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Magic’s offseason acquisition who has Jalen Suggs ‘jumping for joy’
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- Magic’s offseason acquisition who has Jalen Suggs ‘jumping for joy’
The post Magic's offseason acquisition who has Jalen Suggs 'jumping for joy' appeared first on ClutchPoints .
The Orlando Magic opened media day on Monday with plenty of optimism, as guard Jalen Suggs described his excitement about teaming up with veteran point guard Tyus Jones .
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Jones, who joined Orlando this offseason on a one-year deal , brings playoff experience and steady leadership to a young backcourt. For Suggs, the addition represents more than a roster move — it marks a personal and professional reunion with someone who has been a role model since his high school days in Minnesota .
"The fact that I got stones in the building with me is like… makes little Jalen jump for joy, literally. I watched Tyus' whole journey coming up. I literally blazed away from point guard in Minnesota especially from my eyes, he was doing everything that I wanted to do," Suggs said.
Suggs detailed how Jones inspired him early on by excelling in high school, connecting with fans, and eventually winning a national championship.
"Elite in high school, one of the best players, took time in every game to take care of everybody who came out to Apple Valley to watch his performances and give love – always gave love to me and advice, and confidence, then he goes and wins the national championship which was high on my list, which I almost got, he low key got me on that one. But come full circle, I get to watch him in the NBA and now we're in the same locker room talking about direction, talking about how to lead, the things he's seen and felt in different environments, different teams, and in different points of the year – beginning, middle, and playoff time, all moments that he's been in has been amazing," Suggs said.
Jalen Suggs highlights deep bond with Tyus Jones as veteran guard joins Magic
© Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
The 24-year-old guard said the connection between him and Jones is rooted in shared history and family ties.
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"I know him like down to the root, down to the core of who Tyus is and his family and where he comes from. That relationship is so pure and I'm very excited for everybody to see who Tyus Jones is for our guard group, not only for me and Tyus but for AB, Jase, for all of us to continue to grow [and] evolve off of each other. But yeah, having Tyus in here namely – so cool, it makes me so happy," Suggs said.
Jones arrives after spending last season with the Phoenix Suns , where he averaged 10.2 points, 5.3 assists and 2.4 rebounds while shooting 44.8% from the floor and 41.4% from three across 81 games. His ability to organize offenses and provide reliable shooting makes him a critical piece for an Orlando team that continues to rise in the Eastern Conference.
Jones calls Suggs his 'little brother' as duo prepare for first season together
Jones echoed Suggs' enthusiasm, calling their opportunity to play together a full-circle moment.
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"Jalen, that's my little brother. We go back and it's surreal to kinda take a step back and see where we're at and understand that we're both in the NBA, we're teammates and it's been fun. I'm looking forward to the season that we're gonna have. We're gonna have so many memories. Our families are extremely close, like it's just a surreal feeling to be able to be teammates with him but yeah, that's my little brother and I've been his biggest fan and gonna continue to be and I know it's the same coming from him," Jones said.
Jones added that he has been working closely with Suggs in recent weeks, sharing experience and knowledge to help sharpen Suggs' game.
"I'm trying to help him anyway possible – I've been in the gym with him a lot these first few weeks here. Just any knowledge that I have for him, anything that I can see that can help his game and vice versa, we're just talking the game. It's just been so cool to be able to be around him in this work environment because we haven't done that before. We've worked out in the summers and things like that, but to really show up everyday and work on our craft and to work towards the same goal together has been cool and looking forward to doing it for the rest of the year," Jones said.
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The Magic open their season against the Miami Heat in October , with Jones expected to bring veteran stability and Suggs eager to elevate his game alongside him.
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