NBA cap guru suggests possible reunion between Spurs and beloved former player

NBA capologist, Keith Smith, wrote an offseason preview about the SAS where he mentions a few backup point guard options for the San Antonio Spurs if Chris Paul doesn't return, and Tre Jones made the list. Jones was traded to Chicago as part of a three-way deal that sent Zach LaVine to Sacramento, and brought De'Aaron Fox to the 210.

Now that the Bulls' season is over, the former Spurs backup is a free agent and has the right to sign with any team of his choosing. Jones conducted himself like a true professional as a member of the Silver and Black. The fans loved him, and he was an overall positive presence in the locker room, as all his teammates loved him. But that chapter is closed, and San Antonio would be wrong to reopen it.

Tre Jones is not who the Spurs need to run the second unit

Jones was a solid guard for the Silver and Black, but he wasn't much of an impact player. You may look at his stats during his short stint with Chicago and see that he raised his production to 11 points per game on 57% shooting and shot 50% from three, but the sample size was way too small.

The former Blue Devil only played 18 games for Chi-Town, averaging 25 minutes per night—an increase from the 18 he averaged with San Antonio. He also took eight shots per game as opposed to three for the Spurs. But, he's not going to get 25 minutes if he comes back to SA. The Bulls had injury and depth issues, not to mention a lack of a true number one option to command additional shots.

Victor Wembanyama is not just a star in Alamo City, he's a celestial being. As unselfish as he is, Wembanyama will always take a large slice of the field goals attempted pie; a large portion of the rest will go to De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle. Everyone else has to get in where they fit in, and sometimes that means not everyone gets a chance to shoot the ball at will.

He can run a second unit fairly well without taking a bunch of shots, but he doesn't bring anything special to the table. He finished the season as a 40% three-point shooter, but that's due to the law of averages. That 50% number he hit in Chicago came on 1.2 shots per game, and as I mentioned earlier, he only played 18 games there.

In the 28 games he played in San Antonio this season, he shot 30%, so he's not a reliable shooter. He's not a special passer, either. Jones is a solid defender, but not special by any means, mostly due to his lack of size and average athleticism.

His brother, Tyus, made Keith Smith's list, and though he's not that much bigger than his brother, at least he's a sniper. Tyus Jones is a career 37% three-point shooter and shot 41% from deep over the past two seasons. Smith mentioned a few other names like Monte Morris and Cam Payne, but I don't love any of those options.

If the market for backup point guards is this porous, they may be better suited to try and convince Chris Paul to return or draft someone like Jeremiah Fears, if they can get their hands on him, but that's going to be tough. Fears is projected to go pretty high in the draft, and the Spurs need a pure shooter first and foremost.

Brian Wright will have his work cut out for him to sure up key positions for next year's playoff push, but there are options out there. There almost always are. He could even find a way to make a trade that fans don't see coming. The assets are there. What he shouldn't do is bring back Tre Jones. Been there, done that.