Can Wizards guard Tyus Jones be a trade target for the Milwaukee Bucks?
By Cem Yolbulan
In the latest episode of the Lowe Post, host Zach Lowe and Ramona Shelburne had a detailed conversation about how the Milwaukee Bucks can improve their roster around Giannis Antetokounmpo to strengthen their title odds this season and convince him to stay long-term. One of the trade targets Lowe identified for the Bucks was no other than Tyus Jones of the Washington Wizards.
This makes sense for the Milwaukee Bucks on paper. They need a traditional point guard who can organize the offense and Jones is a competent one on an affordable, expiring contract.
However, finding a deal that makes sense for both the Wizards and the Bucks is difficult. The Milwaukee Bucks don’t have too many mid-size contracts they can trade and since they are in the tax, matching enough salary for Jones’ $14 million contract is challenging. They would need to trade multiple players to get there, and one of them has to be one of Grayson Allen, Pat Connaughton, or Bobby Portis. How much they would want to include one of those rotation players is a question mark.
Considering the average age of the Bucks roster, the Washington Wizards will presumably not be interested in many of the players they will likely offer. Therefore, including a third team may be necessary. This third team can receive the veterans Milwaukee has to offer in exchange for future assets. The Memphis Grizzlies can be that team.
A possible trade machination between Memphis, Milwaukee, and Washington could look like this:
The Bucks get their guy. The Grizzlies add desperately needed shooting and wing depth. The Washington Wizards receive Brandon Clarke, who still has promise and upside despite his injury, and Marjon Beauchamp, a potential two-way small forward who was the 24th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Perhaps most importantly, they add to their draft asset cabinet by getting two extra second-round picks from Memphis.
If the Washington Wizards were to trade Tyus Jones, they would ideally want to get a first-round pick in return. However, that might be a tall order for an expiring contract. The next best thing could be a young promising player and second-round picks. And this package achieves that.
How interested the Milwaukee Bucks will be in trading multiple rotation players for Tyus Jones is unclear, but the 27-year-old point guard will have plenty of suitors come the trade deadline. We will have to wait and see whether the Wizards see him as a trade asset or a long-term piece.
