Massive mistake made by San Antonio Spurs for trading Tre Jones?

At the beginning of February, the De'Aaron Fox to the Spurs rumors were at an all-time high. The question of whether it would happen had already flipped to when it would happen, but nobody knew what the package would look like. When the announcement was made and the details emerged, it felt like San Antonio had finessed the same two teams they did last summer when picking up Harrison Barnes.

A month and a half later, Jones is playing some of the best basketball of his career. While the Bulls are only 6-9 in the 15 games since his arrival, the former Spurs backup has been playing well. He's averaging 10.8 points and four assists per game in 23 minutes on 54% FG and 50% 3PT.

Jones is playing efficient basketball and making the most of his opportunities. Chicago has been going through some injury woes, so he's gotten a chance to step up. It's enough to make you wonder if he should have been kept on the roster since the Spurs will eventually need another backup point guard when CP3 leaves, but everyone should arrive at the same conclusion: no.

Spurs moved on from Jones at the perfect time

The first and obvious point is that including Tre Jones helped facilitate the deal that landed Fox with San Antonio. That acquisition alone is enough to denounce any feelings of FOMO about the former second-round pick. Two things are true in this scenario: one, the Spurs were right to move him based on the return and impending need to extend him, and two, he would have been a fine backup.

If you take out his first six games on Chi-Town's roster, he's been even better than the earlier numbers I described. He's elevated his production to 14 points, 5.1 assists, and 3.6 rebounds on 57.8% FG and 61.5% 3PT. However, I don't believe that to be sustainable, and he'll likely lose some effectiveness once their roster is healthy again.

He'll undoubtedly still be a good player for them, but Jones is a replaceable talent, and San Antonio should want a more dynamic play with more size to run their second unit. Jones is a great guy, but he's only 6'1", and his lack of athleticism combined with his smaller stature puts a cap on his ceiling.

It's fair to miss seeing the former Blue Devil in silver and black colors, but it's fine to see him thrive elsewhere. The best movies/TV shows aren't scared to kill off good characters. It moves the story forward. The Spurs didn't do anything nearly as dramatic, but the effects will be the same as De'Aaron Fox helps to elevate this franchise back into title contention.