Tyus Jones will start the second leg of his NBA career with the Memphis Grizzlies, which comes after the Minnesota Timberwolves failed to match a three-year, $28 million offer sheet for his services. The Apple Valley prodigy still has a mix of emotions, ones that are combined with the excitement of a fresh start:

“I’ve just got a lot of emotions right now,” Jones told Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic before hopping a flight from Georgia, where he attended a tournament for his AAU team, to Las Vegas. “I don’t really know how exactly to feel. I’m just excited. I’m just ready for my next chapter of my career and my life.”

The Duke product was thankful for the chance to play for his home state for the past four seasons, a chance that comes very rarely in the NBA:

“I’m thankful. It’s a situation where I was fortunate enough to be able to play in my home state, and for four years at that,” Jones said. “A lot of people don’t get the opportunity to do that. For me, it’s a chance to play in my home state as my first taste of the NBA and to help me get acclimated to the NBA lifestyle.

“It was nothing but a blessing. I am very thankful for that and look at it as nothing but a positive. Now I get to take that next step in my journey and my career, and I’m excited for that.”

Jones will have a direct chance at playing time with the Grizzlies, even with the prospect of sharing the backcourt with rookie Ja Morant in some situations. The 6-foot-1 point man put up a career-best 6.9 points and 4.8 assists per game last season and can only improve those numbers with a better share of playing time in Memphis.