Dillon

Jones

The 26th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Jones is on the move after one season with the NBA champions. He appeared in 54 games during the regular season, averaging 2.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 10.2 minutes. Being traded to Washington may give Jones a better shot at achieving fantasy relevance than in Oklahoma City. However, that is not enough to make him a player worth selecting in fantasy drafts.

Williams will miss Oklahoma City’s final two games of the regular season as he gets healthy for the postseason. Dillon Jones should remain in the starting lineup, and he played 33 minutes in Friday’s win over the Jazz. Alex Ducas will likely be his backup, but Jones is the only one worthy of consideration in active fantasy leagues.

SGA sat out against Philadelphia on Wednesday as a rest night, but he will be back against Charlotte. Dillon Jones and Isaiah Joe were both able to start for the shorthanded Thunder, but Jones will return to the bench with SGA back. Joe’s status as a starter will depend on the health of Cason Wallace, who is questionable with a shoulder strain.

The Thunder are down four starters for Wednesday’s game, with Holmgren being the lone holdover. Wiggins, Joe and Williams are all worth rostering, while Jones is a riskier play due to his lack of playing time when everyone is available.

Caruso played 13 minutes before tightness in his left hip forced him to the locker room for the rest of Wednesday’s game. Dillon Jones has entered the rotation but is unlikely to get the minutes needed to provide reliable fantasy value.

With Jalen Williams exiting early due to an ankle injury, Jones’ opportunity could increase to start the regular season. He didn’t have a great shooting performance in this game, but he was still able to contribute across the board, and he has played well in both Summer League and the preseason. The rookie is far more intriguing in dynasty formats than in redraft, but with the way injuries have already hit the Thunder, he may have a role early on during his rookie year.

Thursday’s game was the second of a back-to-back for the Thunder, so none of the team’s usual starters played. That opened the door for Jones, a first-round pick out of Weber State, to show what he can do. And the rookie was outstanding, recording a full stat line with six defensive contributions before fouling out. Oklahoma City’s depth at the forward positions may make it difficult for Jones to impact fantasy basketball as a rookie. However, Thursday’s performance was a reminder of what he can do on the floor, and Jones will be a valuable option in dynasty drafts.

After shining during Summer League, Jones has once again found success during the preseason. Though the Spurs didn’t play a few of their starters, it was still encouraging to see Jones play well. His role likely won’t be large enough to impact fantasy basketball this season, but dynasty managers will continue to keep a close eye on him throughout the preseason to see how he is developing.

After playing well in his first two games in Salt Lake City to begin the week, Jones’ production took a hit in Oklahoma City’s finale on Wednesday. He got back on track in his Vegas debut, even if the Thunder were on the wrong end of a blowout. While Jones may not offer significant fantasy value in redraft leagues, his upside is high enough to merit being selected in dynasty formats.

Jones shined on Tuesday, but playing his third game in as many days, he wasn’t able to replicate that shooting performance in this one. Through three games, Jones is averaging 12.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game. The first round pick out of Weber State has played well overall this summer, though he has had two lackluster shooting nights. He will have to fight to be part of the rotation on a deep, competitive team during his rookie season. However, he has raised his dynasty stock this summer.