Phoenix Suns CEO sees Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and Tyus Jones as 'three-headed monster'

Figuring out starting lineups isn't Phoenix Suns' CEO Josh Bartelstein's job, but he likes the idea of Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and their latest addition, point guard Tyus Jones, playing together in a three-guard look.

“Obviously Tyus is coming here to start,” Bartelstein said Wednesday in an interview with The Arizona Republic. “We have Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. We feel good about those guys. Coach has got a bunch of different lineups to see how they fit, but I think we feel really good about those three guys forming a three-headed monster and playing off each other with Kevin and Nurk (Suns 7-footer Jusuf Nurkic).”

Jones recently signed a one-year deal for $3.3 million in free agency believing he'll start at point guard for the Suns, a position of need after ranking 25th in turnovers and being the NBA's worst fourth-quarter team last season.

“Man, I’m at a loss for words for it,” Jones said during a media gathering Wednesday at Footprint Center.

“I’m excited. I’m ready for the opportunity, ready to seize it, but for me, again, going back to the fit. I felt like the fit was perfect. I’m ready for the season to be here already. I know we got some time, but I just want to hoop. I want to get out there with the guys, build our camaraderie, build our chemistry and ultimately compete for a championship. That’s our end goal.”

Coming off a career year, Jones, 28, started all 66 games he played last season in Washington in averaging career highs in points (12.0), field goal percentage (48.9%), 3-point shooting (41.4%) and assists (7.3).

With his 485 assists to just 66 turnovers, Jones registered a 7.35 ratio to post the best single-season mark in NBA history. Jones has led the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio for the last six seasons.

“It’s huge,” Bartelstein said about adding Jones. “We’re really, really excited about it. We’ve always been big fans of Tyus the player. Huge fans of getting to know Tyus the person right now and to get him to believe in us and our vision, what his role would be. We think it’s the perfect fit.

"When free agency starts, you never think you’re going to get a player like that, but with the new restrictions and lack of cap space, things happen, and that again is why relationships matter. Working with his agent (Kevin Bradbury) and explaining our vision and it came together quickly. We couldn’t be happier that he’s here.”

The Suns started Booker and Beal in the backcourt last year. Booker averaged 27.1 points and made All-NBA third team while Beal averaged under 20 points (18.2) for the first time since his fourth season with Washington.

Plagued once again with injuries, Beal played just 53 games in his first season with the Suns, who acquired him in a trade last summer that involved Chris Paul.

With Jones seemingly cemented as the starting point guard, a role Beal took on during the second half of the season, the Suns could start Royce O'Neale or Grayson Allen with Booker, Durant, Jones and Nurkic and have Beal as a sixth man. Allen started 74 of the 75 games he played last season in having a career year with the Suns.

The 6-4 Allen averaged 13.5 points on 49.9% shooting and led the NBA in 3-point shooting at 46.1%, all career highs. Jones and Allen were teammates as freshmen in helping Duke win the 2014-15 national championship.

However the rotations play out under new coach Mike Budenholzer, Jones is looking to orchestrate the show for the Suns.

"Trying to make it easier for Book, KD, Brad and the rest of the guys, honestly,” Jones said. “Just facilitating, setting the table and ultimately just doing what I do and that’s being a point guard and being a leader. Felt again, the fit was there. It was perfect and I’m looking forward to taking advantage of that.”

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Bartelstein has an idea of how he'd like to see the Suns play with Jones being the latest addition.

"That's more of a question for coach, but I think we want a team that plays off the pass, moves the ball side to side and we've got to get up more 3s," Bartelstein said.

The 6-1 Jones, 28, took a veteran minimum entering his 10^th NBA season with the hope he can have a big season that leads to a bigger contract the following season. The Suns are limited to those type of deals because they are over the league's second tax apron, but they have been able to sign good players to address their needs such as big Mason Plumlee and point guards Monte Morris and Jones.

The Suns hired Matt Tellem, who was the senior director of salary cap and strategy for the Brooklyn Nets in 2022-23, this summer. Bartelstein called Tellem a “huge addition,” saying he’s helped “a ton” in the offseason with the draft, making trades and in free agency.

This is all part of the culture the Suns continue to build under team owner Mat Ishbia, Bartelstein said.

“His vision for being a player-first organization, treating families the right way,” Bartelstein said. “The minimum contract is relatively simple. There’s no negotiations from a contract standpoint. What they’re believing in is living in your city, having a great organization that comes from your medical team, your player services team, your coaching staff, your front office and what their role is.”

The Suns have 16 players on the standard roster, but they must reduce it down to 15 before the start of the regular season. Bartelstein said he and Jones are happy with where the team is at right now.

“When you go back to the last game of the regular season and getting Grayson's extension done, which we feel great about,” said Bartelstein.

“To getting Royce re-signed, bringing Bol (Bol) back, bringing Damion Lee back. Adding Tyus, Monte and Mason. Draft night, being able to get Ryan (Dunn) and Oso (Ighodaro) and being able to get assets and picks, if you put all that stuff together and you add on the fact we got Coach Bud, we feel great about our offseason.”

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The Suns signed Allen and O’Neale to four-year deals for $70 million and $42 million, respectively. The team hired Budenholzer to replace Frank Vogel, who was fired after one season.

The Suns have the NBA’s highest player payroll of $228 million. With a projected luxury tax of $221 million, the Suns are the NBA’s first-ever $400 million team. Ishbia, a billionaire mortgage lender, bought the Suns and WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury for a record $4 billion in February 2023.

“It’s an amazing commitment from Mat,” Bartelstein said. “From Day 1, it’s all about winning and he tells us, ‘Hey, whatever it takes to put the best roster out there is what I want to do.’ We feel really good about our roster. I think the players are locked into doing their job and coming here in September and getting acclimated to each other and the system and Coach Bud heading into training camp, but for me, the tax and payroll is just an investment by Mat.”

Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.

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