Orlando is quickly becoming a haven for Duke basketball alums.
The Magic’s frontcourt already featured two former Duke Blue Devils — Wendell Carter Jr. and Paolo Banchero — both entrenched as starters and cornerstones of the franchise. Now, the Blue Devil connection grows even stronger with the addition of 2015 national champion Tyus Jones.
On Monday night, NBA insider Shams Charania reported that Jones, one of the most reliable veteran guards on the market, has inked a one-year, $7 million deal with Orlando. The 29-year-old point guard joins the Magic after stops in Minnesota, Memphis, Washington, and most recently, Phoenix.
According to Evan Sidery, Jones is expected to serve as a high-IQ, steady hand in the backcourt off the bench — a key piece as Orlando looks to take a leap in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
Here’s the projected Magic rotation for 2025–26:
Starters:
Jalen Suggs
Desmond Bane
Franz Wagner
Paolo Banchero
Wendell Carter Jr.
Second Unit:
Tyus Jones
Jase Richardson
Anthony Black
Tristan Da Silva
Jonathan Isaac
Goga Bitadze
Jones is coming off a solid season with the Suns, where he appeared in 81 games and averaged 10.2 points, 5.3 assists, and just 1.1 turnovers per game — earning the league’s best assist-to-turnover ratio for the sixth straight year.
From his national title run at Duke to being one of the NBA’s most efficient floor generals, Jones now finds himself alongside two fellow Blue Devils with a real shot at deep playoff contention. Orlando’s Duke trio is quickly turning heads across the league.
