Trade & FA 2024-25:

[Chicagojk]

That would be an amazing signing but that is a lot of money to swallow. If he goes
To PHX, that could be a real good team if Durant and booker can stay healthy. And Beal being a top 100 player who can stay on the floor.

On the other hand, I read Memphis and Minnesota are also interested (maybe sign and trade). I think I would prefer him going to Phx over those other two. Atlanta is also mentioned.

[Knutsen]

Suns long time insider just tweeted this:

John Gambadoro (@Gambo987)
I hear there is a real chance at landing Tyus Jones & that would be a HUGE win for the Suns. Could happen very quickly if Jones would be willing to take less money than what he could get with a couple of other teams. Suns culture, playing time and chance to win may convince him.


Which means it sounds like the Suns have a standing offer to Tyus but the hold up is him. I think he really wants some sort of payday. Not sure what place that is. I know ORL still needs a point guard.


John Gambadoro (@Gambo987)
@35sunsfan It could happen today or tomorrow if it goes down so yes of course there have been discussions

Jones signed with the Suns for one year and 3.3 million. Great deal for the Suns, gives them a much better chance of success than I had hoped.

[KillerLeft]

That would be an amazing signing but that is a lot of money to swallow.  If he goes
To PHX, that could be a real good team if Durant and booker can stay healthy.  And Beal being a top 100 player who can stay on the floor.

On the other hand, I read Memphis and Minnesota are also interested (maybe sign and trade).  I think I would prefer him going to Phx over those other two.  Atlanta is also mentioned.

Please, let him go to ATL. Memphis would be my second choice. There's only so much damage he could do there on top of what Ja Morant will already be doing, since he'll have the ball.

[KillerLeft]

Jones signed with the Suns for one year and 3.3 million. Great deal for the Suns, gives them a much better chance of success than I had hoped.

Ugh.

[WillE]

It’s funny, Roddy looked like he might turn into something his rookie season. Like decent rotation role player piece level or even better. He hasn’t seemed to progress at all though. So incredibly competitive keeping an NBA career.

Phx just wanted to open a spot to sign Jones and simply saved 700k with this move.

So actually, in this case, the fact he was traded means that someone is still thinking he might have an NBA career.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

https://x.com/statmuse/status/1817299651206463965


https://x.com/statmuse/status/1817301243276239240


https://x.com/wojespn/status/1817290576980811878


Now this is something. Tyus Jones has the best AST/TOV ratio
in NBA history.

[KillerLeft]

https://x.com/statmuse/status/1817299651206463965


Now this is something. Tyus Jones has the best AST/TVO ratio
in NBA history.

He's a really good fit for a team with all scorers and no facilitation. Most teams don't operate that way anymore, choosing to make their primary ball-handler the primary scoring option, but PHX is uniquely built in that none of their three guys is really suited to play PG. They tried with Beal and Booker, but both were bad at it. 

This is not great news for the Western Conference, imho. I don't know if it puts them into the top tier, but it's at least worth talking about now.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

https://x.com/flasportsbuzz/status/1817291250699235488


The Heat tried to get Tyus Jones but couldn't.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

He's a really good fit for a team with all scorers and no facilitation. Most teams don't operate that way anymore, choosing to make their primary ball-handler the primary scoring option, but PHX is uniquely built in that none of their three guys is really suited to play PG. They tried with Beal and Booker, but both were bad at it. 

This is not great news for the Western Conference, imho. I don't know if it puts them into the top tier, but it's at least worth talking about now.

I wonder if Jones starts at PG, and they move either Allen (who was starting at SF) or Beal to the bench?

[KillerLeft]

I wonder if Jones starts at PG, and they move either Allen (who was starting at SF) or Beal to the bench?

That's what I'd do, but I'm not as familiar with the Suns as I am with some other teams. The first thing that crossed my mind today when this happened was how good of a fit he is for them, and the second thing was that it's probably one of the few teams out there that can offer him at least a path to becoming a starter. He's not going to beat out any of those modern scoring PG's whose teams are built around them, but PHX would really benefit from getting a starter-level guy so cheaply. I bet it's at least a hope around there that he's up to it.

[Chicagojk]

Really nice off-season by PHX. Although most thought they had a good offseason last year as well.

For me, Phx and Memphis jump into the known top 4 in the west for the regular season. Memphis would scare me less than the other teams in a playoff series but I expect them to get a lot of wins in the regular season. The issue with the suns is can they stay healthy. If so, I would put them with the other teams in that top 4.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Really nice off-season by PHX.  Although most thought they had a good offseason last year as well.

For me, Phx and Memphis jump into the known top 4 in the west for the regular season.  Memphis would scare me less than the other teams in a playoff series but I expect them to get a lot of wins in the regular season.  The issue with the suns is can they stay healthy.  If so, I would put them with the other teams in that top 4.

