Memphis has drafted JaMorant to be the point guard of the future, but behind him is only another youngster in De’Anthony Melton, and the second-year player who was in Phoenix last year. The Grizzlies are rebuilding, but that is a lot of youth.
So Memphis trying to poach a solid and improving young point guard in Tyus Jones from Minnesota, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Timberwolves RFA Tyus Jones has agreed to a contract offer sheet with the Memphis Grizzlies, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 8, 2019
Tyus Jones‘ offer sheet with Memphis: Three years, $24M, league sources said. https://t.co/7gNliYW5hy
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 8, 2019
The offer could get up to $28 million with incentives, according to reports.
Will Minnesota match?
The buzz around the league is probably, but nobody is sure.
Jones has shown promise and averaged 6.9 points and 4.8 assists per game last season in nearly 23 minutes a night for the Timberwolves. He’s solid as an off-the-bench reserve guard, the only thing holding him back is the 31.7 percent shooting from three, and the dreadful overall 49.1 true shooting percentage. He’s just not a scorer.
The Timberwolves have Jeff Teague at the point this season, but then he is a free agent, and he’s not the long-term answer. While Minnesota has eyes for D’Angelo Russell (if, as is rumored, Golden State eventually shops him around in trades), it will look at other point guards to pair with Karl-Anthony Towns. Jones could fit in that rotation, and if nothing else is a reliable backup. This offer is for a little less than league average, mid-level exception money. However, with Andrew Wiggins and Gorgui Dieng on the books, the costs add up fast.
Minnesota would be roughly $750K-1M below the luxury tax if they matched the Tyus Jones offer sheet. That would include 14 players including the partially/non guaranteed contracts of Shabazz Napier and Trevor Graham.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) July 8, 2019
The Timberwolves don’t have a lot of other options at the point (the market is drying up), and they like Jones, so they probably match the offer. But it’s not a lock.