.jpg) Jones with theCleveland Cavaliers in 2015 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1980-10-04)October 4, 1980 (age 45) Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 218 lb (99 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | American (Hialeah, Florida) |
| College | Miami (Florida) (1999–2003) |
| NBA draft | 2003: 2nd round, 49th overall pick |
| Drafted by | Indiana Pacers |
| Playing career | 2003–2017 |
| Position | Small forward /shooting guard |
| Number | 33, 22, 1 |
| Career history | |
| 2003–2005 | Indiana Pacers |
| 2005–2007 | Phoenix Suns |
| 2007–2008 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 2008–2014 | Miami Heat |
| 2014–2017 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Career highlights | |
| |
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 3,717 (5.2 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 1,276 (1.8 rpg) |
| Assists | 366 (0.5 apg) |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
James Andrew Jones (born October 4, 1980) is an American professionalbasketball executive and former player. He is the executive vice president, head of basketball operations for theNational Basketball Association (NBA). Jones played 14 seasons in the NBA from 2003 to 2017. He was also the general manager and president of basketball operations for thePhoenix Suns.
Jones was a four-yearletterman atAmerican High School inHialeah, Florida. He averaged 25 points per game as a senior, earning Class 6A Player of the Year and First-team All-State honors. He then playedcollege basketball for theMiami Hurricanes of theUniversity of Miami, where he was a three-year starter and finished his career averaging 11 points per game. Jones was named Third-team All-Big East his junior year and Second-teamVerizon AcademicAll-American his senior year. He was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.
Jones was drafted by theIndiana Pacers in the second round of the2003 NBA draft. He went on to play for the Pacers, Phoenix Suns,Portland Trail Blazers,Miami Heat andCleveland Cavaliers. He won three NBA championships, two with the Heat and one with the Cavaliers. He and teammateLeBron James reached theNBA Finals for seven consecutive years from 2011 to 2017. Jones was never on an NBA team with a losing record and only missed the playoffs once—with the Trail Blazers in 2007–08. He finished third in the NBA in three-point percentage during the 2007–08 season and won theThree-Point Contest in 2011. His nickname is "Champ".
In July 2017, Jones was named the director of player personnel for the Suns. He was promoted to general manager in April 2019. After the Suns reached the playoffs for the first time since 2010, Jones was named the 2020–21NBA Executive of the Year. He was later promoted to president of basketball operations and general manager after the team won a franchise-record 64 regular season games during the 2021–22 season.
Jones was a four-yearletterman in basketball atAmerican High School inHialeah, Florida. He averaged 25.2 points, 12 rebounds, 2.5 assists, two steals, and six blocks per game his senior season, earning First-team All-State and First-team All-Dade honors.[1] He was also named the Class 6A Player of the Year and theMiami Herald Boys' Basketball Player of the Year. Jones was the team MVP his junior and senior years and once blocked 16 shots in one game.[1]
Jones playedcollege basketball for theMiami Hurricanes of theUniversity of Miami from 1999 to 2003.[1] During his time at Miami, he majored in finance, was a member of theNational Honor Society, and had a 3.41 grade point average.[1][2] He played in 33 games, averaging 3.9 points and 1.9 rebounds per game, during his freshman year in 1999. He started all 29 games for the Hurricanes his sophomore year, averaging 11.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.6 blocks per game. Jones shot a team-best 41-of-87 on three-pointers for a .471 percentage.[1] He started all 31 games for the team his junior season, averaging 12.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.4 blocks and 1.3 steals, garnering Third-team All-Big East and 2002Verizon Academic All-District III accolades.[1] He started all 28 games his senior year, averaging 16.9 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.8 blocks, earning Honorable Mention All-Big East and Second-team Verizon Academic All-American recognition. Jones led the team in blocks and rebounds as a senior.[1]
