Duke Basketball Champ Tyus Jones Gets Well-Deserved New Opportunity

Late Wednesday night, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported a three-team trade that will send 2015 Duke basketball national champ Tyus Jones from the Memphis Grizzlies to the Washington Wizards.

Also part of the moves, Kristaps Porzingis is heading to the Boston Celtics from the Wizards to team up with former Blue Devil Jayson Tatum. Meanwhile, the Celtics are sending Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala to the Wizards, plus Marcus Smart to the Grizzlies. And there are a few swapped draft picks involved in the deal.

Tyus Jones, who went No. 24 overall at the 2015 NBA Draft following his memorable one-and-done Duke basketball campaign, would have been in line to fill in as the starting point guard in Memphis while Ja Morant serves his 25-game suspension at the start of next season.

Even better, according to ESPN's Tim Bontemps, the 27-year-old Jones finally has the opportunity to be a full-time starter for the Wizards, regardless of his teammates' status:

"It had been anticipated that Jones would fill in for Morant. Instead, Jones will now be the starting point guard in Washington, where new president of basketball operations Michael Winger continues to remake the team's roster."

Last season, his fourth with the Grizzlies following four years with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Jones led the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio for a record fifth straight time. He did so while averaging a career-high 5.2 assists and 10.3 points, marking the first time he's posted a double-digit scoring average in his pro career.

Welcome to the Wizards, Tyus Jones!

Best Games Last Season
28 PTS, 10 AST, 1 TO (63% FG)
25 PTS, 12 AST, 5 STL, 5 3PT, 0 TO
23 PTS, 10 AST, 1 TO (67% FG)
20 PTS, 10 REB, 10 AST
13 PTS, 14 AST, 0 TOpic.twitter.com/5C42n7Qw0j
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) June 22, 2023

Now, Tyus Jones, set to earn $14 million in the final year of his contract, is the only former Blue Devil on the Wizards' projected 2023-24 roster. And the trade leaves Luke Kennard as the Grizzlies' lone Duke basketball product.

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