James Jones has been appointed as the NBA’s new Executive Vice President and Head of Basketball Operations. In this role, he will report directly to Byron Spruell, the league’s President of League Operations.
Jones steps into the position previously held by Joe Dumars, who left in April to become Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations for the New Orleans Pelicans.
Jones joins the league office after eight years in the Phoenix Suns’ front office, where he most recently served as general manager and helped build a Finals-contending roster.
In his new role, he will lead all facets of Basketball Operations, including rule development and interpretation, player and team conduct, game-related policies, and engagement with players, coaches, officials, and team executives.
He’ll also work to craft forward-thinking strategies to ensure the NBA continues to deliver elite-level competition.
“James is widely respected across the NBA for being an inspiring leader and the consummate teammate during his more than 20 years as a highly successful player and team executive,” said Spruell. “With his exceptional relationship-building skills and deep basketball expertise, he is well suited to guide our efforts to shape the current and future direction of the NBA game.”
Reacting to the news, Jones said, “I’m thrilled and honored to take on the responsibility of leading the Basketball Operations department. This is an exciting opportunity to pour my passion for the game into a new role and collaborate with so many talented professionals on driving the continued success and growth of the NBA.”
Before his front-office career, Jones played 14 seasons in the NBA and served as Secretary-Treasurer of the National Basketball Players Association from 2008 to 2017.
James Jones Hired By NBA As Head Of Basketball Operations To Replace Joe Dumars https://t.co/JY7g6H9h6D
— RealGM (@RealGM) July 9, 2025