He played in 122 games, starting 89, during college and finished his career averaging 11.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.6 blocks per game.[3][1] He started 89 consecutive games from the 2000–01 season to the 2002–03 season. Jones also earned Big East All-Academic honors all four seasons and was the Hurricanes' first Verizon Academic All-American selection.[1] He was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.[4]
The 6-foot-8-inch (203 cm), 215-pound (98 kg)small forward was picked 49th by theIndiana Pacers in the2003 NBA draft.[5] He played in only 26 total minutes[6] over six games during his rookie campaign in2003–04 and missed 66 games due to a variety of injuries. He was also aDNP-CD (did not play – coach's decision) in ten games.[2]
Jones played in 75 games, starting 24, for the Pacers during the2004–05 season, averaging 4.9 points per game while also ranking 25th in the NBA and leading the team in three-point conversion percentage (39.8%).[6][2] He saw increased playing time during the season as a result ofa brawl between the Pacers andDetroit Pistons on November 19, 2004, that caused small forwardRon Artest to be suspended for the remainder of the season andshooting guardStephen Jackson to be suspended 30 games.[7] Jones was a DNP-CD in seven games.[2] He scored a career-high 27 points on 10-of-14 shooting while going 6-of 9-from three-point range on November 28, 2004, against theSeattle SuperSonics.[8][2]
Jones was traded by the Pacers to thePhoenix Suns on August 25, 2005, in exchange for a2008 second-round draft pick.[6] He played in 75 games, starting 24, for the Suns during the2005–06 season, averaging 9.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 23.6 minutes per game. He missed seven games due to a variety of injuries.[2] Jones's turnover percentage of 5.23 turnovers committed per 100 plays during the 2005–06 season set an NBA record for lowest single-season turnover percentage. It was fourth place on the all-time list as of the end of the2015–16 season.[9] The NBA did not start recording individual turnovers until the1977–78 season.[10]
He appeared in 76 games, with 7 starts, for the team during the2006–07 season, averaging 6.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 18.1 minutes a game. He was a DNP-CD six times. Jones made 45 consecutive free throws from January 5 to March 29, the longest consecutive free throws made streak in the NBA during the 2006–07 season.[2]
In June 2007, Jones was traded to thePortland Trail Blazers along with the draft rights toRudy Fernandez, the 24th pick in the2007 NBA draft, in exchange for cash considerations.[11] In late January 2008, Jones was leading the NBA in three-point percentage with a percentage slightly over 50%.[12][13] He missed 12 games from February 4 to 27 with a knee injury.[2] He had also missed 12 games in November 2007 due to knee problems, spending five games on the inactive list and seven as a DNP-CD.[14][2] Jones finished the2007–08 season third in the league in three-point percentage with a percentage of 44.4%.[15][16] Despite his good shooting for the year, he was not selected to participate in theThree-Point Shootout contest during the2008 NBA All-Star Game, much to the chagrin of Trail Blazers fans.[16] He played in 58 games, starting 3, during the season while averaging 8.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 22.0 minutes per game.[2][17] The Trail Blazers finished the 2007–08 season with a 41–41 record. That season was the only time in Jones's NBA career that he missed the playoffs. He was also never on a team with a losing record.[18] On June 26, 2008, he used his player option to opt out of his contract with the Trail Blazers, making him a free agent for the off-season.[19]
