James Jones to Phoenix deal almost completed

[Kori Ellis]

:pctoss

Trade for Pacers' Jones is expected by end of week

Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 24, 2005 12:00 AM

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/sports/articles/0824sunsnb0824.html

There likely will be a new Suns player by the end of the week.

That would have figured to be Scott Padgett or Michael Finley not too long ago, but Padgett is waffling a little and Finley is still pondering. In the meantime, Phoenix is poised to bring on 24-year-old Indiana swingman James Jones in a sign-and-trade deal that should be completed this week.

The trade is awaiting Joe Johnson's physical in Atlanta, which must be done by Saturday to consummate that sign-and-trade deal. Part of the Johnson deal includes a $6 million trade exception for Phoenix, which will use part of it to acquire Jones.

The Pacers have a full roster and want to lower their luxury tax-burdened payroll. That makes a trade involving a draft pick, rather than a Suns player, more plausible. Jones was a 2003 second-round pick (No. 49) who did not play as a rookie and averaged 4.9 points and 2.3 rebounds last season, so the deal might require the Suns to surrender only a second-round choice.

"I'm a big Jones supporter," said Suns guard Raja Bell, a fellow Miami prep product who played with Jones in the summers. "Every year, he gets better. I think he can fit right into the system because he plays different positions, shoots the ball well and runs well."

Jones played center in his high school days, setting him up for a versatile future. Indiana's suspensions and injuries led to Jones going from scrub time to a major role, including 24 starts, last season. He played shooting guard, small forward and power forward.

Jones, who is 6 feet 8, 220 pounds, hit 39.8 percent of his three-pointers but only 39.6 percent of all his shots. His maturity and basketball IQ drew raves from the Pacers staff.

[Kori Ellis]

This guy would have been an awesome Spur -- young, defensive minded, long 3 who can shoot three-pointers and has a great attitude. :pctoss

[milkyway21]

this means the Suns' big entourage of Sarver, Amare & Co.to court Finley went pffffffft? :D


Next : Spurs

[Kori Ellis]

this means the Suns' big entourage of Sarver, Amare & Co.to court Finely went pffffffft? :D


Next : Spurs

No, this has nothing to do with them signing Finley. They are trying to get them both. I doubt Finley would go there though, eventhough he is good friends with Nash. They have very little money to offer.

[BadlyDrawnBoy]

Kori, lets not go crazy over some kid who has yet to even play meaningful minutes in the NBA.

I'd rather the Spurs concentrate on trying to add players that are either 1) proven 2) realistic.

[Kori Ellis]

Kori, lets not go crazy over some kid who has yet to even play meaningful minutes in the NBA.

I'd rather the Spurs concentrate on trying to add players that are either 1) proven 2) realistic.

Umm.. I'm not talking about him being an impact player. He was a very "realistic" option for the Spurs.

The goal is to get a young, defensive-minded small forward who Bowen can groom for the future. James Jones very much fills that role. There's not that many of these types available. The Spurs have roster spots to fill and I (like most people) was hoping one of them would get filled with this type of player.

[Streakyshooter08]

That would be great for the suns. :( If they land Fin as well they would be a really good team again.

Thomas/Burke
Amare/ Grant
Marion/ Jackson/ Jones
Finley/ Bell
Nash/Barbosa

...looks dangerous...

[JUUOT]

james jones was my favourite pick for the long 3... but when i saw NY and Phoenix were on it...
dbrown or evans are young but short. finley glenn are ok but old

So my second young choice would be matt barnes.

do you think sacramento is ready to let go evans in the hope of retaining barnes?

[team-work]

The Spurs have been quiet in the free agency market this summer except signing Oberto. Does this have anything to do with the departure of many front office people?

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Kori, lets not go crazy over some kid who has yet to even play meaningful minutes in the NBA.

I'd rather the Spurs concentrate on trying to add players that are either 1) proven 2) realistic.

You're a moron. Who's out there that's "proven" and "realistic"? He would have been a great fit.

We were looking for a project for Bowen to groom, not someone to slide into the starting SF spot.


The Spurs have been quiet in the free agency market this summer except signing Oberto. Does this have anything to do with the departure of many front office people?

No. The people who make the calls (RC and Pop) are still here. I don't know who was expecting big waves in the FA market - the Spurs roster was largely set at the start of the summer, and they had nothing to offer except their MLE and LLE exemptions.

[Kip Fanatic]

James Jones would have been a great guy for the Spurs. He as upside. Period. He's young and learning more and more. Under a system like Pop's would have just made him better. He will be very good in Phoenix. That team is going to be good again. 60+ wins? I don't know, but they will compete with the Spurs for the top Western Team.

[50 cent]

That sucks. I was hoping for Jones. Oh well, I guess we need to just resigned Big Dog Robinson and try again next year.

