Summer League is almost over, which means the dead period of the NBA offseason is rapidly approaching. The NBA Draft has come and gone, free agency is largely over, and teams are about to get a break, including the Washington Wizards.
But the Wizards still have a loose end to figure out, and the rest of the league has left the door open for them to make the most obvious move ever.
Heading into the summer, the Wizards didn’t have much that they needed to do in terms of re-signing players, but one name did stand out amongst the rest—Tyus Jones.
NBA failing to sign Tyus Jones leaves door open for Wizards
The veteran point guard played a big role in Washington last year, and his consistent, reliable play at the point guard position would be a huge help on the current rebuilding Wizards roster.
However, there was supposed to be a big market for Jones in free agency, as his skills would give any contending or playoff team a huge boost at the point guard position.
Yet now that the bulk of free agency is over and a ton of the money has dried up, Jones has still not been signed to a contract. He’s an unrestricted free agent, and nobody has picked him up.
This has left the door open for the Wizards to make the obvious move of simply re-signing Jones to a new contract. It makes sense for a million reasons, and Washington probably should have already made the move.
Last season, Jones appeared in 66 games for the Wizards, starting all of them. He averaged 12.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 7.3 assists while shooting 48.9% from the floor and 41.4% from beyond the three-point arc.
Washington is one year deep into their current rebuild, but this season will mark the first with their new-look young core, as they drafted a few key rookies in the 2024 NBA Draft.
It seems likely that the Wizards will want to give Bub Carrington a ton of reps at the point guard position, but having Jones around would be the perfect way to help the rookies get used to playing in the NBA.
He’s incredible at controlling a game and would consistently get the rookies easy looks at the basket. That’s the type of player Washington should be seeking out to guide their youngsters.