On July 9, 2008, Jones signed a contract with his hometown team, theMiami Heat.[20] He earned $4 million in his first year of a potential five-year contract, worth up to $23.2 million. The first two years were guaranteed, while the final three were options held by both the Heat and Jones.[21] He played in forty games, starting one, for the Heat during the2008–09 season, averaging 4.2 points, 1.6 rebounds and 15.8 minutes per game. Jones missed 36 games due to right wrist injures and was a DNP-CD six games.[2] He started all seven of the team's playoff games that season.[22] He completed twofour-point plays in a span of eleven seconds in a playoff loss to theAtlanta Hawks on April 29, 2009.[23]
He appeared in 36 games, with 6 starts, for the team during the2009–10 season while averaging 4.1 points, 1.3 rebounds and 14.0 minutes a game. He missed one game due to an intestinal virus and was a DNP-CD 35 times. Jones was also healthy but on the inactive list ten games.[2]
On June 29, 2010, he was released to clear salary cap space worth $400,000.[24] On July 19, 2010, Jones was re-signed by the Heat for the league minimum.[25] He played in 81 games, starting 8, for the team during the2010–11 season, averaging 5.9 points, 2.0 rebounds and 19.1 minutes per game. He missed one game as a DNP-CD. Jones led the Heat in games played, three-point field goals made with 123, three-point field goals attempted with 287 and charges drawn with 29.[2] He finished seventh in the NBA in three-point field goal percentage with a .429 shooting percentage.[2][26] He also had the lowest turnover percentage in the NBA during the 2010–11 season, committing an average of 5.27 turnovers per 100 plays. This was the second best single-season turnover percentage in NBA history, behind Jones's own record of 5.23 from the 2005–06 season. His 5.27 percentage is now fifth place while his 5.23 percentage is fourth place on the all-time list as of the end of the2015–16 season.[9] On February 19, 2011, he won the Three-Point Contest inLos Angeles atStaples Center.[27] Jones scored a playoff career-high 25 points on 5-of-7 shooting from three-point range and 10-of-10 free throw shooting on May 1, 2011, against theBoston Celtics.[28] The Heat went on to make the2011 NBA Finals where they lost to theDallas Mavericks, 4 games to 2.[29]
On December 9, 2011, he re-signed with the Heat to a three-year, $4.5 million contract.[30] In the2011–12 season, an impressive playoff run by the Heat culminated in his firstNBA championship, and the franchise's second as they defeated theOklahoma City Thunder in the2012 NBA Finals, 4 games to 1.[31][32] Jones played in 51 games, starting 10, for the Heat during the season while averaging 3.6 points, 1.0 rebounds and 13.1 minutes per game. He was a DNP-CD 15 times. He finished third place in the 2012 Three-Point Shootout inOrlando.[2]
Jones played in 38 games for the Heat during the2012–13 season while averaging 1.6 points, 0.6 rebounds and 5.8 minutes.[2][33] He was a DNP-CD for 43 games and missed another game for personal reasons.[2] He won his second championship when the Heat defeated theSan Antonio Spurs in seven games.[34][35] In2013–14, the Heat made the2014 NBA Finals as they recorded their fourth straight Finals appearance. Miami faced the Spurs again but this time, the Heat went on to lose in five games.[36] Jones played in 20 games, starting 6, during the season, averaging 4.9 points, 1.2 rebounds and 11.8 minutes.[2][33] He was on the inactive list for 21 games.[37]
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On August 5, 2014, Jones signed with theCleveland Cavaliers.[38]LeBron James, Jones's teammate with the Heat, had asked him to come join him in Cleveland.[39] The Cavaliers won theEastern Conference championship and advanced to theNBA Finals. Facing theGolden State Warriors, the Cavaliers lost the series in six games.[40] Jones played in 57 games, starting 2, for the Cavaliers during the2014–15 season while averaging 4.4 points, 1.1 rebounds and 11.7 minutes a game.[33] He was a DNP-CD for 25 games.[37]
