Whichever team loses the Jalen Brunson sweepstakes (Dallas/New York)
The New York Knicks, in one of the worst-kept secrets of the young NBA offseason, very badly would like to sign Dallas Mavericks point guard Jalen Brunson to their squad. They’ve made several personnel moves to increase their odds of getting Brunson to come to the Big Apple.
Keep an eye on both New York and Dallas as possible destinations for Tyus Jones. If one or both of these teams lose out on signing Brunson, these two teams will likely settle for Jones as the next-best move.
Dallas is rumored to be on a short list of teams Kyrie Irving would entertain playing for, so they may hold out for him if Brunson leaves. But, if Mark Cuban and Dallas miss on Brunson and Irving, expect them to use that cash to put Jones alongside superstar Luka Doncic.
The pull of Doncic, one of the best players in the NBA, may be too much for Tyus Jones to pass up. Doncic’s huge 6’7″ frame would help shore up any mismatches for the 6’0″ Jones.
Would Tyus Jones leave the Memphis Grizzlies to go home to Minnesota?
A wildcard that some may not expect would be for Tyus Jones to return home to Minnesota and play for the Timberwolves once again.
Jones, an Apple Valley, Minnesota native, was drafted by the Timberwolves and competed for them for the first four seasons of his NBA career before leaving and signing with Memphis in the summer of 2019.
Incumbent starter for the Wolves, D’Angelo Russell, is reportedly on the trading block and was rumored to be traded as soon as during the 2022 NBA Draft.
If the team is ready to move on from Russell and look to add more of a pass-first ballhandler, Jones would be the ideal fit alongside Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns.