The main return for the Washington Wizards in the Kristaps Porzingis trade that sent him to the Boston Celtics was Tyus Jones from the Memphis Grizzlies. Jones, who has been a long-time quality backup point guard in the league, is finally getting the opportunity to run point for his own team. It will be exciting to see what he does with a bigger role and more playing time with the Wizards.
Jones, a 6-foot guard out of Duke, spent the first four seasons of his career with the Minnesota Timberwolves, before signing as a free agent with the Grizzlies in 2019 and extending his contract with them in 2022.
Jones has one of the best assist-to-turnover ratios in the NBA
Tyus Jones is one of the most underrated point guards in the NBA. One of the most valuable bench players in the league in the past few years, Jones has done an outstanding job filling in for Ja Morant in his extended absences. He started 45 games in the last two seasons.
What makes Jones special is specifically this. He is excellent as the leader of bench units but can also slide into the starting lineup and still perform well in extended minutes. He was even able to play next to Morant in two-guard line-ups. He has consistently been one of the best players in the NBA in terms of assist-to-turnover ratio, even leading the league last season.
This demonstrates Jones’ best skill on the court. He takes care of the ball, doesn’t make many mistakes, and almost always makes the right decision. On top of setting the table effectively for his teammates, Jones also has an advanced floater game. He loves to attack the paint and use his soft touch to hit runners and floaters over defenders.
He is in a unique situation where he is almost certainly over-qualified as a bench guard, but he may also be overstretched as the starting point guard on a good team.
Tyus Jones’ fit with the Wizards is perfect
This is why his fit for the rebuilding Wizards is perfect. He can show the Wizards and the rest of the league what he is capable of as the lead point guard on a team. At age 27, he is ready to take on this role.
Depending on how Jones performs, the Wizards can re-sign him to a longer deal once his $14 million contract expires after the 2023-24 season. He can be the lead guard in Washington for a few years, then go back to a reserve role when the Wizards are ready to compete.
Or alternatively, he would be a fantastic trade chip at the trade deadline and potentially bring back first-round pick value to Washington.
Regardless of what the Wizards decide to do with Jones in the long run, they now have a solid floor general who will put the young players in good positions to succeed, and that is going to be invaluable for Washington.
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