Suns leaning toward promoting James Jones to full-time GM

Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver is leaning toward the eventual hiring of interim general manager James Jones as the franchise's full-time GM, league sources told ESPN.

Sarver fired GM Ryan McDonough on Sunday night and issued a statement on Monday that assigned Jones and assistant GM Trevor Bukstein to share oversight of basketball operations on an interim basis. Jones had been working under the title of VP of Basketball Operations.

In his initial conversations around the league, Sarver has left little, if any, doubt that Jones will be leading Phoenix's basketball operations into the future, league sources said.

Nevertheless, Sarver has been known to change his mind - often without warning -…