New NBA rule means Wizards should be making 1 move immediately

When the new CBA came into play last summer, a bunch of new rules came with it, and while the Washington Wizards haven’t run into many yet, there is one in place that could be affecting them soon.

One new rule just came into play with the conclusion of the NBA Finals—teams are allowed to negotiate with their own free agents as soon as the championship game concludes.

For some teams, that means a chance to get deals done with top-end stars. The Wizards may not have any players of that caliber on their squad, but they do have some guys they should want to bring back.

New NBA rule means Wizards should try to sign Tyus Jones right away

The only two Wizards players who are unrestricted free agents this summer are Tyus Jones and Anthony Gill. Bringing back Gill likely isn’t one of Washington’s top priorities, but Jones is a quality player.

Teams will be actively seeking out guys with Jones’ skill set this summer. The San Antonio Spurs, Orlando Magic, and Philadelphia 76ers could all use a guy like Jones.

That said, the Wizards have an advantage—they can negotiate with him first. And now that the Finals have come and gone, they can begin those talks now.

Washington isn’t going to be competing for the playoffs anytime soon, but losing talent for nothing is never a great idea. At the very least, they should be looking to bring Jones back on board to use him as a trade asset.

But even if they wanted to keep him around, it wouldn’t be a bad idea. He’s a quality point guard who can keep the game organized, which would help their young guys develop.

The Wizards need start talking with Jones as soon as possible in hopes of re-signing him, and they need to be doing it immediately, as they are permitted to by the new CBA rules.

In his first season with the Wizards, Jones started all 66 games he appeared in. He averaged 12.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 7.3 assists while shooting 48.9% from the field and 41.4% from behind the three-point line.

Even if Jones may ultimately choose to test out free agency, Washington can—and should—try to re-sign him.