The New York Knicks need to build around RJ Barrett and when free agency starts this summer, the front office will have a chance to bring another Duke Blue Devil to Madison Square Garden.
Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes listed one free-agent target for all 30 NBA teams and for the Knicks, Hughes chose Memphis Grizzlies point guard Tyus Jones.
Jones, who attended Duke during the 2014-15 season, is set to become an unrestricted free agent during the offseason. As of right now, the 25-year-old plays behind Memphis’ star point guard Ja Morant.
In the games that Morant missed this season due to injury, the Grizzlies went an incredible 20-5. Memphis’ roster is full of young talent like New York’s and having Jones step in as the team’s starting point guard helped to keep the Grizzlies grounded.
Tyus Jones has been so big for the Grizzlies this season. Having a steady backup PG makes a huge different for the bench unit
— Trevor Lane (@Trevor_Lane) April 20, 2022
The Knicks have been linked to Dallas’ Jalen Brunson, who is also set to become an unrestricted free agent, but Jones is a player who’s worth looking into as well.
Would unrestricted free agent Tyus Jones fit in on the Knicks’ roster?
Jones was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the No. 24 overall pick of the 2015 draft, but his draft rights were traded to Minnesota, which is where he spent the first four years of his career before signing with Memphis in 2019.
The point guard will have the opportunity to leave the Grizzlies for a starting role and according to Hughes, New York’s his likely landing spot:
"“New York should throw the full mid-level exception at Tyus Jones knowing, at worst, it will be paying market rate for a high-end backup who’s played 358 of a possible 383 games over the last five years. That reliability should matter more than anything else to a team that knows how fragile Rose and Walker are.”"
It wouldn’t be a bad fit, although Jones may not be keen on the idea of playing under head coach Tom Thibodeau again. When both were with the Timberwolves, the point guard reportedly considered asking for a trade before the start of the 2018-19 season due to his lack of playing time.
Nonetheless, the Knicks have a need for Jones and he’d come at a cheaper price than Brunson.
The likelihood of Kemba Walker being on the roster next year is low (he didn’t even finish the season) and while Derrick Rose’s play was beneficial for the team before he got injured, Jones is both younger and more reliable. Even Thibodeau can’t argue that.
In the 73 games that Jones played in for Memphis during the regular season, he averaged 8.7 points, 4.4 assists, and 2.4 rebounds. He shot 45.1% from the field and 39% from the 3-point line.
Jones has proven that he’s capable of being a starter in the NBA, and if he were to become that player for New York, he could perhaps give Leon Rose a little bit of insight on the Grizzlies’ rebuilding success. Memphis is the definition of a model organization.
Will RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish get to welcome another member of ‘The Brotherhood’ to New York City? We’ll soon find out.
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