Mavericks fans can't stop laughing at Nuggets' latest roster blunder

One of the under-the-radar free agent blunders from last summer was the Orlando Magic’s signing of point guard Tyus Jones to a one-year, $7 million deal. Wait… A one-year contract worth less than the mid-level exception is a blunder? How could that be?

Well, Jones struggled mightily in Orlando and was ultimately dealt to the Charlotte Hornets at the trade deadline before being rerouted to the Dallas Mavericks. In 48 appearances prior to being traded, he averaged just 3.0 points and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 34.2 percent from the field and 29.4 percent from beyond the arc.

Tyus Jones' decline has been fierce

It marked a drastic downturn from the year prior, when he averaged 10.2 points and 5.3 assists per game for the Phoenix Suns while shooting 44.8 percent from the field and 41.4 percent from 3-point range.

Nonetheless, once he was sent from the Magic to the Mavericks, there was a sense of optimism that Jones could be a low-key, ideal addition who would fit seamlessly as a floor general alongside burgeoning star Cooper Flagg and serve as a veteran mentor to Dallas’ young guards.

Yet, much like his stint in Orlando, it never materialized. Jones averaged 3.9 points and 3.8 assists in 16.6 minutes per game while continuing to struggle from the floor and beyond the arc. He shot just 38.2 percent overall and 21.1 percent from three before the Mavericks cut ties with him at the end of February to make room for two-way signee Ryan Nembhard.

The Nuggets gamble on a turnaround

It’s been an unexpected decline for Jones, who once stood out as the perfect low-maintenance floor general. Even so, his reputation helped him secure a rest-of-season contract with the Denver Nuggets.

Denver signed Jones to address its long-standing bench issues. Although the Nuggets added depth in the offseason (including Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Jonas Valanciunas), the second unit still lacked a steady reserve ball handler, prompting the front office to take a flier on Jones.

What may look like a savvy late-season signing, particularly to Nuggets fans, is unlikely to play out as hoped. Jones’ production has fallen off a cliff this season. His inability to consistently space the floor has been a major issue, and both teams he has played for have performed significantly better with the former Blue Devil on the bench.

Mavericks fans quickly realized that Jones wasn't the player that he once was after the team traded for him, leaving them dying laughing after seeing the Nuggets sign him despite his undeniable struggles this season. Jones had the perfect chance to prove that his time in Orlando was a fluke in Dallas, but he further showed that his career is slowly spiraling.

It’s been a sudden fall-off for one of the NBA’s more productive reserve point guards — one that could cost Denver if he’s asked to handle a sizable role or absorb significant minutes in the event of an injury.