While all eyes are on the NBA, it’s worth noting that significant moves are occurring in the G-League during the early portion of the 2025-26 season.
On Monday, the Los Angeles Lakers’ G-League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, traded a 24-year-old former Oklahoma City NBA champion guard to the Rip City Remix (the Portland Trail Blazers’ G-League affiliate).
“NEWS: The Rip City Remix have traded for 2024 NBA first-round pick Dillon Jones from the South Bay Lakers,” DraftExpress’ Jonathan Givony reported on X/Twitter.
“Jones was the No. 1 pick in the G League Draft after winning an NBA championship with the OKC Thunder as a rookie.”
Jones was the No. 26 overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft after a stellar four-year collegiate career at Weber State (he averaged 20.8 points per game during his final season with the Wildcats).
As a rookie in 2024-25, Jones averaged 2.5 points and 1.1 assists per game as a developmental player, shooting 38.3% from the field and 25.4% from three on a Thunder squad that hoisted the Larry O’Brien trophy in June.
The Thunder traded Jones to the Washington Wizards shortly after winning their first championship in franchise history.
However, the Columbia, South Carolina, native didn’t make the Wizards’ opening-night roster, prompting the South Bay Lakers to select him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 G League draft.
While it would have been fun to track Jones’ progress with the Lakers and potentially witness him earn a standard contract with the big dogs, it clearly wasn’t meant to be.
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