Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver is leaning toward making interim general manager James Jones the team's full-time GM in the wake of Ryan McDonough's firing, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Jones would be another of the wave of former players turned executives to take a prominent role for an NBA franchise. That includes Elton Brand getting the title of general manager for the Philadelphia 76ers less than two years removed from his stint as a player.
Jones last played in the league during the 2016-17 season, spending his last three years with the Cleveland Cavaliers after coming over from the Miami Heat alongside LeBron James' four-year tenure in South Beach.
The 3-point marksman spent 14 years in the NBA before taking the role of vice president with the Suns last year before getting the interim GM tag alongside Trevor Bukstein when McDonough was let go.
Despite his short tenure as an executive, the 6-foot-8 marksman is well-known around NBA circles, formerly serving as the secretary treasurer of the National Basketball Players Association.
If promoted to the full-time position, Jones would be one of the youngest general managers in the league, having recently turned 38 years old four days before being given the interim title.
Sarver has expressed a sense of urgency to try and find McDonough's replacement, calling it his No. 1 priority before the start of the regular season on Oct. 17 against the Dallas Mavericks.
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