NBA Rumors: Another Eastern Conference Team "Very Interested" In Tyus Jones


Memphis Grizzlies backup point guard Tyus Jones has won himself a lot of new fans with his performance filling in for Ja Morant this past season. The Grizz were 19-4 with Jones as a starter. 

We've talked before of the New York Knicks' interest in bringing Jones in, but now, according to Cleveland Cavaliers beat writer Chris Fedor, "one of the names I hear that the Cavs are interested in, according to my sources, and I’m not sure this team is going to let him go, but they’d be very interested in Tyus Jones to be Darius Garland’s backup." 

The Cavs have lacked a strong backup point ever since Ricky Rubio went down with a season-ending ACL tear in December. 

There are a couple of issues, however, that could stand in the way of Cleveland acquiring Jones on the free agent market. First, the Grizzlies feel they have ownership support to pay and keep Jones; second, Jones himself has said that he wants to be a starter. 

"I’ve always viewed myself as a starter, even coming off the bench,” Jones said. “A lot of times being called one of the best backups in the league, I never called myself that. I always just viewed that I was just a starter that’s coming off the bench. That’s always been my mindset.” 

If Memphis somehow lets him go, it's doubtful he'd agree to sign somewhere else in a backup role.

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