Phoenix Suns agree to deal with Tyus Jones, expect to start new PG

The Phoenix Suns have agreed to a deal with free agent Tyus Jones on Tuesday. The expectation is that Jones will be the new starting point guard for Phoenix next season.

Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro was the first to report the news on Saturday.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the deal is for one year and $3.3 million.

Gambadoro reports the expectation would be that Grayson Allen moves to the bench. Jones had other offers from teams such as the Atlanta Hawks and Memphis Grizzlies, per Gambadoro.

Jones has established himself as a premier backup point guard in the NBA the last couple of seasons before starting for the Washington Wizards last season. He averaged a career-high 12.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game while shooting 48.9% from the field and 41.4% at 3-point range. Both shooting percentages were also the top numbers in his nine-year career.

Jones is similar to new Suns point guard Monte Morris, a smaller point guard known for their ability to manage the game as a floor general. Jones has led the league in assist-to-turnover ratio for five straight seasons.

It is a big-time acquisition for the Suns in free agency as a team only able to sign players on the veteran’s minimum. Jones was surely looking at a decent pay day but had remained a free agent and has decided to take a discount to come to Phoenix.

The move of Jones to the starting lineup would bring obvious defensive question marks to the perimeter. Phoenix was already facing those with Allen in the lineup but Allen presents more size and toughness than Jones and took on those assignments admirably throughout last season. Allen is also responsible for a good chunk of the Suns’ 3-point volume and thrived with all of the extra spacing, leading the league in 3-point percentage at 46.1%.

But what Jones will provide is direction and organization on a team that sorely lacked that last season. Much of the blame for the Suns’ aimlessness was pointed at the lack of a natural point guard and the inability for the coaching staff to connect to the roster. Now, the Suns will enter the season with two of those point guards and have also switched out former head coach Frank Vogel for Mike Budenholzer.

Follow @KellanOlson