I agree. People are overlooking Memphis because of all the injuries last season. But they're one of the best teams in the league for developing talent, and their young players got plenty of seasoning last year due to those injuries. If Ja, Bane, Clarke, and other's bounce back, they are a team to watch.

[RGP1981]

I agree. People are overlooking Memphis because of all the injuries last season. But they're one of the best teams in the league for developing talent, and their young players got plenty of seasoning last year due to those injuries. If Ja, Bane, Clarke, and other's bounce back, they are a team to watch.

You guys make a good point but I don't much like the fit/balance of the Grizzlies' lineups or rotations. So with the league being tighter than it has before, will they be able to get enough wins to make the playoffs?

1-4: OKC, Mavs, MIN, Nuggets
5-7: Suns, Pelicans, Kings

I think these teams will finish above the Grizzlies, so they'll most likely be competing with the Lakers, Clippers, GSW and Rockets for that 8th spot.

Btw, has there ever been a season where the Kings are the only California team to make the playoffs? This could be it, haha!

[BigDirk41]

You guys make a good point but I don't much like the fit/balance of the Grizzlies' lineups or rotations. So with the league being tighter than it has before, will they be able to get enough wins to make the playoffs?

1-4: OKC, Mavs, MIN, Nuggets
5-7: Suns, Pelicans, Kings

I think these teams will finish above the Grizzlies, so they'll most likely be competing with the Lakers, Clippers, GSW and Rockets for that 8th spot.

Btw, has there ever been a season where the Kings are the only California team to make the playoffs? This could be it, haha!

I don't see the Pelicans or Kings finishing above the Grizzlies. Memphis could potentially finish anywhere from 1-6. I think you're underestimating them personally.

[BigDirk41]

I wonder if Jones starts at PG, and they move either Allen (who was starting at SF) or Beal to the bench?

He said that he was told he's their starting pg. Starting on a contender is why he chose them.

[surfpuckmd]

I wonder if Jones starts at PG, and they move either Allen (who was starting at SF) or Beal to the bench?

I would start Allen and play Beal off the bench.  I'm sure Beal won't like that but he would be the favorite for 6th man of the year and Tyus Jones and Allen would provide tremendous spacing.  

The Suns have improved markedly and I think are as talented as every other team in the West except the Thunder.

[SleepingHero]

I wonder if Jones starts at PG, and they move either Allen (who was starting at SF) or Beal to the bench?

Jones is 100% starting. That's a shoe in.

No way you pay Beal 50 mil to come off the bench.

The Jones+Beal backcourt is TINY. 

Still a great signing for them.

[KillerLeft]

Jones is 100% starting. That's a shoe in.

No way you pay Beal 50 mil to come off the bench.

The Jones+Beal backcourt is TINY. 

Still a great signing for them.

Beal has a no-trade clause. 

Pure, hypothetical speculation here, and not even what I'm predicting, honestly, but...if you were the Suns and had buyer's remorse on a $50 million player with a no trade clause, would bringing him off the bench make him want to be traded? 

Then again, could you trade him, even if it's what he wanted? He's not worth that contract to anyone else, either. 

Again, for all I know they still really like Beal (though I wouldn't).

[SleepingHero]

Beal has a no-trade clause. 

Pure, hypothetical speculation here, and not even what I'm predicting, honestly, but...if you were the Suns and had buyer's remorse on a $50 million player with a no trade clause, would bringing him off the bench make him want to be traded? 

Then again, could you trade him, even if it's what he wanted? He's not worth that contract to anyone else, either. 

Again, for all I know they still really like Beal (though I wouldn't).

The flip side to that strategy is that you blow up what little team chemistry those guys have left and you have Beal protest every game he's out there. Too risky especially since even if you wanted to trade Beal, you couldn't do it on your terms. 

I just can't reconcile bringing a guy making 50 mil off the bench in favor for a role player (who on paper shouldn't be better than Beal at all). There are locker room dynamics at play here, cause you're basically admitting to everyone in that room that Beal isn't worth 20 mil a year and you don't really want him there.

I think the more likely and safe scenario is that you take Beal off early in the 1st and just bring him back with the 2nd unit in the 2nd. That way you avoid this whole who starts nonsense anyways. 


FWIW, PHX Suns fans on their realGM board really do think last year's failures were more a product of injuries and lack of a point guard. Not too outlandish of a thought. PHX just fixed the PG problem and you have to hope all 3 of those guys remain healthy cause as a PHX fan if they do you are a very strong team. 

I don't think they'll be a top 3 team in the West just due to depth and health issues, but they will be a force in the playoffs (if we take PHX fans' homer take at face value).

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Jones is 100% starting. That's a shoe in.

No way you pay Beal 50 mil to come off the bench.

The Jones+Beal backcourt is TINY. 

Still a great signing for them.

Book is starting over Beal at SG I would think. They could put Beal, Allen, or Book at SF, though Book at SF is unlikely. I still think Allen continues to start at SF, and Beal off the bench whether he likes it or not.