The 2024-25 NBA season was an absolute disaster for the Phoenix Suns, as they managed to only win 36 games. They didn't make the playoffs - or the play-in tournament for that matter - which led to the Kevin Durant mega trade that has now been made official with the Suns already waiving a player they acquired in the deal.
One of the most disappointing players for the Suns was point guard Tyus Jones, and the fact he started the season as one of their better performers made it even harder to understand. But by year's end it was clear that Jones had failed in backing himself for a future payday while playing on a minimum deal, and that the fit on such a poor defensive team was a massive issue.
Which is why Jones is going to thrive with the Orlando Magic.
The 29-year-old's contract with the Magic is undisclosed, although many in the know have speculated that it is a one-year, $7 million deal. If that's the case, that is a great price to get one of the best table-setters and assist-to-turnover ratio leaders in the entire league for a young group on the rise.
Last season the Suns gave up 117.7 points per game, and Jones was an easy point of attack for opponents. Durant almost said as much on a recent appearance on the "Mind The Game" podcast with LeBron James and Steve Nash, claiming that it is harder than ever for smaller players to have an oversized impact on the game.
That was certainly the case in Phoenix when Jones had the likes of Jusuf Nurkic, Bol Bol and Durant himself as the bigs defending the rim when he was on the court. It will be very different in Florida, as head coach Jamahl Mosley has created an excellent defensive identity around the young Magic, who had the second best defensive rating in the league (109.1) behind only the Oklahoma City Thunder.
It was the other end of the court were that team struggled, and they were as bad offensively as the Suns were defensively, both finished 27th in their respective categories. This will also be an excellent opportunity for Jones to do what he has done best throughout his career, come off the bench and make an instant impact.
Jones excelled as a starter early in the campaign in Phoenix last season - but as the wheels came off for that team - it was the play of Jones that took a nosedive. He's better as the floor general off the bench, and he can return to a role where he made his name with the Memphis Grizzlies with the Magic.
Only now he is going to have the likes of Franz Wagner, Jonathan Isaac, Jalen Suggs, Desmond Bane and even Paolo Banchero himself to make up for his lack of defensive impact. When Jones pops in Orlando - and he is going to - Suns fans need to remind themselves it never could have been like that last year. On their current roster however, he makes a lot more sense which could be tough to take.