[Marcus Bryant]

Jones would've been a nice acquisition, but a 'young 3 to replace Bowen' is currently not a priority. What is a priority is finding the best guy possible to be the 12th man. I'd rather have a NVE or a Big Dog on the end of that bench come the postseason than some young guy who could be something....someday.

The future is now. The Spurs have the rights to plenty of young prospects and it's not like the core of this team is that old (all under 30 heading into this season).

[leemajors]

this looks like the only good move phoenix has made all summer.

[CaptainLate]

Umm.. I'm not talking about him being an impact player. He was a very "realistic" option for the Spurs.

The goal is to get a young, defensive-minded small forward who Bowen can groom for the future. James Jones very much fills that role.

Apparently Spurs Mgmt didn't think so. Was his name ever mentioned by anyone INSIDE the Spurs org?

[SenorSpur]

Umm.. I'm not talking about him being an impact player. He was a very "realistic" option for the Spurs.

The goal is to get a young, defensive-minded small forward who Bowen can groom for the future. James Jones very much fills that role. There's not that many of these types available. The Spurs have roster spots to fill and I (like most people) was hoping one of them would get filled with this type of player.

Which begs the question as to why the Spurs are "pussy footin'" around with Finley? Since I presume Jones was one of the players rader, they should have gone after him before PHX.

[Horry For 3!]

That would be great for the suns. :( If they land Fin as well they would be a really good team again.

Thomas/Burke
Amare/ Grant
Marion/ Jackson/ Jones
Finley/ Bell
Nash/Barbosa

...looks dangerous...
I highly doubt Finley signs with the Suns.

[Horry For 3!]

James Jones is alright, I don't like him too much.

[ace3g]

thats the thing maybe the spurs really were not looking at Jones, maybe they were just keeping the pressure and attention off of another player they want like Maurice Evans or someone else; maybe they are working on a sign and trade or something like that, we will never know what Pop and the spurs front office are thinking of until we see it on nba.com or espn.com

[G-Nob]

Withourt Q & JJ, the suns won't win 60 games this year.

[Kori Ellis]

Apparently Spurs Mgmt didn't think so. Was his name ever mentioned by anyone INSIDE the Spurs org?

No one INSIDE the Spurs organization has mentioned any player's name this summer. But yes, according to several sources, he was one of the players that the Spurs have been targeting.


Jones would've been a nice acquisition, but a 'young 3 to replace Bowen' is currently not a priority. What is a priority is finding the best guy possible to be the 12th man. I'd rather have a NVE or a Big Dog on the end of that bench come the postseason than some young guy who could be something....someday.

The future is now. The Spurs have the rights to plenty of young prospects and it's not like the core of this team is that old (all under 30 heading into this season).

Who's the 11th man?

The Spurs have roster spots to fill. A young 3 to eventually replace Bowen is definitely a priority for the Spurs. All the guys other than Finley that the Spurs are interested in are young 3's - Maurice Evans, James Jones, Melvin Sanders, Matt Barnes etc.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

That a shame. On paper Jones looked like a good pickup. I wonder if D'Antoni is actually going to try to use his bench this year.

[BillsCarnage]

GD it Kori, you stole my thunder, or maybe it was just the mexican food from last night. :-)

Anyway, i'm glad this is coming to fruition. When Jones got playing time he put up some good #'s. He'll backup Marion here and could replace him based on salary and how often Marion is mentioned in trade rumors. Best of all he's not going to the Spurs.

He would have been a great pickup for the Spurs as Bowens backup, and possible replacement down the road. But Indiana needed to clear Lux tax space and didn't want to absorb any $$ back and they didn't want to lose him for nothing. So the Spurs signing him as a FA was unlikely. A S&T with the Suns was perfect for Indiana.

The Suns probably won't get Finley, but I'll take Jones instead.

[BadlyDrawnBoy]

The Suns probably won't get Finley, but I'll take Jones instead.

WOW at just how overrated ths guy is.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

thats so weak, we better resign brown and robinson and call it a summer already, this is getting lame

[ace3g]

If the suns organization made as good as an impression as the press said they did then maybe they wont go after James Jones, maybe jones is just a back up plan incase they dont get finley and then hopefully if the suns get finley the spurs can pick up Jones off the market.

I think Finley has more playing time available in Phoenix then he does in Miami

[marcus]

DERMARR JOHNSON is still available.

[ace3g]

yeah I know that but I heard he has some character issues,

Gerald Wallace is also available

My SF wishlist:
1. James Jones
2. Gerald Wallace
3. Maurice Evans
4. Matt Barnes
5. Dermarr Johnson

[1Billups1]

Doesnt James Jones play PF?

[SequSpur]

Another move by a solid team while the spurs are signing foreigners.

Nice.

[NashtoAmare]

Withourt Q & JJ, the suns won't win 60 games this year.

