7:35pm: The Pels have changed course and are no longer pursuing a deal with Jones, Charania tweets. They’ll leave their roster spots open for now.
6:06pm: The Pelicans are finalizing a 10-day deal with Terrence Jones, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports tweets. Jones, of course, suited up in 51 games for the team last season before he was waived in February.
Jones, just 26 years old, averaged 11.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per game for the Pels in 2016/17 but failed to stick with the franchise. He later inked a 10-day pact with the Bucks in March of 2017 but didn’t stick there either.
Last summer Jones signed a contract in China, hoping to parlay that into another NBA gig but only lasted three weeks with the team before he was kicked out of a practice and eventually waived.
Prior to his signing in China, Jones himself admitted to making immature decisions in his life. While the ensuing result of his tenure abroad doesn’t inspire confidence that he’s completely matured, it’s not hard to understand why he remains an intriguing NBA project.
Jones’ per-36 numbers have always been rather appealing fluctuating at or near 16 points and nine rebounds every year but his rookie campaign with the Rockets.
The Pels will hold all the leverage with Jones this time around, effectively given the chance to audition him for 10 days to gauge his maturity level. After missing out on Greg Monroe, who committed to the Celtics earlier today, Jones will slot into a center position left vacant by the injured DeMarcus Cousins.
When Monroe was available, the Pels were willing to float a starting nod but it’s unclear whether that will apply to Jones as well, given that he doesn’t have Moose’s track record.
Not that he’s amazing but I don’t get why this guy after having success early in his career struggles to get a contract.
It really makes you wonder what goes on behind the scenes. He’s very promising from an outsider’s perspective.
I just don’t get it. He doesn’t have any public issues, and he has a style of play that fits in all sorts of places, and he puts up good numbers without eating up the ball all the time. He must have some really bad locker room issues because there just isn’t another possible explanation.
Yup. I feel the same way about Beasley. They’re not bad players but can’t stick in the league.
And since when has Terrence been a center?
small ball lineup
Well Beasley has usually gotten a bad rap for his poor defense and his drug issues. He seems to have kicked the drug issues but his defense has always been spotty. I agree though, with his ability to score in bunches, you would think more teams would be more willing to give him a contract. There are much worse players who are relatively one-way players that continue to get contracts.
Terrence Jones inability to find a consistent job confuses me. There must be some sort of locker room issues involved with him. He seems like the perfect small-ball big. He can defend at a decent rate (he blocks shots pretty well), can help stretch the floor, and can be trusted to play both the 4 and 5.
He and Thomas Robinson would be more valuable on some contender than the majority of the scrubs or geezers at the end of the bench.
Agreed. If Thomas Robinson was probably an inch or two taller, he would have a consistent job in the NBA. Teams are probably thrown off by his limited offensive game and the fact that he’s slightly undersized considering his skillset.