Duke basketball: Tyus Jones gets what he deserves, sort of

Tyus Jones is a valuable commodity.

Some would say 2015 Duke basketball national champ Tyus Jones, the No. 24 overall pick at that year's draft following his one year in Durham, has earned the right to be a full-time starter in the NBA.

The 26-year-old executed admirably in the Memphis Grizzlies starting lineup for 26 games last season — three in the postseason — whenever Ja Morant was out of commission. Memphis went 20-6 in those contests.

Also, consider Jones has ended up with the NBA's best assist-to-turnover ratio four years running, including his record-setting 7.04 clip this past go-round.

Furthermore, after seven years as a pro, he has become a relatively reliable 3-point weapon, shooting a career-high 39.0 percent from downtown in 2021-22.

New contract for the Duke basketball product

Tyus Jones entered free agency this summer with a shot to become a full-time starter elsewhere. However, the Grizzlies locked up his dependable services for a couple more years this week, meaning he'll likely be in the same relief role next season behind 2019-20 Rookie of the Year and 2021-22 Most Improved Player Ja Morant.

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Memphis inked Jones to a two-year, $30 million deal.

And according to Brandon Abraham of Grizzly Bear Blues, that makes him the league's highest-paid backup point guard. 

So while Tyus Jones probably won't be a starter if Ja Morant remains healthy, at least his bank account will now make it look like he is one.

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