2023 NBA free agency has surprisingly seen a lot of players staying put. With most free agents being role players, it’s understandable that teams would retain them if they think they have a good supporting cast for their stars. However, for every good player retention, there certainly are some bad ones. Let’s take a look at these best and worst re-ups thus far in the offseason.
Tre Jones – 2 years/$20 million – San Antonio Spurs
This is a good deal for both sides. Despite the Spurs’ 22-60 record last season, it was not a throw-away. Yes, the team was tanking for their new star Victor Wembanyama, but along the way they worked on a lot of honest development for their guys. Among which was Tre Jones.
After the Spurs waived former lottery pick Josh Primo, most of the backcourt responsibilities rested on Jones. His minutes nearly doubled from the season prior, with his usage jumping from 15.2 to 19.1 per dunksandthrees.com. He put up his best season averages of 12.9 points and 6.6 assists, playing 65 games. San Antonio wasn’t an efficient offense by any means, ranking last in field goal percentage, but Jones did a good job getting them what looks they did make, assisting on 30.6 percent of teammate makes while on the court.
He isn’t perfect by any means, Jones still needs to work on his shot, averaging just 28.5 percent from three last season. He’s also still young at 23 and running the offense for a 20-win team is very different than a squad competing for a playoff spot. That’s why two years and $10 million annually feels about right. It gives San Antonio the opportunity to move him if need be but also extend him as soon as possible if he proves to be their guard of the future. It’ll be interesting to see how Jones and the rest of the Spurs do with more national attention and another year of growth next to their future star.