On July 25, 2015, Jones re-signed with the Cavaliers.[41] In a December 2015 article onESPN.com by Dave McMenamin, LeBron James said "He's my favorite player of all time" and "He's the greatest teammate I've ever had" in regards to Jones.[39][42] The Cavaliers won the Eastern Conference championship for the second year in a row and went on to win the 2016 NBA championship, becoming the first team in history to win the championship after being down 3–1 in the Finals, as Jones won his third title in five years.[43][44] He played in 48 games during the2015–16 season while averaging 3.7 points, 1.0 rebounds and 9.6 minutes a game.[33] He was a DNP-CD for 34 games.[37] He was also one of twelve players nominated for theTwyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award, finishing tenth place in the voting.[45] On June 26, 2016, Cavaliers teammateKevin Love called Jones "the best teammate I've ever had".[46][47]
On August 3, 2016, Jones re-signed with the Cavaliers.[48] On January 19, 2017, he started in place of an injured Kevin Love and scored 14 points in a 118–103 win over thePhoenix Suns. It was his first start since April 2, 2015.[49] The Cavaliers won the Eastern Conference championship for the third year in a row, as Jones and teammate LeBron James joinedBill Russell,Bob Cousy,K. C. Jones,Sam Jones,Tom Heinsohn, andFrank Ramsey (all from theBoston Celtics) as the only players in NBA history to reach seven consecutive NBA Finals.[43][50] Facing the Golden State Warriors in the Finals for the third straight year, the Cavaliers lost the series in five games.[51] Jones played in 48 games, starting 2, for the Cavaliers during the2016–17 season while averaging 2.8 points, 0.8 rebounds and 7.9 minutes a game.[33]
On July 19, 2017, Jones was named the director of player personnel for thePhoenix Suns, effectively ending his 14-year NBA career.[52] On October 8, 2018, Jones was named an interim general manager for the Suns alongside assistant general manager Trevor Bukstein after the previous general manager,Ryan McDonough, was fired.[53] During the 2018–19 season, he worked with Bukstein on two trades for the Suns: tradingTrevor Ariza forKelly Oubre Jr. andAustin Rivers in December 2018 andRyan Anderson forTyler Johnson andWayne Ellington in February 2019.[54] On April 11, 2019, the Suns removed the interim tag from Jones' title, naming him the team's general manager, with Bukstein remaining as assistant general manager.[55]
During the 2019 off-season, Jones orchestrated changes that appeared questionable on the surface, such as firing head coachIgor Kokoškov after only one season (albeit hiringMonty Williams soon afterward),[56][57] executing multiple trades in the2019 NBA draft, includingT. J. Warren to theIndiana Pacers for cash considerations, trading down from the 6th pick to pick up bothDario Šarić and the 11th draft pick (Cameron Johnson) from theMinnesota Timberwolves, and trading a late 2020 first round pick to theBoston Celtics forAron Baynes and the 24th pick (Ty Jerome),[58] and even picking upRicky Rubio in free agency via trading multiple picks and players with theMemphis Grizzlies to free up more salary.[59][60] Despite the mixed reception, Jones' moves would help the Suns achieve their best record in five seasons, before theCOVID-19 pandemic hit U.S. shores in 2020, with a 26–39 record before the seasonwas suspended. When the season resumed in the2020 NBA Bubble, the Suns managed to finish with an 8–0 run in Orlando, with their only significant roster change addingG League guardCameron Payne.[61][62][63]
With the surprising improvement in the bubble, Jones orchestrated another major trade in November 2020, this time trading Kelly Oubre Jr., Ricky Rubio, Ty Jerome,Jalen Lecque, and a protected 2022 first-round pick to theOklahoma City Thunder forAbdel Nader and All-Star point guardChris Paul.[64] Jones looked to bolster team depth in the delayed2020 NBA draft period by selectingJalen Smith at pick 10 and picking upJae Crowder,E'Twaun Moore,Langston Galloway, andDamian Jones in the shortened 2020 free agency period in the hopes of ending their decade-long playoff drought.[65][66] The Suns later made the2021 NBA playoffs; the team's first postseason appearance since 2010.[67] Because of the Suns' dramatic improvement, Jones earned the 2020–21NBA Executive of the Year Award.[68] The Suns reached the2021 NBA Finals, but lost the series in six games to theMilwaukee Bucks.[69]
