The Memphis Grizzlies traded Tyus Jones in 2023 to the Wizards after he spent the past four seasons with the team. He was in Washington for the 2023-24 season before he signed a one-year deal with Phoenix last offseason. Jones joined his third team since leaving Memphis over the summer, signing a one-year contract with Orlando. Through five games, he's struggled big time.
Jones is averaging 1.8 points (yes, you read that right), 1.8 assists, 1.2 rebounds, and 0.8 turnovers per game in 15.4 minutes, shooting 25% from the field and 11.1% from three. For reference, in his final season with the Grizzlies, he averaged 10.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 0.9 turnovers per game, shooting 43.8% from the field and 37.1% from deep.
Memphis is where Jones really began to make a name for himself in the NBA as Ja Morant's backup. In Washington, he posted a career-high in averages as a full-time starter, averaging 12 points and 7.3 assists in 29.3 minutes per game, while shooting 48.9% from the field and 41.4% from three. Jones agreed to a one-year, $3.3 million deal with Phoenix that summer, which seemed like an absolute steal at the time.
He had his struggles with the Suns in what ended up being a frustrating season, not just for him, as he lost his starting job, but for the team as well. The signing didn't work out, and so far, it hasn't worked out for the Magic, either.
Former Grizzlies guard Tyus Jones is struggling with the Magic
His minutes have steadily dropped in each game that he's played in for Orlando. He played 24 minutes in the Magic's season-opening 125-121 win over the Heat, and he posted a team-worst +/- of -17 off the bench.
Jones started for Orlando against Chicago in the second half of a back-to-back on Oct. 25. He finished with zero points on 0-of-5 shooting from the field to go with one assist, one steal, and one turnover in 14 minutes. In the Magic's most recent game against the Pistons on Wednesday, he played only nine minutes.
He isn't the sole reason why Orlando is off to a 1-4 start, but Jones (nor Desmond Bane) hasn't done anything to help the team's shooting woes. The Magic are averaging 39.2 made field goals per game, which is the fourth-lowest in the league, and only 8.8 made three-pointers per game, the worst in the league.
You can't write off Jones yet, but based on how he's looked thus far, there's a chance he could end up out of the rotation.