The New York Knicks were looking for backup point guards in the free agent market this summer, and one of the best players still available after the initial rush was veteran Tyus Jones.
Jones, 28, was the starting point guard for the Washington Wizards last season, making 66 appearances and averaging a career-high 12 points and 7.3 assists per game. Jones was seeking a new contract with a contender and nearly joined the Knicks as a free agent.
“He was considering their offer (about two years, $10 million) while he was sailing during the offseason,” SNY insider Ian Begley writes:“Jones also had at least one other offer on the table worth significantly more than the Knicks’ proposal, according to people familiar with the matter. There were sign-and-trade scenarios with the Wizards and scenarios where the Wizards re-signed Jones and kept open the possibility of trading him before the 2025 deadline. In all of those scenarios, Jones would have earned significantly more than the minimum, people familiar with the matter said.”
Jones was supposed to be a backup for the Knicks, but he continued to seek other opportunities to start. He eventually signed a one-year, $3.3 million contract with the Phoenix Suns, where he is expected to start alongside Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, Kevin Durant and Jusuf Nurkic.
The Knicks would have had even more firepower with their depth had they signed Jones, but the team ultimately went in a different direction by signing veteran point guard Cam Payne from the Philadelphia 76ers and drafting Marquette’s Tyler Kolek with the 34th overall pick in June’s draft.
The Knicks hope Jones regrets his decision when they visit the Suns on Nov. 20 and host them at Madison Square Garden on April 6.
