Trainer: Brady Howe (senior director of player health and performance), David Crewe (director of medical services/head athletic trainer). Here's their methodology: "OnlineBetting.coms experts compared the win/loss percentage of the teams current GM with the previous five years before his tenure. Jones was also responsible for the 2020 trade that sent Chris Paul to the Suns, as well as the teams signings of free agents like Cameron Payne and Jae Crowder. Contract Terms: 1 yr(s) / $885,000 Signing Bonus - This gives us a reliable and versatile metric which can be used to evaluate the effective spending of a GM in any major sport.". (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images), (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images). To end it didnt take the option on Jalen Smith, which PHO must be regretting already, as hopefully he will bolt in the summer for much more $$$ than PHO can ever offer him. They didnt. So, for me personally, Im just thankful for my team.. Cam Payne has made a remarkable leap from the G League to the backup point guard for a contender in the NBA. Story soon on ESPN: Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver is leaning toward the eventual hiring of interim general manager James Jones as the franchise's full-time GM, league sources tell ESPN. Something went wrong. What? Although they lost in six games to Milwaukee, the Suns appear well-positioned to make another run at a title this season. With the salary cap set at $109 million, the Suns are expected to operate as a team over the cap but well under the $132 million luxury tax threshold, reports Arizona Sports' John Gambadoro and. Jones is working for the best on-court product, but hes also working for Sarver, Garvin AND the Ishbias in some form or another. As Detroits general manager, Bower made a series of transactions including trades to acquire Tobias Harris and Reggie Jackson, the teams two leading scorers in 2015-16s return to the postseason. to get a year of Aron Baynes and a late 2019 first-round pick spent on Ty Jerome (whoops! 6/28/23 Chris Pauls $30,800,000 guarantees for 2023-24; 6/29/23 Cameron Paynes $6.5 million guarantees for 2023-24. Phoenix Suns general manager James Jones has long been one of the best at his position since taking over duties. [53] On October 8, 2018, Jones was named an interim general manager for the Phoenix Suns alongside assistant general manager Trevor Bukstein after firing the previous general manager, Ryan McDonough. Jones is proud to be part of that progress for Black sports executives and is hopeful for more. Jones played college basketball for the Miami Hurricanes of the University of Miami, where he was a three-year starter and finished his career averaging 11 points per game. It is worth noting that of this group, only Dario Saric is under contract for next season. According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, suspended outgoing team governor Robert Sarver still has some authority over what happens to the Suns while he is still the controlling partner. How will it look this time around? Jones also added key contributors in veteran forward Torrey Craig (who left Game 2 with a knee injury) in a trade with the Milwaukee Bucks on March 18 and Cameron Payne as a free agent. The Phoenix Suns dropped from best odds to win the West to 3rd best, despite still being 2nd best to win the whole league. In college he won "Best Sports Column" in the state of Arizona for his section and has previously provided coverage for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona State Sun Devils. Jones, who was the 49th overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft by the Indiana Pacers and had a 14-year playing career, said he continues to grow in his role. There were signs . Please enter a valid email and try again. [2] Jones's father Jay Lee played at Southern University while his uncle Mitchell Lee played at the University of Minnesota and his cousin Shawn Brailsford played at Marshall University. On April 11, 2019, the Suns removed the interim tag from Jones' title, naming him the team's general manager, with Bukstein remaining as assistant general manager. But in November 2020, Jones acquired 10-time All-Star Chris Paul from the Oklahoma City Thunder. [2] He won his second championship when the Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs in seven games. 21+ (18+ NH/WY). [16][17] Despite his good shooting for the year, he was not selected to participate in the Three-Point Contest during the 2008 NBA All-Star Game, much to the chagrin of Trail Blazers fans. [29] The Heat went on to make the 2011 NBA Finals where they lost to the Dallas Mavericks, 4 games to 2. Jones has spent the last two seasons as the Suns vice president of basketball operations, sharing general manager duties with Bukstein this past season where the two collaborated on trades which brought Kelly Oubre Jr. and Tyler Johnson to Phoenix. Every move he makes will influence the new owners decisions this summer. [2], Jones played in 38 games for the Heat during the 201213 season while averaging 1.6 points, 0.6 rebounds and 5.8 minutes. Oops. [40] The Cavaliers won the Eastern Conference championship and advanced to the NBA Finals. He was named Third-team All-Big East his junior year and Second-team Verizon Academic All-American his senior year. 6/29/23 Qualifying offer deadline for Jalen Smith. Thats, for me, what this is all about. newsletter, sung my James Jones praises from the rooftops. Landry Shamet continues to be the first guy off the bench for the Suns. [25] On July 19, 2010, Jones was re-signed by the Heat for the league minimum. Landing him on a 3 year, $27 million extension is looking more and more like a steal, as hes been one of the most productive bench players in the NBA and hes still just 26 years old. I just try to sit back and observe, and give an objective perspective to what we do, Jones said. Theyve had a lot of success, so for me, I take it as a team award. Eligibility restrictions apply. send. [2] He also runs