‘I wasn’t supposed to be here.’ Washington State’s Isaac Jones focusing on next chapter of unlikely hoops journey after signing NBA two-way deal

LAS VEGAS – There were dueling emotions for Isaac Jones on June 27 as the former Washington State forward followed along with the second and final day of the 2024 NBA draft.

First, frustration. Jones wasn’t within striking distance of draft boards a year earlier, but he was showing up more frequently in the month leading up to the event and had visualized the moment that a select group of players get to experience around this time every year.

“At first I was a little hurt,” Jones said. “Going through the whole process and hearing all the positive feedback, then not to hear my name called.”

The frustration quickly turned to gratitude.

“But I just sat there and realized it was a blessing,” he said. “People would kill to be in my position, so I started crying. I was happy once I got through the little sad part.”

With about five picks remaining, Jones’ phone started buzzing. It wasn’t the call he thought he might get when the day started, but still one he wouldn’t have anticipated getting two years earlier while he was still cutting his teeth at Wenatchee Valley College, or a year before that when he was loading trucks in the Seattle area working for Puget Sound Pipe & Supply.

The phone call was from Jones’ agent alerting the All-Pac-12 forward the Sacramento Kings had a two-way contract on the table if Jones went undrafted.

“He said, ‘This is what we’re doing,’ ” the WSU standout said.

There was no pushback on Jones’ end.

“I wasn’t supposed to be here, but kept my head down and grinded and now I’m here,” he said. “It can all change in like two days. It happened so fast, so don’t take anything for granted and just work hard.”

The past four months of Jones’ unlikely basketball journey have more or less been a microcosm of his past six years.

When he joined a junior college roster in Wenatchee before the 2019-20 season, Jones had no idea that would lead to a Division I scholarship from Idaho, or the subsequent Pac-12 opportunity that came from WSU one year later.

Similarly, Jones didn’t necessarily know in April he’d be able to parlay an invitation from the Virginia-based Portsmouth Invitational – a postseason tournament for college seniors where he averaged 18.6 points and 7.3 rebounds – into a trip to the G League Elite Camp in Chicago. Jones scored 22 points in his final scrimmage at the G League Camp and turned that opportunity into another one, earning one of five call-ups to the more prestigious NBA draft combine.

Jones found more success within a more competitive environment at the combine, averaging 10.5 points and 6.0 rebounds in two scrimmages against high-level draft prospects, and watched his name surface on various mock boards in the weeks leading up to the NBA draft.

“Yeah, I feel like that’s one of the morals of my story. Make the most of my opportunities,” Jones said. “Starting at (junior college), I had to make the most of that to go Division I. So I had to just continue the pattern of stacking days and getting better.”

Kyle Smith, the former Washington State coach who oversaw the forward’s development for one season in Pullman before recently taking a job at Stanford, isn’t surprised NBA teams recognized many of the same traits he did when discovering Jones at Wenatchee Valley.

“I saw him in junior college and I said, it was an instant no-brainer; like he’s God’s gift to basketball,” said Smith, who was hoping to catch Jones and former WSU teammate Jaylen Wells at NBA Summer League while visiting Las Vegas last month for Stanford alumni events. “Just long, rangy, fluid guy that has played with his back to the basket. He just hasn’t played at that level, but you could see it. I was like, ‘Oh my goodness, he’s got the talent.’

“He puts the ball in the basket, he’s got an edge to him that you wouldn’t know because he’s such a mild-mannered kid. But he believes in himself. He can make big baskets and take over games. But there’s really nothing he can’t do on the basketball floor, so it’s a matter of getting stronger, tougher, playing against guys and if he gets opportunities, he’ll keep getting better.”

The first opportunity arrived at the California Classic, where Jones averaged 7.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. After logging 24.5 minutes per game at the California Classic, Jones saw a bump in playing time at Las Vegas Summer League, finishing second on the team while averaging 28.5 minutes.

Increased production came with it. Jones averaged 11.2 points in his five games, while hauling down 6.4 rebounds, dishing out 2.0 assists and blocking 1.4 shots.

He said it may take awhile to adjust to the speed of the game, especially coming from a more deliberate, slower-paced offensive scheme at WSU.

“I feel like every level after high school there’s a pro in there somewhere,” he said. “There’s pros in junior college and they’re just trying to get a chance. Every time it’s always faster and more skilled players and more physical players.”

Jones had success as a floor-running big man who converted a high percentage around the rim, but the 24-year-old said the Kings have shown a lot of “faith” in his jump shot and want to see him test his range and become more consistent shooting from the perimeter.

“He’s one of my favorites, man. I really enjoy him,” Kings Summer League coach Doug Christie said. “… He has a lot of upside, man. He has a real NBA body, he has NBA athleticism. Watching him develop I think is going to be a treat for Kings fans if he goes to the heights I think he can go to.”

Christie gave Jones some homework during the team’s stay in Vegas.

“The first thing I’m challenging him on now is when he leaves the game, there needs to be double digits in the rebound category. Like dominate people on the glass,” Christie said. “Not forget about the rest of your game, but forget about it until you get the number we’re looking for. And he has that ability. He has a live body, he has athleticism, he has big hands and are good hands. When he gets the ball, he’s got it. So I’m super excited for him, man.”

On a two-way contract, Jones will spend much of his time with the G League Stockton Kings, but he’s also able to appear in up to 50 games with the Sacramento Kings, which nearly guarantees he’ll be in an NBA game at some point during the 2024-25 season.

“I’m going to work as hard as I can to get up there. Even if it’s 5 minutes,” Jones said. “I know I’m going to be shaking a little bit. It’s going to be crazy.”

Jones comes back to one of the emotions he felt on draft night – gratitude – when reflecting on his brief but memorable stop at WSU.

“We finished 10th in the conference or whatever, that’s what they projected us,” he said. “Wheatfield Underdogs. Everybody that was there is an underdog. Jaylen (Wells), he’s playing for Memphis now, a DII transfer. Myles (Rice) beat cancer. We had (junior college) guys, dudes who just didn’t play much. It just shows what a good team, when you’re really together, what you can do.”

As for his thoughts on what the future holds in Pullman, as WSU leaves one conference, joins a new one and welcomes in a new basketball coach?

“They have a great fanbase, so I know the hoops is always going to get love up there,” Jones said. “David Riley is a good coach, so that was a good pickup. It was sad to see coach Smith leave, but he had to do what he had to do for his family. … I grew up watching (the Pac-12), that’s all we knew and now it’s just gone. So it’s weird. I was just happy to be a part of the history of it.”