Last month, the Phoenix Suns announced the promotion of James Jones to president of basketball operations and General Manager. Jones, who played for the team from 2005-07, was first appointed as general manager in 2019 after joining the franchise as vice president of basketball operations in 2017.
“In the nearly 15 years I have known James, he has excelled in every role he performed, from player to NBPA Treasurer to his roles in our front office, most recently as general manager," said Suns interim governor Sam Garvin.
"James has the unique ability to create and lead high-performing teams in basketball operations. His commitment to collaborating with our business side, including at the C-level with partners like PayPal and Verizon, is second to none. We are fortunate for his contributions across the organization, and this promotion recognizes his commitment to excellence.”
In his own statement, Jones added, “I am grateful for the privilege to work with and support the players, staff, and employees of the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury. The collective efforts of our business and basketball operations have allowed us to provide an amazing atmosphere and best-in-class experience for our fans and community. I remain excited about and dedicated to driving our teams' success on and off the court.”
Former Suns forward turned Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Jared Dudley recently shared his thoughts on James' promotion.
"Heck of achievement ex-player, general manager worked his way up. Sarver saw something in him as an ex-player coming in and putting his imprint in. Obviously had a little help early on trying to learn the business he's done that, he's even keel," said Dudley.
"Someone who doesn't rush to make a quick change. Very precise on how he goes about his work and I can respect that. Much respect for James Jones a player his work ethic was unmatched and to see another African-American in the front office is always good for the game of basketball."
Former Suns executive Amin Elhassan also recently weighed in on Jones' promotion.
"I think James has done a phenomenal job and he deserves it. President of basketball operations and not too many of them. I know I would like to talk about diversity in the league and they count general managers African-Americans, but the reality is a lot of those cases they are answering to someone else," said Elhassan.
"So, when you hear the term president of basketball operations you know this is the team basketball decision maker he doesn't answer anyone other than ownership. So for James to achieve that that's a big deal."
Jared Dudley played for the Suns for seven seasons in two different stints with the franchise, while Elhassan worked for Phoenix from 2004-12 in basketball ops and scouting before leaving for a career in media.
The Suns are 16-8 and will host the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.
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