Daniss Jenkins

Jenkins is an undersized guard whose winding collegiate journey through four programs in five years and undrafted entry into the NBA reflect both adaptability and the challenge of securing a defined role. A Dallas-area product who earned District 12-4A offensive MVP at Hillcrest High School, Jenkins began at Pacific, moved to Odessa College for his sophomore season, transferred to Iona, and finished as a graduate student at St. John's. His professional career with Detroit is in its earliest stages, and his focus is on proving that his playmaking, pick-and-roll skills, and collegiate scoring can translate to the NBA level despite his size.

Born Daniss Jenkins on August 17, 2001, he attended Hillcrest High School in Dallas, where The Dallas Morning News named him District 12-4A offensive MVP. He enrolled at the University of the Pacific in 2019, where as a freshman he was named to the West Coast Conference All-Freshman team. After the 2020-21 season, he transferred to Odessa College for the 2021-22 season. Following his sophomore year, he moved to Iona for the 2022-23 season. He then transferred to St. John's as a graduate student for the 2023-24 season, where he had his most productive collegiate year.

At St. John's, Jenkins averaged 14.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.7 three-pointers, and 1.6 steals per game on 44.6 percent shooting from the field and 85.1 percent from the free-throw line. He was named to the All-Big East second team and was the only Red Storm player to earn all-conference recognition at the end of the regular season. His numbers reflected a guard who could score, distribute, and defend at the Big East level, though his size raised questions about his ability to hold up defensively against NBA wings and bigger guards.

Jenkins went undrafted in the 2024 NBA draft but signed with the Detroit Pistons, giving him an opportunity to earn a roster spot through training camp and Summer League. As a young guard in Detroit's developmental environment, his challenge is to demonstrate that his pick-and-roll savvy, mid-range scoring, and free-throw accuracy can offset his lack of size and elite athleticism. He must prove he can defend NBA-caliber guards, run an offense in short stretches, and knock down open jumpers when defenses collapse on the Pistons' primary scorers.

Jenkins is a crafty guard with good court vision and a willingness to operate in the pick and roll. His strengths are his passing, ability to get into the lane, free-throw accuracy, and defensive activity in the passing lanes. He is a capable scorer who can pull up from mid-range and finish at the rim in traffic. His weaknesses are his size, which makes him a target on defense against bigger matchups, his inconsistent three-point shooting from deep, and his limited vertical explosiveness. He is not an elite athlete and relies on skill and guile rather than physical dominance. His ceiling is likely as a third guard who provides backup minutes, initiates offense, and defends with intelligence rather than length.

Jenkins' résumé includes District 12-4A offensive MVP at Hillcrest, one season at Pacific with West Coast Conference All-Freshman honors, a transfer to Odessa College, a transfer to Iona, a graduate season at St. John's, averages of 14.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.7 three-pointers, and 1.6 steals, All-Big East second team, going undrafted in 2024, and a signing with the Detroit Pistons. His journey from Dallas through four college programs into the NBA reflects a player whose persistence and playmaking ability have kept his professional dream alive despite multiple transfers and the uphill climb of an undrafted guard.