The second Weber State player ever to be drafted in the first round of the NBA draft, Dillon Jones had a lot of suitors. But it was the Oklahoma City Thunder that ensured he would be joining the dynamic young squad of OKC. The Thunder GM Sam Presti made calculated moves in getting Jones. After all, they have long been associated with the 6-foot forward.

The New York Knicks held the 24 and 25 picks for the 2024 draft. The Knicks, for their part, traded No. 24 to Washington. Seeing an opportunity, the OKC Thunder offered a wholly of five second-round picks to get, Dillon Jones their No. 26 pick, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported.

However, it came at a price. As per Keith Smith of Spotrac, the Thunder traded up, resulting in their cap space after the first round at $31.1 million. Oklahoma’s previous cap space stood at $35 million. Had they not traded, the hit wouldn’t have been as pronounced.

Having acquired Dillon Jones, the Thunder will be in effect, extending a $5.4 million contract through his guaranteed first two years. And if they were to pick up the remaining two years of his team option, the amount would increase to $13.5 million.

So, what was it about this 22-year-old that had Sam Presti pursue him relentlessly?

Dillon Jones – the Wildcat that Oklahoma is looking to domesticate

Well, not entirely. Oklahoma City would still love to see Jones transitioning his spectacular Weber State performances under Mark Daigneault. Of course, there will be a learning and adjustment curve. This is the NBA. Yet, for the Thunder front office to stand their ground in getting the Bel Aire product, surely speaks volumes in their trust in Dillon Jones’ ability to contribute to the team.

Jones’ 119 games with the Utah-based university saw him ranking in the Top 10 in 13 different categories. Dillon finished as an all-time leader in assists and 56 career double-doubles, which is the second most in WSU’s history. And if that wasn’t enough, the young forward posted a never-before-seen stat line in the Big Sky. 1,500 career points, 1,000 rebounds, 400 assists, and 200 steals – no player has ever had these numbers!

If we were to look at his recent stats, last season saw Dillon Keshaun Jones nearly achieve a double-double. A brilliant shooter from the charity stripe at 85.7%, he averaged 20.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game. Leading the Wildcats to a 20-win game, he was named the Big Sky Conference MVP and earned first-team All-District honors.

When Presti was asked what their draft philosophy was after the day’s events, he mentioned factors like “positional size, versatility, being able to make decisions with the ball and high-level processing being the most important things for Oklahoma City.” He also pointed out that this was something they planned to use in the coming years as well.

Well, Jones will be joining one of the youngest teams in the league, so he won’t feel too much of an age gap. But they are a hardworking bunch. In a conference with veteran-laden and storied franchises like the Lakers, Warriors, Clippers, and Suns, the Thunder clinched the top spot. They were also the youngest team ever to win a playoff series in the NBA. So, Dillon will have his work cut out for him.

Good thing he is ready for it!