BOISE, IDAHO – MARCH 11: Dillon Jones #2 of the Weber State Wildcats looks on during the first half … [+]
Following the selection of Nikola Topic with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder were aggressive in trading back into the draft to add a second first-round pick.
It took trading five future second-round picks to acquire the No. 26 overall pick from the New York Knicks to get Dillon Jones, but Oklahoma City viewed this as an opportunity to add a second rookie in its upcoming class. Jones is coming off of a highly productive four-year college career capped off with Big Sky Player of the Year honors. After being taken by the Thunder, he officially became the first Weber State Wildcat to be drafted since Damian Lillard.
Given the Thunder has at minimum four roster spots opening up this offseason with outgoing free agents, adding a second rookie to the roster won’t create a logjam. This is especially true since Topic won’t be suiting up this season. Jones will have every opportunity to earn minutes with the Thunder in the upcoming season, but could also benefit from time in the G League with the OKC Blue.
At 6-foot-6, Jones’ game is unlike any other player on the current Thunder roster. While that makes him more difficult to evaluate when it comes to fit on the team and projected role, it also makes him even more valuable since he provides a new wrinkle.
When asked about the Thunder’s draft philosophy following Wednesday’s event — not only for this class of prospects but more holistically — Thunder GM Sam Presti alluded to positional size, versatility, being able to make decisions with the ball and high-level processing being the most important things for Oklahoma City. Jones certainly checks those boxes, as a very unorthodox player from both a physical and stylistic standpoint.
Last season at Weber State, he averaged a near double-double with 20.8 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.2 assist per contest. Jones was a great free throw shooter at 85.7%, but only converted on 32.4% of his triples — which will be a swing skill for him in the league. Overall, he was one of the most productive players in all of college basketball last season, so it’s all about how his game translates to the NBA. His biggest knock is quickness and athleticism, so that’s something to keep an eye on in NBA Summer League, which will be the first opportunity to see Jones in a Thunder uniform.
The Thunder’s scouting department is one of the best in the league, which makes this pick even more interesting. While it’s not shocking that Jones went in the first-round, he was certainly projected by most to go in round two. There’s something about his game that the front offie believes will translate, which could easily be the case.
His rebounding upside is tremendous, which will help Oklahoma City overcome that deficiency. He won’t be the full solution to that problem, but is certainly someone who will clean the glass when on the court and is a great positional rebounder.