader of an offense. These teams will skew towards fringe-playoff competitors or lottery-caliber teams.
New Orleans
Could the Pelicans be one starter away from having one of the scariest starting fives in the NBA? A line-up of Tyus Jones, CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson and Jonas Valanciunas sounds lethal on paper. Could it work in the real-world, though?
New York Knicks
What basketball player wouldn’t love to play in the Mecca— Madison Square Garden? Jones could play alongside the likes of fellow Dukie RJ Barrett, former All-Star Julius Randle and his former Timberwolves coach, Tom Thibodeau.
Washington Wizards
Are the Wizards rebuilding? Are they rebuilding on the fly? One thing that’s certain is the team could use a refresh at the point guard position. If the team can retain Bradley Beal and utilize the talents of Corey Kispert, Rui Hachimura and Daniel Gafford, you have a really nice young core to compete for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.