Suns Guard ‘Expressed Interest' in Return Next Season Despite Disappointing Season
Suns Guard 'Expressed Interest' in Return Next Season Despite Disappointing Season originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Phoenix Suns have been quite busy early in the offseason. They went 36-46 and missed out on any postseason contention. As a result, owner Mat Ishbia began making significant changes, starting with the head coaching position, when he fired Mike Budenholzer shortly after the season concluded.
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The next significant move came when he appointed James Jones to a senior advisory position, installing Brian Gregory, an old friend of Ishbia's, as the new general manager. Their relationship dates back to their time at Michigan State, when Ishbia was a player and Gregory an assistant coach.
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Suns guard "expressed interest" in return next season
The first significant move Gregory likely worked with Ishbia on was the trade that saw them send Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and five second-round picks.
While the Suns commonly relied on Durant and Devin Booker's offense to bail them out of games, they couldn't overcome being the third-worst team in the NBA in terms of defensive efficiency. One player who didn't live up to his billing was point guard Tyus Jones.
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According to Arizona Sports 98.7 FM's John Gambadoro, the Suns could have a decision to make regarding Jones.
"Tyus Jones likes it in Phoenix and has expressed interest in returning while the Phoenix Suns are still considering a 2nd contract, per [Gambadoro]."
Jones signed a one-year deal with the Suns before this season, passing up more guaranteed years and money elsewhere. Some thought a true point guard to help facilitate was precisely what the Suns needed. It wasn't.
He saw his assist numbers dip from 7.3 assists last season with the Washington Wizards to just 5.3 per game with a much more talented Suns team. It remains to be seen if the Suns choose to offer him a second contract, but it wouldn't be surprising to see Ishbia bring back a familiar face.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
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