Suns Make Crucial Veteran Free Agent Signing

Suns Sign Top Free Agent Point Guard

The Phoenix Suns bolstered their backcourt over the weekend by signing point guard Tyus Jones to a one-year, $3.3 million deal. Jones spent the last season with the Washington Wizards, averaging 12.0 points and 7.3 assists.

Jones is a big-time pickup for this Phoenix team that operated without a true starting point guard last year. The Suns signed him to the veteran's minimum, which is a significant move considering Jones was arguably the best free agent point guard on the market and someone worth closer to the $15 million per year mark.

Jones noted that he's willing to take less money this season knowing that a strong year on a contending team will earn him an even larger deal in free agency next season.

New head coach Mike Budenholzer will have decisions to make on his starting lineup next year, but it would make sense to start Jones at point guard. Bradley Beal and Devin Booker split time as the primary ball-handler last year, but both players operate better off the ball. Jones starting would then push Grayson Allen to the bench, but that's a move that might have happened regardless of Phoenix's new acquisition.

A starting lineup of Jones, Beal, Booker, Kevin Durant and Jusuf Nurkić would be among the best offensive lineups in the league, but defensively they could struggle. Another option would be to move Beal to the second unit and have him serve as Booker's backup. Either way, the benefits of adding Jones to the roster are plentiful and make the Suns a team that you should feel more comfortable betting on this season.

Jones Immediately Improves the Suns

The Suns struggled mightily with turnovers in 2023-2024, ranking 27th in TOV% while averaging 14.9 giveaways per game. Those numbers should be significantly lower this season with the ball in Jones' hands. He's built a reputation as a savvy point guard known for his exceptional playmaking and court vision, but most importantly, his ability to take care of the ball.

Jones tallied 1,933 minutes for Washington last season, yet turned the ball over just 66 times. He finished the year with 485 assists (7.3 per game), giving him an assist-to-turnover ratio of 7.35 last season. According to ESPN Stats & Information, that's the highest of any player in a season since individual turnovers were first tracked in 1977-1978.

Phoenix wasn't a high-volume 3-point shooting team last season, ranking just 25th with 32.6 attempts per game. However, they converted those at the 5th-highest rate, knocking them down at a 38.2% clip.

With Jones at point guard, the Suns' volume should improve because he'll help space the floor better, allowing Booker, Beal and Durant to get more looks from outside. He'll also get plenty of solid looks himself and will be given the green light to let them fly, especially considering he shot 41.4% from deep last season.

Betting On The Suns In 2024-2025

It isn't often that someone playing on a vet minimum has the opportunity to impact a team in this significant of a way, but Jones isn't your typical vet minimum player.

The Suns are 15-1 to win the Western Conference and 35-1 to win the NBA title at DraftKings. I can't say I'm sold on either of those bets coming home, but I do think the addition of Jones makes Phoenix's chances of surpassing its win total more of a reality.

The Suns finished with a 49-33 record last season and their win total for 2024-25 is set at 46.5 on DraftKings. With the number of injuries Phoenix dealt with last year and their lack of continuity because of it, I expect a significant improvement this season.

Jones will allow Budenholzer to be more conservative with Beal's minutes, which will hopefully limit his injuries. Having a true point guard will also allow Booker and Durant to operate at their true positions, leading to improved productivity.

The addition of Jones is a massive plus for this squad and should have Suns fans very excited about the upcoming season.