Tyus Jones Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Northwest Notes: T. Jones, Mitchell, Jefferson, Huestis

January 14th, 2018 at 10:21am CST by Arthur Hill

Timberwolves point guard Tyus Jones played well when Jeff Teague was sidelined with a sprained knee ligament, but there’s no thought about making him the starter, relays Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune. Jones ranks in the top five in the league in assists and steals per turnover and is number one in defensive real plus-minus. Still, coach Tom Thibodeau trusts Teague, who was one of Minnesota’s prize offseason additions, and won’t consider a change.

“Jeff has been around a long time, and Jeff has done a lot of winning,” Thibodeau said. “That’s probably the most important thing.”

There’s more today from the Northwest Division:

Rookie guard Donovan Mitchell has become the MVP for the Jazz in a difficult season, according to Mike Sorensen of The Deseret News. The 13th overall pick is leading all rookies in scoring at 18.8 points per game and has four 30-point performances already. Utah was focused primarily on Mitchell’s defensive prowess when it acquired him in a draft-night trade with the Nuggets, so the scoring has been a pleasant surprise. In his other midseason ratings, Sorensen picks Ricky Rubio as the team’s most disappointing player and Royce O’Neale as the most pleasant surprise.
The Nuggets plan to use veteran forward Richard Jefferson as part of their rotation for the rest of the season, tweets Chris Dempsey of Altitude Sports. Coach Michael Malone said he wants to see “what we have” in the 37-year-old, who has been playing about eight minutes per night and is averaging 1.6 points through 13 games.
After spending most of his first two seasons in the G League, Josh Huestis may have found a role with the Thunder, writes Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman. Terrance Ferguson has taken over as the starting shooting guard with Andre Roberson injured, but coach Billy Donovan has turned to Huestis as a late-game defensive stopper. Huestis, who played just seven combined NBA games during his first two years in the league, is enjoying the opportunity. “It comes down to defense,” he said.

Northwest Notes: Westbrook, Huestis, Abrines, Jones, Jazz

December 30th, 2017 at 10:27am CST by marksuleymanov

In the middle of the Thunder’s resurgence and winning streak has been reigning NBA Most Valuable Player, Russell Westbrook. As Oklahoma City has tried to create a balance for Westbrook and two other All-Stars, Carmelo Anthony and Paul George, the team has struggled to find consistency. Playing behind Westbrook’s lead and not with him trying to lead is how the Thunder will find success, ESPN’s Royce Young writes.

After a slow start, OKC is in fifth place in the Western Conference with a 20-16 record. Anthony believes that Westbrook’s hot streak and the team’s improved play are no coincidence.

“I think the fact that Russ is just playing — not trying to defer to anybody, to any one of us — just playing his game and letting us play off him … I think he’s much more effective by doing that rather than deferring to myself or Paul,” Anthony said. “We know what we bring to the game. We understand it. We accept it. And by that, he’s able to just play his game, relax and do what he does best. We need that. We need that Russ out there. Not the one who defers to us. Let us figure it out.”

Check out other Northwest Division news below:

After the Thunder lost to the Bucks on Friday, head coach Billy Donovan said the team needs Alex Abrines to play better, Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman writes. Abrines, 24, got the start on Friday but OKC was down 24 points after one quarter and he never returned. “My feeling is that Alex needs to help our team, and trying to find ways to get him going would be positive for our team,” Donovan said. “That’s why I kind of started him.”
Following Abrines’ removal, Josh Huestis got the chance to play the rest of the game and showed some defensive promise against the Bucks, Dawson writes in a separate story.
With Jeff Teague sidelined 2 to 4 weeks with a left knee sprain, Tyus Jones will take over the Wolves‘ starting point guard role for the second time this season and he feels prepared, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune writes. “Just because it’s not the first time now,” Jones said. “It’s something I’ve done, something we’ve gone through as a team. I’m just ready to go. My first-time experience, I learned it was still just basketball. You’re in the game to start rather than coming in a few minutes into the game, but it’s just basketball at the end of the day.”
The month of December has not been kind to the Jazz as the team searches for an identity, Eric Woodyard of the Deseret News writes.

