Colby Jones

Jones is a compact wing whose professional career has taken him through multiple NBA organizations and three different teams over two seasons. Originally drafted 34th overall in 2023, he began with Sacramento, saw limited action in two seasons, was traded to Washington where he received a larger opportunity, and then bounced through Oklahoma City and Detroit before landing in the G League with the Memphis Hustle. His résumé includes productive high school seasons in Alabama, a solid freshman year at Xavier, and a winding professional path through NBA rosters and two-way deals.

Born Colby Everette Jones on May 28, 2002, he attended Pinson Valley High School in Pinson, Alabama, where as a sophomore he averaged 23.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. After a coaching change, he transferred to Mountain Brook High School for his junior year to play under coach Bucky McMillan. As a junior, he averaged 14.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists alongside Trendon Watford and helped Mountain Brook win its third straight Class 7A state title. As a senior, he assumed a leading role and averaged 25.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.5 steals while guiding Mountain Brook to a Class 7A runner-up finish. He was named Over the Mountain Journal Player of the Year, All-South Metro Player of the Year, and Alabama Class 7A Player of the Year. Rated a four-star recruit, he committed to Xavier over Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, and UAB.

At Xavier, Jones missed the first five games of his freshman season due to COVID-19 contact tracing. On January 10, 2021, he hit a game-winning three-pointer in the final second of a 74-73 win over Providence. On February 16, he scored a season-high 20 points with six rebounds in a loss to St. John's. He averaged 7.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.9 assists as a freshman and was selected to the Big East All-Freshman Team. His first season showed versatility on both ends and a willingness to take critical shots in late-game situations.

Jones declared for the 2023 NBA draft and was selected 34th overall by the Charlotte Hornets. On draft night, the Boston Celtics acquired his draft rights and then traded him to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for the draft rights to Jordan Walsh and a 2024 second-round pick. Throughout his rookie and sophomore seasons, he received multiple assignments to the Stockton Kings of the NBA G League. In the 2023-24 season, he appeared in 30 games for Sacramento and averaged 2.1 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 0.7 assists. In the 2024-25 season, he played in 39 contests for the Kings and averaged 1.1 point, 1.0 rebound, and 0.3 assists.

On February 6, 2025, the Kings traded Jones to the Washington Wizards in a multi-team deal. He appeared in 15 games for Washington and averaged 8.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists, a noticeable jump in production with increased minutes. On June 28, 2025, the Wizards traded him to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Dillon Jones and a 2029 second-round pick, but the Thunder waived him the same day. On July 29, 2025, he signed a two-way contract with the Detroit Pistons. He made one appearance for Detroit on October 27, 2025, recording two points and four rebounds in a 95-116 loss to Cleveland. On November 10, 2025, Detroit waived him following the signing of Wendell Moore Jr.

Jones is a versatile wing-forward whose value comes from doing multiple things adequately without excelling at any single skill. He rebounds well for his size, moves the ball, and defends multiple positions with solid fundamentals. His limitations are his lack of a reliable jump shot, inability to create separation against NBA athleticism, and an undefined offensive role that has made him expendable on multiple rosters. He is not a primary scorer or elite athlete, which narrows his pathway to a permanent rotation spot. His time in Washington showed he can produce when given consistent minutes, but he has yet to demonstrate enough specialization to stick with one team. In the G League, his focus is on sharpening his shooting, expanding his offensive repertoire, and proving he can be a reliable rotation piece.

Jones' résumé includes a 23.9-point sophomore season at Pinson Valley, a transfer to Mountain Brook, three consecutive Class 7A state titles with Mountain Brook, Over the Mountain Journal Player of the Year, All-South Metro Player of the Year, Alabama Class 7A Player of the Year, a commitment to Xavier over Alabama and Auburn, a game-winning shot against Providence, a season-high 20 points against St. John's, averages of 7.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.9 assists at Xavier, Big East All-Freshman honors, the 34th pick in the 2023 draft, a draft-night trade from Charlotte to Boston to Sacramento, two seasons with the Kings including 69 total appearances, assignments to Stockton Kings, a trade to the Washington Wizards, 15 games with Washington averaging 8.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists, a trade to Oklahoma City, a waiver, a two-way deal with Detroit, one game with two points and four rebounds, a waiver by Detroit, and a move to the Memphis Hustle of the NBA G League. His journey from Pinson and Mountain Brook through Xavier into a nomadic professional existence reflects the difficulty of carving out a stable role as a non-shooting wing without a defined specialty. He is the son of former UAB player Chad Jones and the younger brother of professional player C. J. Jones.