James Jones Says He Plans to Retire After 2017-18 NBA Season

Cleveland Cavaliers veteran forward James Jones told Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal on Friday that he will retire after the 2017-18 season. 

It will be his 15th year in the league, which is a number that means a lot to him, as he explained to Lloyd: "I know playing 15 years is a number where I can look back and I can be like, 'I accomplished something.' Fourteen vs. 15 may not be much, but to be able to say I played 15 years, that’s enough for me to hang 'em up."

The Cavaliers were the fifth and now final stop of Jones' career after stints with the Indiana Pacers, Phoenix Suns and Portland Trail Blazers before joining the Miami Heat in 2008. 

It was there that he first teamed up with LeBron James, who joined the Heat prior to the 2010-11 season. While the 36-year-old has been a depth option off the bench for most of his career, he and James bonded while in Miami. 

In fact, James told ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin that Jones was his "favorite player of all time."

So after six years and a pair of titles in Miami, Jones joined the Cavaliers shortly after James returned home.

And James had a hand in the move, as Jones told McMenamin that the King's departure was met with disappointment at first: "So that was the initial part, and then the second part was, 'Hey, I want you to come here and help me change this thing and do something special.'"

After a loss to the Golden State Warriors in the 2015 NBA Finals, James and Jones won a third title together last season. Jones appeared in 48 games in 2015-16 and averaged just 3.7 points per game in the process.

But the numbers meant nothing to James. 

"I told J.J., as long as I'm playing, he's going to be around," James said, per McMenamin. "He's not allowed to stop playing basketball. So I'm going to make sure I got a roster spot for him. I love him. He's the greatest teammate I've ever had."

Entering Friday, Jones has appeared in 10 games this season and holds career marks of 5.4 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. He's also given James plenty of time to prepare for life in the NBA without his favorite player. 

Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com.