Timberwolves Pick Up Options On Towns, Jones

October 15th, 2017 at 4:54pm CST by marksuleymanov

The Timberwolves have picked up their fourth-year options (2018/19) on budding superstar Karl-Anthony Towns and Tyus Jones, the team announced in a press release Sunday. Minnesota faced an Oct. 31 deadline to pick up the options for 2018/19. Towns will make a hefty $7,839,435 next season while Jones will pocket $2,444,053.

Towns, 21, enters his third NBA season as one of the league’s top players. The Kentucky product has not missed a game in his first two seasons while racking up honors such as the 2016 NBA Rookie of the Year and the NBA Skills Challenge trophy the same year. The 7’0″ Towns improved across the board last season, averaging a double-double with 25.1 PPG and 12.3 RPG in 37 minutes per game.

Jones, also 21, appeared in 60 games last year, averaging 3.5 PPG and 2.6 RPG. The point guard from Duke has shown glimpses of his talent and this season, he will part of the Wolves’ second unit.

For all of this year’s decisions on 2018/19 rookie scale options, be sure to check out our tracker.

Wolves Target Teague Among Other PG Options

June 30th, 2017 at 4:58pm CST by Austin Kent

Immediately after trading Ricky Rubio to the Jazz for a first-round pick, the Timberwolves have made Jeff Teague their favorite target available, Sam Amick of USA Today writes.

Of course that doesn’t necessarily mean the interest is mutual but there’s reason to believe that Minnesota has a pretty good idea of who their starting point guard will be in 2017/18.

Per Josh Lewenberg of TSN, the Timberwolves wouldn’t make the Rubio trade without knowing who their replacement would be. He speculates that it could be Kyle Lowry but notes that it would make more sense for the club to pursue Teague or George Hill.

If the decision did come between Teague and Lowry, Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News suggests that the 29-year-old Teague could have the upper hand over his 31-year-old counterpart with the flexibility to offer a shorter deal so that the Wolves could save money.

Another option that has been floated by Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports is Rajon Rondo. Mannix notes that T-Wolves head coach Tom Thibodeau saw the best of Rondo during his stint with the Celtics.

As of now, ESPN’s Jeff Goodman notes, the only point guard on Minnesota’s roster is Tyus Jones

Northwest Notes: Nurkic, Cole, Nuggets

March 4th, 2017 at 10:45am CST by Austin Kent

Acquired from the Nuggets in the days leading up to the trade deadline, Jusuf Nurkic is a valuable component already breathing new life into the Trail Blazers, writes Joe Freeman of the Oregonian. In five games with his new club, Nurkic has averaged 14.0 points and 8.4 rebounds in 29.8 minutes per game.

“I think his energy is definitely good for our team,” Damian Lillard told Freeman of the big man, later adding that the fiery 22-year-old adds a valuable emotional boost. “I guess you would call him a tough guy — every play he’s saying something.”

This isn’t the first time Nurkic has shown impressive potential, he flashed signs of promise during his rookie campaign in 2014/15. Still, a 2015/16 injury coupled with the emergence of Nikola Jokic this year and last inhibited the Bosnian’s development in Denver.

There’s more out of the Northwest Division:

So long as the Trail Blazers are within reach of the playoffs, Damian Lillard will be competing at the highest level, writes Jason Quick of CSN Northwest. “We have an opportunity to make the playoffs and I’m going to play until that opportunity is gone, and then I’m still going to play. We have a whole summer until the next season, so I’m going to play.” The veteran understood the appeal of tanking during his rookie campaign when the postseason was never an option but has no desire to rely on the draft for immediate help.
The recent signing of Norris Cole gives the Thunder a reliable veteran to back up Russell Westbrook at the point, writes Brett Dawson of the Oklahoman. “[We] just need him to run our team when he’s in there, make good decisions, defend,” says head coach Billy Donovan, “All the things he’s done for most of his career.“
The Timberwolves have experimented with both Tyus Jones and Kris Dunn in the lineup at the same time, writes Jerry Zgoda of the Star-Tribune. The pair of point guards has been deployed of late when starter Ricky Rubio takes a seat. “I like Tyus and Kris together; that’s a big plus,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “They have good chemistry together. It gives you a second pick-and-roll player.”
Rookies have stepped up and made an impact for the Nuggets this season, writes Nick Kosmider of the Denver Post. He speaks, of course, about the emergence of Jamal Murray and Juan Hernangomez as valuable contributors even as Denver competes for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Wolves Notes: Rubio, Dunn, Jones

