Overview
Prior to college, Jones was a four-star recruit by Rivals and a three-star recruit according to 247Sports composite rankings. He had plenty of high-level organized basketball experience playing for the Dominican Republic’s national team. He participated in the U16 and U18 Americas Championships and the U17 World Cup. Jones committed to playing college basketball at DePaul. During his 2020-21 freshman year, he started in one of his nine appearances. He was quickly inserted into a bigger role, starting 27 of his 28 appearances as a sophomore. Following that season, Jones transferred to St. John’s, where he started 22 of 31 appearances. His senior campaign brought another transfer, this time to Memphis. That’s where the accolades poured in. As a full-time starter, Jones averaged 21.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.2 steals in 32.4 minutes. He was named All-AAC First Team and AP All-American Honorable Mention.
Analysis
The biggest leap in the lefty’s development has been his shooting. Never reaching the 30% threshold from deep prior to his senior year, Jones shot 79-for-208 (38%) from deep in 2023-24. Prolific 3-point shooting was a major part of his arsenal, but Jones is far from just a pure spot-up threat. He got to the free-throw line 6.8 times per game as well (80%), proving able to throw around his NBA-ready body and finish at the rim. His rebounding and defense are also pluses, though he does have a tendency to gamble. At the NBA level, Jones projects as a wing, as his athleticism, handle and vision are all merely acceptable rather than standout. It’s possible he can initiate some secondary actions, but he doesn’t project as someone who will be running an offense.
Projection
Jones is a potential second-round pick who may be able to impact a bench unit sooner than later. His ability to knock down open shots and create looks for himself at his size gives him a fairly high floor. There are similarities in his game to someone like Josh Okogie, though Jones projects as a better three-point shooter.
— Profile by RotoWire