Last year we got to the 3rd round without JJ for 7 games,with Q scoring like 3 points a game, and with Shawn Marion scoring like 6 points. I think we will be okay..as long as Steve and Amare keep playing like they did last year.

[marcus]

Doesnt James Jones play PF?

in what planet do you live?, lol, he is 6-8 and he weighs 215 pounds. He is more of a sg than pf because of his shotting and style and style of play.

[exstatic]

Last year we got to the 3rd round without JJ for 7 games,with Q scoring like 3 points a game, and with Shawn Marion scoring like 6 points. I think we will be okay..as long as Steve and Amare keep playing like they did last year.

Nice revisionist history. Marion averaged 21.3 and 23.3 in the first two rounds, until he ran into you know who. Q averaged 15, 11.2, and 10.4 in the three rounds, not shabby at all off the bench. He shot 40%, but more importantly 39% from downtown. Amare will be hard pressed to repeat last year's perfomance with a team that is missing 400 made 3 pointers from their lineup. He's not going to get near the operating space that he's had with those shooters that had to be respected.

[Dre_7]

Another move by a solid team while the spurs are signing foreigners.

Nice.

SA signed more foreigners? Who did they get now? I must of missed the news.

[BillsCarnage]

If the suns organization made as good as an impression as the press said they did then maybe they wont go after James Jones, maybe jones is just a back up plan incase they dont get finley and then hopefully if the suns get finley the spurs can pick up Jones off the market.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it's a done deal and will be announced tomorrow or Friday - once JoJo's physical is done in ATL. $2-2.5mil of the trade ex. and a conditional 2nd rounder.


I think Finley has more playing time available in Phoenix then he does in Miami

Suns are the only one offering him a starting spot. And Finley will essentially be playing for free, by NBA standards.

If he signs for the $1.1mil execption, half of that goes back to Dallas, leaving approx $550k.

Tax that at 50% and it's a little over $250k.

Agent takes another 30% and that leaves less than $200k in salary. Whether you like Finley or not, that's a bargain.

[Kori Ellis]

Agent takes another 30%

:lol

The maximum an NBA agent can take is 4%.

[picnroll]

But Suns aren't offering Finley a chance at a ring. He knows the Suns frontline isn't strong enough to compete against the big boys come playoff time.

[1Billups1]

Yeah it is most likely that he will go to Miami.

[BillsCarnage]

:lol

The maximum an NBA agent can take is 4%.

I'd heard 30%, but if you say it's 4, then i guess it's 4.

[Kori Ellis]

Here you go, it's 2% or less for minimum contracts ...


If the Player receives only the minimum compensation under the NBA-NBPA collectivebargaining agreement (CBA”) applicable for the playing season or seasons covered by theindividual contract, the Agent shall receive a fee of two percent (2%) of the compensationreceived by the player for each such season, unless a lesser percent (%) or amount has beenagreed to by the parties

It's 4% or less for contracts above the minimum ...


If the Player receives compensation in excess of the minimum compensation applicable under he CBA for one or more playing seasons, the Agent shall receive a fee of four percent (4%) of the compensation received by the Player for each such playing season, unless a lesser percent(%) or amount has been agreed to by the parties.

and it's a little different on rookie contracts ..


If the Player is a rookie drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft who receives compensationin accordance with the “Rookie Scale” set forth in Article VIII of the CBA, the Agent shallreceive a fee that is the higher of: (i) 4% of the compensation in excess of the 80% amountthat is guaranteed under the Rookie Scale; or (ii) the amount payable under subparagraph (A)above by a rookie who receives only the minimum compensation under Article II, Section 6(b)of the CBA, unless a lesser percent (%) or amount has been agreed to by the parties

[JMarkJohns]

At the risk of sounding a bit homerish, I'll venture to say Jones is similer to JJ when Phoenix traded for him in 01-02. He's a long, quick, but not overly athletic defender with good ball-handling ability and SG/SF/PF (yes, pacers used him as a PF last year according to Indy papers) versatility. 6-8, 220 with 40% from range and a nice 15-foot jumper.

He's not a finisher right now, but neither was JJ. In fact, many wondered why JJ was too timid, most thinking it was something mental from his ankle injuries he suffered while at Arkansas. If Jones can at least shoot 40% from range and around 50% on open mid-range jumpers, then he'll be well worth the move, even if it costs them Finley and/or Padgett, who, while agreed to terms with Phoenix, is still mulling things over.

If the Suns land Jones and Padgett, I'll be happy. Jones and Finley, very happy. All three, exstatic, though the last two are unlikely.

It is reasuring to see so many here think highly of Jones. I new he was a good propect and even a nice player right now, but to hear some hear speak of him as a possible defensive replacement for Bowen cements this as a great pick-up.


EDIT: Bill's Carnage, check your private messages!