January 23rd, 2017 at 10:16pm CST by ChrisCrouse

It may be time for the Wolves to trade Ricky Rubio, as Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders explains (video link). Minnesota isn’t contending for the playoffs this season and Kyler believes it’s likely the team makes a move by the trade deadline. Rubio has long been the subject of trade rumors and according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, the Wolves are “actively” shopping him. The Bulls and Knicks were recently linked to Rubio and Kyler added that he could envision the Magic making a run a acquiring the point guard.

[RELATED: Trade Candidate: Ricky Rubio]

Here’s more from Minnesota:

If Minnesota deals Rubio and hands Kris Dunn the starting job, the team should prioritize the rookie’s development, Chip Scoggins of The Star Tribune contends. Scoggins believes the Wolves should resist trading for a stop-gap point guard to replace Rubio and they should give Dunn the minutes necessary to evaluate whether he is the long-term answer for the franchise.
Dunn nearly had a triple-double in Sunday’s win over the Nuggets and coach/executive Tom Thibodeau believes the point guard is ready for a larger role, as Scoggins passes along in the same piece. “He’s been coming on for a while,” Thibodeau said. “Defensively he’s been good from the beginning. Offensively he’s figuring it out. He understands the speed and size of the game. He wants to make plays for others. Defensively there are a lot of hustle plays he makes. He’ll rebound in traffic. You’re not going to knock him around. Kris has a lot of toughness in him.”
The Dunn-Tyus Jones backcourt works well for the Wolves, Kent Youngblood of The Star Tribune writes. Dunn’s versatile game allows the team to employ several lineups with him at the shooting guard. “Kris has the ability to play two positions. He can defend three positions, actually. So you can use him in that way,” Thibodeau said.

Timberwolves Exercise Options On Four Players

October 23rd, 2016 at 5:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Timberwolves have exercised third-year options on Karl-Anthony Towns and Tyus Jones and fourth-year options on Zach LaVine and Andrew Wiggins, the team announced today.

Adreian Payne has been told his fourth-year option will not be picked up, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News in Minneapolis (Twitter link).

Towns and Wiggins are the last two Rookies of the Year and Levine is part of the rotation, so all of those moves were expected. Minnesota has reportedly been in ongoing trade talks involving Jones, with the Sixers as the current front-runner.

Payne, a 6’10” power forward, appeared in 52 games for the Wolves last season, averaging 2.5 points and 2.1 rebounds in 9.3 minutes per night. He was acquired from the Hawks in a 2015 trade.

Several Teams Interested In Tyus Jones

October 22nd, 2016 at 4:52pm CST by ChrisCrouse

4:52pm: Philly and Minnesota are getting closer on a Jones deal, Keith Smith of Real GM tweets. Smith hears that the Wolves are looking for a big man in return.

SATURDAY, 3:08pm: The Sixers and Wolves are still involved in discussions regarding Jones, Wojnarowski tweets.

WEDNESDAY, 7:59pm: Several teams, including the Sixers and Pelicans, have expressed interest in Tyus Jones, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports. Wojnarowski notes that the 20-year-old’s performance in summer league improved his stock with teams interested in him as a point guard off the bench.

The Wolves are more open to moving Jones than they are to moving Ricky Rubio in the short-term, sources tell Wojnarowski. The team is reluctant to move Rubio until rookie Kris Dunn is ready to take over the starting point guard spot.

Coach/executive Tom Thibodeau wants to immediately win games and contend for a playoff berth, as evidenced by his rotation choices during the preseason. Thibs has used 33-year-old veteran John Lucas in the guard rotation rather than relying solely on the team’s young talent. Lucas is on a non-guaranteed deal and his chances of making the team likely hinge on another point guard being traded.

Jones had a ho-hum rookie season for the Wolves, averaging 4.2 points and 2.9 assists in 15.5 minutes per game. He shot 30.2% from behind the arc and sported a 11.2 player efficiency rating.

