One Free Agent Point Guard to Solve the Sacramento Kings' Problem

Looking at the point guards who will be free agents this offseason, there will be several very good point guards available, but the problem is that most of them are past their prime and don’t fit Sacramento’s timeline. Chris Paul, Fred VanVleet, and Kyrie Irving (player option) all come to mind. 

However, one unrestricted free agent point guard, on paper, would be a perfect fit as the Kings’ starting point guard going forward. That’s Chicago Bulls guard Tre Jones. 

After playing his first four seasons with the San Antonio Spurs under head coach Greg Popovich, the former Duke Blue Devil was traded to the Bulls before February’s trade deadline, and in an expanded role in Chicago, he didn’t disappoint. 

In 18 games for the Bulls, including nine starts, the 25-year-old averaged 11.5 points, 4.9 assists, and 3.2 rebounds to go along with 1.1 steals and only 0.8 turnovers per game. He also had absurd shooting splits of 57.2/50.0/88.2 in his time in Chicago. Despite being only 6-foot-1, Jones is known as a great on-ball defender and plays with a high level of toughness and intensity, and is often credited for having a high basketball IQ. 

Jones made $9 million this season in the final year of a two-year, $20 million deal he signed in 2023. The Kings are expected to have a Mid-Level Exception of about 14 million, meaning the Kings could offer Jones most or all of that on a deal of up to four years with 5% annual increases. 

Time will tell what direction the Sacramento Kings decide to go in their search for a new starting point guard, but Jones is an intriguing option to keep an eye on.