Curtis Jones

Jones is an undrafted guard whose winding path through community college, the Mid-American Conference, and the Big 12 culminated in a two-way contract with the Denver Nuggets after a strong Summer League showing. Born in Minneapolis, he had no Division I or Division II scholarship offers coming out of high school and began his career at the junior college level. His persistence and gradual improvement at each stop reflect a player who maximized his opportunities rather than relying on pedigree. His professional career is in its earliest stages, and his challenge is to demonstrate that his collegiate playmaking and scoring can translate to the NBA.

Born Curtis Jalen Jones on October 4, 2001, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, he attended South High School before transferring to Cretin-Derham Hall High School. Despite playing at a notable Minnesota program, he received no scholarship offers from four-year colleges. He enrolled at Indian Hills Community College, a junior college with a strong basketball reputation, and as a freshman he averaged 12.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists. The all-around numbers hinted at a versatile guard who could contribute in multiple areas.

After Indian Hills, Jones transferred to the University at Buffalo. As a sophomore, he averaged 2.5 points and 1.3 assists in 28 games, all off the bench. The limited role did not reflect his potential, and he took a leap forward as a junior. That season, he averaged 15.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists and was named third-team All-Mid-American Conference. The improvement demonstrated his scoring ability against Division I competition and earned him recognition within the conference. After the season, he entered the NCAA transfer portal.

Jones transferred to Iowa State for his senior season and averaged 11.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. The scoring dipped slightly from his Buffalo peak, but the move to the Big 12 exposed him to higher-major competition and allowed him to test himself against some of the best guards in the country. The cumulative body of work across three college programs, a junior college national contender, a mid-major MAC program, and a power-conference Big 12 program, gave him varied experience and a résumé broad enough to attract NBA attention despite going undrafted.

After going unselected in the 2025 NBA draft, Jones signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Denver Nuggets on June 27, 2025. He performed well enough in Summer League to earn a two-way contract on July 20, 2025, giving him the opportunity to split time between the Nuggets and the Grand Rapids Gold. As a two-way player, his path involves proving he can defend at the NBA level, making open shots, and providing backup ballhandling when called upon. The Nuggets organization, known for its developmental patience, offers a reasonable environment for an undrafted guard to refine his game.

Jones is a sturdy guard who brings a jack-of-all-trades approach. He is not an elite athlete or a lights-out shooter, but he rebounds well for his position, facilitates for others, and can score in bursts. His areas of development are three-point consistency, defensive positioning at the NBA level, and proving he can run an offense in short stretches without turning the ball over. He fits best as a third guard who provides energy, handles the ball against pressure, and competes defensively. Whether he earns a standard NBA contract depends on his ability to become a reliable rotation piece in limited minutes.

Jones' résumé includes no high school scholarship offers, one season at Indian Hills averaging 12.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists, a transfer to Buffalo, 2.5 points as a sophomore reserve, third-team All-MAC honors as a junior with 15.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists, a transfer to Iowa State, 11.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in the Big 12, going undrafted in the 2025 NBA draft, an Exhibit 10 contract with Denver, a standout Summer League, and a two-way deal with the Nuggets in July 2025. His path from Minneapolis through the junior college and mid-major levels into a two-way NBA contract reflects a player whose persistence and incremental improvement opened doors that his high school recruitment did not.