The Suns won a franchise-record 64 regular season games during the 2021–22 season. Jones was promoted from general manager to president of basketball operations and general manager on November 28, 2022.[70] The Suns finished with a 36–46 record in 2024–25, their first losing season since 2019–20.[71] AfterwardsBrian Gregory was named the team's new general manager and Jones was demoted to senior advisor.[71][72] On July 9, 2025, Jones left the Suns to become the NBA's executive vice president, head of basketball operations.[73]
Jones is aChristian.[74] He and his wife Destiny have a son named James Dylan Jones and two daughters named Jadynn Alyssa Jones and Jodie Marissa Jones.[2] Jones's nicknames include "Champ", "J. J." and "JHoops" (pronounced Joops).[75][2][39] The James Jones Legacy Foundation was founded in 2009.[2] He is also a managing partner of the consulting firm Jones and Jones Strategic Consulting.[76][77] Jones previously owned anurban redevelopment company called James Jones Ventures.[2][78] He began hosting an annual basketball camp called JHoops Live in 2009.[2] He also runs a camp called Crew 22 Training Camp.[76] Jones appeared on the television showKitchen Nightmares in 2010.[2]
Jones's uncle,Ricky Gutiérrez, played inMajor League Baseball.[1] Jones's aunt, Lisa Jones played basketball at the University of Miami from 1988 to 1990.[1] His cousin Mionsha Gay also played at the University of Miami.[2] His aunt, Hope Jones, and his cousin, Shelnita Jackson, played basketball atBarry University.[2] Jones's father Jay Lee played atSouthern University while his uncle Mitchell Lee played at theUniversity of Minnesota and his cousin Shawn Brailsford played atMarshall University.[2]
Jones was previously the secretary-treasurer of theNBA Players Association (NBPA).[79]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| † | Won anNBA championship |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003–04 | Indiana | 6 | 0 | 4.3 | .222 | .250 | 1.000 | .3 | .0 | .2 | .0 | 1.2 |
| 2004–05 | Indiana | 75 | 24 | 17.7 | .396 | .398 | .855 | 2.3 | .8 | .4 | .4 | 4.9 |
| 2005–06 | Phoenix | 75 | 24 | 23.6 | .418 | .386 | .851 | 3.4 | .8 | .5 | .7 | 9.3 |
| 2006–07 | Phoenix | 76 | 7 | 18.1 | .368 | .378 | .877 | 2.3 | .6 | .4 | .6 | 6.4 |
| 2007–08 | Portland | 58 | 3 | 22.0 | .437 | .444 | .878 | 2.8 | .6 | .4 | .3 | 8.0 |
| 2008–09 | Miami | 40 | 1 | 15.8 | .369 | .344 | .839 | 1.6 | .5 | .3 | .4 | 4.2 |
| 2009–10 | Miami | 36 | 6 | 14.0 | .361 | .411 | .821 | 1.3 | .5 | .3 | .1 | 4.1 |
| 2010–11 | Miami | 81 | 8 | 19.1 | .422 | .429 | .833 | 2.0 | .5 | .4 | .2 | 5.9 |
| 2011–12† | Miami | 51 | 10 | 13.1 | .380 | .404 | .833 | 1.0 | .4 | .3 | .2 | 3.6 |
| 2012–13† | Miami | 38 | 0 | 5.8 | .344 | .302 | .500 | .6 | .3 | .1 | .2 | 1.6 |
| 2013–14 | Miami | 20 | 6 | 11.8 | .456 | .519 | .636 | 1.2 | .5 | .2 | .2 | 4.9 |
| 2014–15 | Cleveland | 57 | 2 | 11.7 | .368 | .360 | .848 | 1.1 | .4 | .2 | .1 | 4.4 |
| 2015–16† | Cleveland | 48 | 0 | 9.6 | .408 | .394 | .808 | 1.0 | .3 | .2 | .2 | 3.7 |
| 2016–17 | Cleveland | 48 | 2 | 7.9 | .478 | .470 | .650 | .8 | .3 | .1 | .2 | 2.8 |
| Career | 709 | 93 | 15.7 | .401 | .401 | .840 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 5.2 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Indiana | 13 | 0 | 16.5 | .413 | .400 | .444 | 2.1 | .8 | .5 | .5 | 4.0 |
| 2006 | Phoenix | 20 | 6 | 17.7 | .341 | .308 | .846 | 3.6 | .3 | .3 | .9 | 4.3 |
| 2007 | Phoenix | 11 | 6 | 15.5 | .528 | .444 | .818 | 1.4 | .3 | .2 | .2 | 5.0 |
| 2009 | Miami | 7 | 7 | 33.6 | .531 | .500 | .917 | 2.3 | .7 | .4 | .1 | 9.6 |
| 2010 | Miami | 1 | 0 | 9.0 | .000 | .000 | 1.000 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 2.0 |
| 2011 | Miami | 12 | 0 | 22.7 | .471 | .459 | 1.000 | 2.5 | .2 | .5 | .2 | 6.5 |
| 2012† | Miami | 20 | 0 | 8.7 | .372 | .300 | 1.000 | 1.0 | .1 | .2 | .1 | 2.6 |
| 2013† | Miami | 9 | 0 | 3.7 | .429 | .750 | — | .3 | .0 | .0 | .1 | 1.0 |
| 2014 | Miami | 15 | 0 | 8.4 | .450 | .469 | .667 | .7 | .3 | .2 | .1 | 3.5 |
| 2015 | Cleveland | 20 | 0 | 15.6 | .347 | .344 | .929 | 1.5 | .5 | .4 | .2 | 4.4 |
| 2016† | Cleveland | 12 | 0 | 4.6 | .200 | .143 | .250 | .3 | .3 | .0 | .0 | .5 |
| 2017 | Cleveland | 8 | 0 | 3.7 | .200 | .000 | — | .5 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .3 |
| Career | 148 | 19 | 13.4 | .404 | .387 | .845 | 1.6 | .3 | .3 | .3 | 3.7 | |
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