Cavaliers Notes: Smith, McRae, Felder, Liggins

July 16th, 2016 at 11:01am CST by Arthur Hill

GM David Griffin isn’t concerned about the possibility of losing J.R. Smith, writes Sam Amico of Amicohoops. There reportedly has been little interest outside of Cleveland in the 30-year-old free agent shooting guard, who started 77 games during the regular season and was an important contributor to the Cavaliers’ championship run. “These things sometimes take time,” Griffin said. “When the time is right, something will get done. I’m very confident about that.” The team has remained in contact with with Smith, tweets Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com, who adds that Smith’s situation is not related to LeBron James‘ contract talks. Haynes says James is “no rush” to wrap up his new deal.

There’s more this morning out of Cleveland:

Summer League players Jordan McRae, Kay Felder and DeAndre Liggins will be in Cleveland’s training camp and all three have a chance to make the roster, according to Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer. McRae, a 6’6″ point guard, appeared in 15 games for the Cavs this season and made an impression with a 35-point performance in the finale. Felder is a 5’9″ point guard whom the Cavaliers drafted 54th overall last month after buying the pick from Atlanta. His 9.3 assists per game were the most in Division I basketball this year, and he reminds observers of Celtics All-Star Isaiah Thomas. Liggins, a 6’6″ swingman, was the D-League’s Defensive Player of the Year and can hit from 3-point range.
Another name to watch is Turkish small forward Cedi Osman, whose rights were acquired from Minnesota in a 2015 draft day deal involving Tyus Jones, Pluto writes in the same story. The Cavs are keeping a close eye on Osman, who told reporters he wants to come to the NBA in 2017/18.
Cleveland isn’t in a position to make a big move to counter Golden State’s signing of Kevin Durant, according to Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal. The defending champs are out of cap space, have few realistic trade options and a mostly set roster for next season. They are also facing another massive luxury tax bill with the contracts they already have in place. Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue, who defended Durant’s decision, said Cleveland improved with the addition of Mike Dunleavy Jr., who was acquired in a trade with Chicago. “More depth, more shooting, a guy who can come off screens and pindowns and play off movement, getting to the basket and making the right pass,” Lue said about what Dunleavy brings to the team.

Northwest Notes: Durant, Jones, Mack

March 19th, 2016 at 2:05pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Thunder small forward Kevin Durant, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, understands that every comment he makes regarding other NBA cities will be magnified, but he doesn’t feel that he needs to censor his opinions, Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman writes. “I love being in Philly, too,” Durant said, addressing reaction to what he said this week about Boston. “If you ask me about a city, I like being there. I’m not going to say anything bad about it. That’s how I am. I’m not going to watch what I say. Because I know how I’m saying it and my intentions in saying it. People are going to pick and choose what they want to write and I can’t control that. But I can control what I say. And I’m not going to hold my tongue or answer things differently or walk on eggshells because I don’t want stuff written about me. I’m just gonna be who I am. Of course people are going to say stuff. I like playing in Boston, like the city, it’s a cool city, they ran with that one. But I know how it is. It’s all good.”

Here’s more from the Northwest Division:

Timberwolves rookie point guard Tyus Jones has shown marked improvement in his 3-point shooting this season after numerous scouts had expressed concern over his shooting range during the predraft process last season, Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune writes. “I’m confident in myself, confident in my game and it’s something I’ve always prided myself on,” Jones responded when asked if his success has surprised him. “That’s something you have to focus on, especially running the second unit. You want to come in and be sure we’re efficient. That’s what I’m trying to do.” The 19-year-old has connected on 42.4% of his shots from beyond the arc on the year.
The acquisition of point guard Shelvin Mack has paid off for the Jazz, who have benefited from his consistency and leadership since he arrived from Atlanta, Jody Genessy of The Deseret News writes. “He is a smart player. That is one of the reasons that we traded for him,” coach Quin Snyder said. “I think it’s really a familiarity and comfort level. We know how much we need each other as a group and we’ve got good unselfish guys that support each other. They have probably made that easier for him and I think that he certainly understands that it can help the group and help him impact the group in a positive way.”