BROOKLYN, N.Y. — The mock drafts had Dillon Jones going in the second round of the NBA Draft but one franchise had other ideas.
The former W.J. Keenan standout, who helped the Raiders win the 2019 state championship, was taken with the 26th overall selection by the Oklahoma City Thunder who acquired that pick in a trade with the New York Knicks.
He worked out for a number of NBA teams but not Oklahoma City. Obviously, the Thunder brass saw enough from afar to give them the confidence to move up and grab Jones as there were just a handful of teams left who had yet to make their first round selection.
Jones finished up his high school career at Sunrise Christian Prep in Kansas before signing with Weber State University in Odgen, Utah. The 6-6 Jones was named the 2024 Big Sky Conference Most Valuable Player and First-Team All-Big Sky as he led Weber State to a 20-win season.
He finished the regular season leading the Big Sky in points, rebounds, and assists, the only player in the nation to lead a conference in all three categories. He was also one of five finalists for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year award.
Jones started 31 games for the Wildcats and finished the season averaging 20.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game. Per Sports Reference, since the 1992-93 season, Jones is one of two players in the country to post at least 600 points, 300 rebounds, 150 assists, and 50 steals in a season. He finished fifth in school history in points, third in rebounds, second in assists and first in steals.
In 2023, Jones participated in the NBA Draft Combine but chose to return to Weber State for his senior season in an effort to boost his draft stock and that plan has come together in a big way.
