Ex-Grizzlies Player No. 3) Tyus Jones
There's an argument to be made that Tyus Jones already had himself a breakout campaign during the 2023-24 campaign as a member of the Washington Wizards.
However, being they only mustered up an abysmal 15 total wins on the year, the point guard's efforts, no matter how impressive from an individual standpoint, didn't seem to carry all that much weight, especially considering all it got him was a measly one-year, $3.3 million deal during this summer's free agency period.
Had his services been provided on even a remotely competent ball club, it's safe to assume his league-wide status heading into 2024-25 would be way more luxurious. While this currently may not be the case, Jones will have the opportunity to raise his stock while playing on the title-hungry Phoenix Suns this coming campaign.
All throughout Phoenix's debut trial run of their "Big 3" of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley, it seemed quite evident that, though filled to the brim with talent, they were missing lead handler and primary facilitator who could serve as the quarterback on the court.
Jones may not be a star player on his own, but he is a talent who could help these aforementioned stars mesh better if tasked with manning the lead guard position.
If his time with the Grizzlies wasn't enough evidence that Jones can flourish as a true floor general, then his play with the Wizards last year certainly should be, as he wrapped up his first season as a primary one boasting impressive averages of 12.0 points, 7.3 assists, and 2.7 rebounds while shooting a highly efficient 48.9 percent from the floor and 41.4 percent from deep.
On top of his counting stats, the advanced metrics would only further strengthen the notion that the 28-year-old is one of the most effective and reliable set-up artists in the league has to offer, as he led all guards in assist-to-turnover ratio (7.35) and was eighth at the position in assist percentage (33.1) out of those who logged 50 or more games played.
Without question, Jones' efforts were wasted while with the Wizards. However, plugging in this level of production alongside the greatest collection talent he's ever played with, and it should be widely believed that the 10-year pro could very easily be heading toward his best and most important season to date.