Biggest need Wizards must still address in 2024 NBA free agency
07/05/2024 10:56 PM
After suffering along to one of the worst records in the NBA last season, the Washington Wizards find themselves in a unique spot nearly a week into the 2024 free agent period.
Is this the season the Wizards take a step forward? Only time will tell, but if they want to really make sure their new building blocks, Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly, are in the best position to succeed this fall, they will need to make sure they have the point guard spot fully squared away, as having the right floor general on the court could spell the difference between major development and another lost year.
Fortunately, there is one player still on the open market who would be a seamless addition to the Wizards, if for no other reason than because he was just with the team last year: Tyus Jones.
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Tyus Jones is a professional floor general
Initially traded to the Wizards as part of the Kristaps Porzingis-Marcus Smart trade between the Celtics and the Grizzlies, Jones parlayed some very good play as a reserve guard in Memphis into a standout campaign in DC, recording career-highs in points, assists, rebounds, and field goal shooting percentage from the field and beyond the arc. He showed poise with the ball in his hands, set up his teammates with supreme court vision, and ultimately made good decisions at the helm of the offense, boasting a 7.3:1 turnover-to-assist ratio while having the ball in his hands an average of 68.2 touches per game.
Now granted, Jones’ season wasn’t perfect, as the Wizards had a plus-minus of -12.4 when Jones was on the court and had a -6.1 on-off plus-minus over his 1,933 minutes. But when you consider the Wizards only won 15 games overall during the 2023-24 season, with a net rating of -9.0, it’s not like the team was winning very many minutes no matter who was on the court, so that likely has no impact on why he remains unemployed nearly a week into free agency.
With the starting point guard market reportedly drying up, with the Wizards one of the few teams that actually need a top lead guard heading into the fall, if Washington wants to put Sarr, Corey Kispert, Jordan Poole, and even Brogdon in a position to succeed heading into the future, bringing back Jones and his incredibly efficient play to not only start at point guard but also fill the role of human trade exception should a contending team find themselves in severe need of a lead guard around the trade deadline just makes too much sense.
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The Wizards, Tyus Jones have mutual interest in a reunion
Discussing his first season in Washington with reporters shortly after the Wizards season came to an end, Jones celebrated his time in the nation’s capitol and let it be known that the front official would like to bring him back on a long-term deal.
“From the day I was traded, obviously, knowing that I’m on an expiring deal, just being in the league, anyone who pays attention to the NBA, you know what that can mean sometimes. But without saying what that means, that was never the plan from the front office with me,” Jones explained via The Washington Post. “They’ve said from the beginning: ‘We want you here. The plan is for you to be here long term, and when we get to that bridge, we’ll cross it.'”
While Jones didn’t outright say he wanted to return to the Wizards or that he wouldn’t consider jumping ship if a better offer came along, he did note that his family enjoyed his time in D.C. and would consider returning on a new deal if everything lined up perfectly.
“Anything can happen,” Jones said, “but [my family and I] love D.C., we want to be here, and I want to help this team continue to build and move in the right direction.”
Normally, one of the top players at a position in a relatively weak free agency class wouldn’t be looking to sign with one of the worst teams in the NBA, but considering the market and his familiarity with the team, don’t be surprised if Jones ends up returning to the Wizards this fall on a number in the eight digits, as, if no one else is knocking down his door, a return to D.C. simply makes too much sense for both parties.
