Phoenix Suns Hire James Jones As VP Of Basketball Operations

The Phoenix Suns announced on Wednesday that they have hired veteran NBA player James Jones as vice president of basketball operations.

Suns hire James Jones Extend Ryan McDonough

The team also revealed its decision to extend general manager Ryan McDonough through the 2019-2020 season. Jones, who had played in the league as a shooting guard for the past 14 years, will report to McDonough as part of his new role.

“I would like to thank Robert and his partners for extending my agreement with this great franchise,” McDonough — who is entering his fifth season as the Suns’ GM — said in a statement. “We have laid the foundation for what we hope will become the next championship-caliber Suns team. There is still a lot of work to be done to reach our ultimate goal of bringing a championship to Phoenix, so we are thrilled to add James Jones to our staff.”

Since taking over as Phoenix’s GM in May 2013, McDonough has seen the Suns recruit some of the league’s top young stars, including five first-round draft picks. Among these players are former Kentucky shooting guard Devin Booker, (No. 13 overall, 2015) who became just the sixth player to ever score at least 70 points in a game and has totaled the fourth-most points in NBA history before turning 21 years old, and Kansas small forward Josh Jackson, the fourth overall pick in this year’s draft.

McDonough also led the acquisitions of Eric Bledsoe, one of the NBA’s top point guards, and veteran stars Tyson Chandler and Jared Dudley. Phoenix also boasts a slew of upcoming first-round draft picks acquired under McDonough’s tenure.

McDonough also finished second in voting for NBA Executive of the Year in 2014, and joined the Suns after serving ten years in several executive positions with the Boston Celtics, whom he helped lead to an NBA Championship in 2008.

Jones, 36, most recently played for the Cleveland Cavaliers (2014-2017), whom he helped lead to an NBA title in 2016. The 2003 second-round draft pick also won two championships with the Miami Heat — for whom he played from 2008 to 2014 — in 2012 and 2013, and also played with the Indiana Pacers (2003-2005) and Portland Trail Blazers (2007-2008).

However, Jones also played for the Suns from 2005 to 2007. His two seasons in Phoenix were two of the franchise’s most successful, as the team advanced to the Western Conference Finals after winning 54 games in 2006 and reached the Conference Semifinals in 2007 after winning 61 games.

Over his entire playing career, Jones averaged 5.2 points and 1.8 rebounds per game and shooting 40.1 percent from 3-point range in 709 regular-season games. Last season he played just 48 games during the regular season, averaging 2.8 points. He also won the three-point shootout contest in the 2011 NBA All-Star Game, and played in 148 playoff games.

“James has a wealth of experiences that will greatly benefit our organization,” McDonough said in the statement. “He is a three-time NBA champion and has been one of the top executives with the National Basketball Players Association over the past few years. We welcome ‘Champ’ and his family to our Phoenix Suns family.”

Jones said he is excited to return to Phoenix.

“It seemed like the perfect spot to invest my energy,” he told reporters.

CLEVELAND, OH – MAY 24: James Jones #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots against the Atlanta Hawks in the first half during Game Three of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2015 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena on May 24, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio.