Four guards the Charlotte Hornets can target in free agency

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May 9, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Tyus Jones (21) celebrates against the Golden State Warriors during the second quarter of game four of the second round for the 2022 NBA playoffs at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

Tyus Jones

Tyus Jones attended college at Duke University where he went on to win a national championship with the Blue Devils in his freshman season. He was then drafted in the first round at 24th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers and was subsequently traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. After four seasons with the Timberwolves, he signed a three-year deal with the Memphis Grizzlies.

Last season in Memphis, Jones averaged 8.7 points per game while dishing out 4.4 assists per game in only 21.2 minutes per game. He shot 45.1 percent from the field while shooting 39 percent from three-point range. He served as the backup point guard for Ja Morant and was a big part of Memphis’ success last season.

Jones takes care of the ball, as he only averaged 0.6 turnovers per game. Jones has also led the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio for the past four seasons. That is something the Hornets could benefit from. He is also active on the defensive end, averaging 0.9 steals per game last season.

Jones is a solid veteran point guard and tallied career highs in points per game and three-point percentage last season. He would help the Hornets, especially with their need at backup point guard. Jones gained some valuable playoff experience in last season’s playoffs. He would likely be the most expensive of the four free agents on this list, but he would fit in nicely with the team.