Last year, I attended my first-ever NBA Summer League in person. I was excited, but a bit disappointed to find out Devin Carter wouldn’t play due to surgery announced shortly after the Kings’ roster reveal. With his absence, I decided to focus on scouting some lesser-known players and keeping an eye on how Keon Ellis and (RIP) Coby Jones would handle being primary initiators. My trip to Las Vegas was mostly just for funsies, but attending the Summer League had always been high on my bucket list. I couldn’t resist putting on my unofficial Kings scout hat over a beer or three and take in the mostly unknown talent.
A few players stood out during my experience: Isaac Jones was the one I immediately felt could be a guy.Jones showcased some intriguing skills. Over five games, he averaged11.2 points and 8.2 rebounds, logging 28.5 minutes per game. While his shooting from deep (22% on 1.8 attempts per game) needs work, his athleticism and instincts stood out. He averaged 1.4 blocks per game and consistently stayed active, exhibiting great energy and effort both defensively and around the rim.
The Summer League isn’t the main story here; it’s more of a gateway to recounting my first impressions of Jones. It also gives me a chance to give shoutouts to Boogie Ellis, Drew Timme, and Adonis Arms, who all left a positive mark during their five-game stretch.
Fast forward to the regular season, Jones had a modest start under Mike Brown barely finding opportunities to crack the rotation. His overall season stats might not jump off the page, with averages of3.4 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 7.6 minutes per game while shooting 65% from the floor. But if you break it down into specific stretches of opportunity, you start to see flashes of potential.
Stepping Up During Trey Lyles’ Absence
When Trey Lyles went down after theNovember 25 game against the Thunder, Jones got his first real chance to be part of the rotation. From then through December 6, he logged 16 minutes per game across seven contests. During this stretch, he impressed with averages of 7.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks while shooting an outstanding 68.6%. His role as a rim-running big capitalized on his ability to hustle in transition and dominate weaker post defenders—an impactful skill set the team had been missing and a refreshing contrast to what Lyles brought to that position.
His next meaningful opportunity came after the trade deadline, with De’Aaron Fox gone and Kevin Huerter out, and key reinforcements like Zach LaVine and Jonas Valančiūnas having not joined the roster. During this stretch, Jones averaged 5 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists on 66.7% shooting. This time, he had to adapt to playing alongside Lyles, which introduced new positional challenges and defensive assignments.
Late in the season, Jones and Lyles shared the front court again due to an injury to Jake LaRavia. Between March 29th and the end of the regular season on April 13th, Isaac appeared in six games, albeit in limited minutes (6.8 per game). His stats duringthis period weren’t significant (2.2 points and 1.3 rebounds), but it’s worth noting that Doug Christie seemed to see him as a potential “next man up.” Christie appeared to value what he showed in the G League, during practices and in garbage-time minutes during blowouts.
Dominating in the G League
While I’m not someone who grinds through hours of Stockton Kings tape, Jones’ G League performances are worth covering for his season in review.Over 12 games, he averaged 31.9 minutes, 21 points, 10 rebounds, roughly 1 block, and 1 steal while shooting 57% from the field. What does this tell me? When given the opportunity to play significant minutes, Jones produced and continued to do so rather efficiently. The question now is whether his flashes in limited NBA minutes and strong G League play can translate and scale into a larger role.
He has the size, athleticism and skill set the Kings desperately need. I’d expect to see him in action during the upcoming Summer League, where he can further prove his worth. It’s worth mentioning that the previous Kings management—Monty and the boys, as I affectionately call them (which, incidentally, sounds like the name of an indie bluegrass band)—converted him to a standard NBA contract that includes a team option this offseason.
If you’ve made it this far, it’s probably obvious that I’m a fan of Jones’ game. I genuinely believe he has the tools to establish himself in the league and, hopefully, stick with the Kings. Here’s hoping the team picks up his option and we get to see more consistent opportunities for him in the near future.
Final Grade
C+