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By Koby Braunstein
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Tyus Jones could be the missing link to unleashing the Phoenix Suns’ offensive potential and bringing an NBA championship to the Valley in 2025.

Jones will look to spearhead a high-tempo brand of basketball oriented on crisp ball movement and transition 3-pointers while serving as a security blanket that maximizes each player’s strengths.

Suns general manager James Jones emphasized the importance of acquiring both Jones and Monté Morris in free agency over the summer to hold down the point guard position.

“Tyus and Monté are historically good as far as taking care of the ball and leading their teams,” Jones said. “I think what (they’ll) do is give ourselves a little comfort and a little more trust in the offense.

“We want to shoot more threes. We want the ball to pop. As long as those guys are somewhat the conduit in between, I think whichever decision they make will be an optimal decision.”

Jones, a nine-year NBA veteran, facilitated the fastest-paced offense in the NBA last season with the Washington Wizards despite a dreadful 15-67 record. The team averaged 103.07 possessions per 48 minutes with Jones as the primary ball handler, a vast improvement from 99.16 during the 2022-2023 season.

Jones is even more highly touted for his elite efficiency and IQ on the floor. He averaged 7.35 assists per turnover in Washington, the highest assist-to-turnover ratio in NBA history. Jones broke his own record of 7.02, a mark he achieved during the 2021-2022 season with the Memphis Grizzlies.

He has maintained one of the highest assist-to-turnover rates since 2018.

Without a true point guard last season, the Suns struggled to control the game flow when going up-tempo and in the half-court. An over-reliance on positionless basketball made it difficult for players to find their identities and carve out roles best suited to their playing styles.

Jones should fill that void, and the idea of pairing with perennial All-Stars Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal was enticing.

“I’m extremely excited about it,” Jones said. “They’re going to make my job really easy, and I plan on doing the same for them.

“They are three of the best scorers in the world, and for me as a point guard who likes to get guys the ball, get others involved and put guys in the best position to score the ball, I can’t imagine a better trio to do that with.”

The Suns will employ a three-guard starting lineup with Booker, Beal and Jones, along with Durant and 7-foot center Jusuf Nurkić.

Beal and Booker are high-volume scorers who don’t possess the traits of a traditional point guard. They operate more effectively off the ball, hovering around the perimeter and creating space to spot up in the mid-range or beyond the arc.

Jones excels as a distributor with a pass-first style of play.

In two preseason showings, he boasts an outstanding 13:1 assist-to-turnover ratio while scoring a combined 16 points on 67% shooting from the field and 67% from distance (4-for-6). Cohesion among the starting five can be attributed to Jones’ superb decision making in 39 minutes of action.

Booker lauded the signing and talked about Jones’ underrated dual-threat ability as a scorer.

“We got him for a steal,” Booker said. “(He’s) someone I’m super excited about. Everyone talks about the assist-to-turnover ratio, but he’s definitely not someone you can leave open, either. He’s an ultimate winner, and I’m glad that he’s on a stage now where he can show it.”

The absence of a floor general last postseason haunted the Suns in their first-round sweep by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Suns posted the third-lowest net rating among playoff teams at -13.9, a steep decline from a rating of 3.1 they achieved in the regular season.

Jones has the ability to shift that narrative as the key playmaker for a championship contender.

Suns owner Mat Ishbia is thrilled that Jones is wearing the purple and orange this season.

“Tyus is a great guy,” Ishbia said. “Point guard. Leader. Winner. Phoenix is a great city (and) great environment. … I think it’s going to be a great opportunity for Tyus not only to lead, but be a starter (and) compete for a championship.”

Jones averaged career highs in virtually every statistical category as a starter with the Wizards last season.

Suns coach Mike Budenholzer spoke highly of Jones and his innate ability to lead by example.

“Tyus is well known for setting the floor and getting his teammates involved,” Budenholzer said. “I’ve been super impressed with his presence. He has a way about him in the gym.

“The way he talks to his teammates, the way he has conversations with me. … I think Tyus will have a big impact.”

Jones finished out a two-year, $29-million contract with the Grizzlies ahead of the 2022-2023 season and was the most coveted point guard on the free-agent market when he inked a one-year, $3.3-million deal with Phoenix.

The Suns’ front-office brain trust of Ishbia, CEO Josh Bartelstein and James Jones had an ally in the pursuit of their new point guard: Grayson Allen.

Allen and Jones won a national championship at Duke in 2015 and reunited with the Grizzlies for two seasons. Allen, who started 74 games for the Suns last season, helped recruit Jones to Phoenix knowing that it likely would mean him moving to the bench with Jones in the starting five.

Allen is ecstatic about the signing.

“Looking at Tyus being the starter, our team got a lot better,” Allen said. “I couldn’t be more excited to have him on our team, and I’m OK with what comes with that.”

Sacrifice takes hold when winning is at the forefront of a collective, and Allen’s act of selflessness doesn’t stand alone.

The Suns, who could only offer Jones the veteran’s minimum, were not seen as a potential landing spot for the guard this offseason. With championship aspirations in mind, Jones agreed to take a pay cut for a shot at glory.

“My whole life I’ve played basketball to win,” Jones said. “That’s what I care about. That’s what I’ve always been about is trying to impact winning. … It was a confident and comfortable decision for me to join Phoenix.”

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