Memphis Grizzlies: 5 offseason roster moves they need to make

Memphis Grizzlies offseason move No. 3: Trade Tyus Jones

After spending his first four seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Tyus Jones has spent the past two seasons with the Grizzlies backing up Ja Morant at the point guard position. He is a nice mixture of passing and shooting averaging 6.3 points and 3.7 assists per game last season.

The problem is that Jones had a dropoff in efficiency from his first season with the Grizzlies. His field goal percentage fell from 45.9 percent in the 2019-20 season to 43.1 percent in the season just gone. However, it was his long-distance shooting that suffered the most, going from 37.9 percent in 2019-20 to 32.1 percent last season.

The problem is that the Grizzlies are paying too much for this production. Jones is due $7.5 million next season which is too much to pay for a backup point guard whose production declined the way that it has for Jones. His contract will probably only be taken by a rebuilding team.

As the Grizzlies have Melton to back up Morant, they need to get Jones’s salary off the books so that they can possibly trade for a disgruntled star midway through the season. This is with an eye to vaulting the Grizzlies into contention next season.