Saturday, the Dallas Mavericks waived Tyus Jones, per ESPN's Shams Charania. They did so to convert rookie Ryan Nembhard, who you might remember this platform being a proponent of during Hardwood Houdini's extensive draft coverage. The former Gonzaga standout, previously on a two-way deal, is now signed to a standard contract.
As for Jones, he began the current campaign with the Orlando Magic before joining the Mavericks. In eight games, including two starts with his new club, he averaged 3.9 points and 3.8 assists in 16.6 minutes per contest.
For the season, the former Duke Blue Devil is producing 3.1 points and 2.6 assists per tilt. Those numbers come on 15.8 minutes of floor time across 56 appearances, split between Orlando and Dallas.
Why the Celtics should pass on Tyus Jones
If the Boston Celtics signed Jones, he would figure to be accepting of his role and not disrupt the work environment. That and giving his new team another ball handler would be the two primary motives for bringing him aboard. He also does an excellent job of taking care of the rock. The 11th-year guard is averaging less than a turnover per tilt for his career.
Still, the six-foot-guard doesn't bring enough two-way production to the table to advocate for signing him. He's also having an abysmal year shooting-wise. Jones is converting on only 34.9 percent of his field goal attempts. That includes just 28.1 percent of his 2.2 tries from behind the arc.
It's also worth reiterating the precise order of operations the Celtics are operating with to remain under the luxury tax between now and the end of the league year.
When the 10-day deals they inked John Tonje and Dalano Banton to expire, the team will again go 14 days without filling those roster spots. They can bring the former back on a two-way deal. That's the arrangement he joined Boston on when the organization acquired the rookie from Wisconsin at the trade deadline in the deal that sent Chris Boucher to the Utah Jazz. The latter club subsequently waived Boucher.
On Mar. 14, the Celtics will, most likely, convert Max Shulga from a two-way deal to a standard contract. They will also sign another player. That could be another 10-day pact. It could also lead to inking Banton to a deal for the rest of the season.
Other candidates include Lonzo Ball, Cole Anthony, and now, Tyus Jones. However, the most noteworthy player in this conversation is Ron Harper Jr. The most practical plan is to convert his two-way deal to a standard contract at the end of the regular season. That way, he's only on Boston's books for one contest before the playoffs. He would become eligible to participate in the postseason and likely be on a multi-year agreement.