Suns signing Tyus Jones to fill point guard vacancy

Free agent Tyus Jones, the market’s top remaining guard, has agreed on a one-year, $3.3 million deal with the Phoenix Suns, his agent, Kevin Bradbury of Lift Sports Management, told ESPN on Saturday.

Jones is a massive addition for the Suns, who struggled without a true point guard last season. Jones, who averaged 12.0 points and 7.3 assists for the Washington Wizards in 2023-24, will get a chance to impact a Western Conference contender and potentially return to a more financially flush free agent market next summer.

The cap-strapped Suns had only the veterans minimum available to offer Jones.

“The chance to play for the Phoenix Suns made the most sense on a lot of levels to me and my family — beginning with the way [governor] Mat Ishbia and the front office recruited me to how coach [Mike Budenholzer] showed me how I can significantly impact a team that has a real opportunity to challenge for an NBA title as their starting point guard,” Jones told ESPN on Saturday.

“My agent [Bradbury] walked me and my family through multiple free agent offers and sign-and-trade proposals at a number of different financial levels, but the Suns’ opportunity is where I can best maximize my value for a return to free agency next year as well as give myself a chance to be part of what I think will be a special team and season.”

The Suns were aggressive in making the case to Jones about the potential for his role on a roster that aspires to a deep Western Conference playoff run with Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal alongside him.

Jones, 28, had spent the four seasons before joining the Wizards on playoff teams with the Memphis Grizzlies. He spent his first four NBA seasons (2015-19) with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Jones averaged 9.2 points, 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals in 12 playoff games in 2022 for the Grizzlies.

Jones had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 7.35 last season, the highest of any player in a season since individual turnovers were first tracked in 1977-78, according to ESPN Stats & Information. In that span, Jones has the three highest marks in a season — 7.04 in 2021-22 and 6.96 in 2018-19.