a camp called Crew 22 Training Camp. Center of the Sun: The Rubio mentality, next-level Booker, and respect. Jones was never on an NBA team with a losing record and only missed the playoffs oncewith the Trail Blazers in 200708. As a result, Jones finished as the top general manager in the NBA, and the second best across all major sports. and "JHoops" (pronounced Joops). Its better. Reclamation projects if you will. Unselfish, smart, balanced, experienced, tough and most importantly, hard-working. [15][2] Jones finished the 200708 season third in the league in three-point percentage with a percentage of 44.4%. [47][48], On August 3, 2016, Jones re-signed with the Cavaliers. [70] Jones appeared on the television show Kitchen Nightmares in 2010. The Suns have signed general manager James Jones to a contract extension, he confirmed to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. When you can add Dario Saric, Cam Payne, Langston Galloway, Torrey Craig, Abdel Nader, and Frank Kaminsky for a total of approximately $17.8 million thats unheard of. [1] He started all 28 games his senior year, averaging 16.9 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.8 blocks, earning Honorable Mention All-Big East and Second-team Verizon Academic All-American recognition. Warren went on to average 26.6 points and 6.3 rebounds per game for Indiana in the NBA bubble last season. While some of them were initially scoffed at or questioned, he kept the big picture in mind. Projection for 2022-23 (cap $119 million): Up to $16 million in cap space, none with Mikal Bridges or Deandre Ayton. In Paul, Jones gave Williams a future Hall of Fame point guard who he had previously worked with in New Orleans. Jones shot a team-best 41-of-87 on three-pointers for a .471 percentage. Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images. This website is free for you to use but we may receive commission from the companies we feature on this site. Will he quietly reject trades until that player is included, just to get a little more satisfaction on the way out the door? The Suns will need more than a Tesla motor to stop the two-time MVP. Its not like this is a unique concept, one many front offices have tried and failed, but Jones knew the kind of people he needed around to achieve this. I dont take it for granted. Jones told The Undefeated that the Sarver investigation didnt give me pause in accepting the contract extension with the Suns. If you notice a discrepancy, please notify Basketball Insiders Senior Writer Eric Pincus. Will he reject potential deals that dont bring back that player? Devin Booker's defensive rise could be coming at the right time to give the Phoenix Suns another defender to put on Denver's Jamal Murray. What? [69][2][40] The James Jones Legacy Foundation was founded in 2009. In those 7 games, hes putting up per-100 possessions numbers of 20.4 PPG, 12.6 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.7 SPG, and 0.9 BPG on a .563 True Shooting Percentage. Imagine not only giving the Ishbias the current $30+ million bill to pay, but also adding to it with deadline trades that might not pan out. He also seems like a genuinely great person and has made a positive impact in the locker room already. [2], Jones was previously the secretary-treasurer of the NBA Players Association (NBPA). Because were the Suns, right? Its no surprise he was the perfect person to do that after Jones nickname in the veteran stages of his playing career was Champ. The nickname was bestowed to Jones by LeBron James and company for Jones consistent, professional presence and work rate, the true conduct of a champion. ", "James Jones for 4 - twice in 11 seconds", "Miami Heat: James Jones Wins The 3-Point Shootout", "Cavaliers Sign Mike Miller and James Jones", "For the Cavaliers, there's a King and there's a Champ", "Finals veteran James Jones not daunted by Cavs' task", "Significance of sixth consecutive trip to Finals not lost on LeBron James, James Jones", "Cavaliers become first team to rally from 3-1 series deficit in NBA Finals", "Vince Carter wins 2015-16 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award", "Kevin Love praises James Jones for being such a great teammate", "Kevin Love writes touching tribute to Cavaliers teammate", "LeBron, Irving lead Cavs to 118-103 win over Suns", "The top 10 players with the most consecutive NBA Finals appearances", "10 Takeaways from Cavaliers vs. Warriors NBA Finals Game 5", "Suns Extend Ryan McDonough as General Manager, Name James Jones Vice President of Basketball Operations", "Suns Relieve Ryan McDonough of General Manager Duties", "Igor Kokoskov was doomed with Phoenix Suns by a lack of connection with younger players", "Suns fire Kokoskov; Williams eyed, sources say", "2019 NBA Draft: Live Grades for Every Pick", "NBA free agency grades: Mixed reactions on Suns' Ricky Rubio signing", "2019 NBA offseason roster changes: Grades, player movement, signings, trades for every team", "Everything you need to know about the historic bubble Phoenix Suns", "Suns Complete Trade For Chris Paul & Abdel Nader", "Phoenix Suns a threat in Western Conference after moves in NBA free agency, offseason", "Center of the Sun: Remade Suns roster looks to be the strongest since 2009-10", "Phoenix Suns' James Jones, with close ties to LeBron James, braces for Lakers series", "Phoenix's James Jones wins 2020-21 NBA Basketball Executive of the Year award", SUNS PROMOTE JAMES JONES TO PRESIDENT OF BASKETBALL OPERATIONS AND GENERAL MANAGER, "James Jones of The Cavaliers Lives by Deep-Rooted Faith", "JONES & JONES STRATEGIC CONSULTING, LLC", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=James_Jones_(basketball,_born_1980)&oldid=1147401306, All-Big East Conference Third-team 200102, 4 Big East All-Academic Team 19992000, 200001, 200102, 200203, Verizon Academic All-District III selection 200102, Class 6A Player of the Year in Florida 199899, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 30 March 2023, at 18:26. 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