Multiple reports indicate that Tyus Jones has agreed to a three-year, $28 million offer sheet submitted to him by the Memphis Grizzlies.
Jones, 23, is a restricted free agent, so the Wolves have two days to match the offer or Jones’ deal will become official. It’s unclear what Minnesota plans to do, but matching the offer would raise the team’s salary cap close to the luxury tax.
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
ESPN’s Malika Andrews reports that Jones agreed to the deal with Memphis after he and his agent couldn’t find “common ground” on a “fair deal” with the Wolves.
In 68 games last season, the Apple Valley native averaged 6.9 points, 2.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists, but he increased his points (11.2) and assists (7.3) during the final 15 games of the season when he started.
Jones didn’t shoot the ball very well – 41.5% from inside the arc and 31.7% from 3 – but he led the NBA in assist to turnover ratio, averaging a whopping 6.96 assists for every one turnover.
That’s actually a NBA record among players with at least 200 assists in a season.
