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Suns' Derrick Jones: Survives roster cuts

Jones earned a spot on the Suns' 15-man roster, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic reports. "[Jones is] the most athletic player on our team, and that says a lot with Marquese Chriss sitting right here," coach Earl Watson said. "He has the potential to be a defender, three-point shooter and play above the rim. But he has to get NBA reps and get a NBA work ethic."

Analysis:

Jones went undrafted in June following a promising freshman season at UNLV, with most teams believing he wasn't close to contributing at the NBA level. That still may be the case, but after bringing him in for training camp, the Suns were enamored by the 6-foot-7 forward's immense athleticism and didn't want to risk losing him to another team on a waiver claim. Look for him to play only minimal minuts at the NBA level as a rookie and instead spend extensive time with the Suns' D-League affiliate, the Northern Arizona Suns.

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