Dillon Jones: The 76ers Forward People Are Searching For

Who is Dillon Jones?

Dillon Jones is the professional basketball player behind the sudden wave of searches for his name. He is a 6-foot-5 forward from Columbia, South Carolina, listed by the Philadelphia 76ers after a winding first two NBA seasons. Jones was a first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, selected 26th overall by the Washington Wizards before his rights moved to the Oklahoma City Thunder. That headline alone explains part of the curiosity. A first-round pick from Weber State, a school outside the usual college basketball spotlight, has a story people want filled in. Readers who follow fast-moving people searches are arriving with a simple question: who is Dillon Jones, and why does his name keep appearing around NBA rosters?

The short answer is that Jones is a versatile rebounder and passer whose game has always been bigger than one position. He can bring the ball up the court, find teammates, defend bigger wings and attack the glass. He is not a player built around highlight clips alone. Coaches value the little things, the extra rebound, the smart outlet pass and the willingness to fill whichever role a crowded roster needs.

Why is Dillon Jones trending now?

Jones is drawing fresh attention because Philadelphia signed him to an Exhibit 10 contract ahead of the 2026-27 season, putting him in the 76ers preseason picture. He also appeared in Philadelphia's early exhibition action, which gave casual fans a new name to investigate. Training camp creates this kind of search burst every October. A player may have been productive in the G League or useful on another team's bench, yet remain unfamiliar until a new uniform puts him on television.

The move also makes sense of his unusual recent path. Jones was part of Oklahoma City's 2025 championship group, spent time developing in the G League, earned a two-way opportunity with the New York Knicks in January 2026, then landed in Philadelphia's camp. Fans tracking the latest class of young pros, including Ace Bailey and Bennett Stirtz, know how quickly a roster move can turn a lesser-known player into a popular search.

Where is Dillon Jones from?

Jones was born on October 29, 2001, in Columbia, South Carolina. He later attended Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas, a program with a strong reputation for preparing players for high-level college basketball. That route took him west to Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, where he spent four seasons with the Wildcats.

Weber State was the place where Jones built the broad foundation visible in his pro game. He did not arrive as a one-dimensional scorer waiting for a single big moment. Over four years, he became the player who could score, rebound, pass and create turnovers. His senior season made him the Big Sky Conference Most Valuable Player. He averaged 20.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.0 steals per game in 2023-24. The numbers point to the trait NBA teams still see in him: Jones affects possessions in several ways.

What did Dillon Jones do at Weber State?

Jones left Weber State with one of the most complete statistical records in school and conference history. He played 119 games, became the Wildcats' career steals leader and finished near the top of the program's lists in assists, rebounds, free throws made and scoring. He was also the only Big Sky player to finish a career with at least 1,500 points, 1,000 rebounds, 400 assists and 200 steals.

Those totals explain why scouts viewed him as more than a mid-major scorer. Jones could initiate offense like a guard while rebounding like a forward. In his final college season, Weber State won 20 games and he led the conference in points, rebounds and assists. That all-purpose profile is familiar to readers following players such as Caleb Love, whose path also shows how college production and NBA opportunity can take different shapes.

How did Dillon Jones reach the NBA?

The Washington Wizards announced Jones as the 26th selection in the 2024 draft, but the Oklahoma City Thunder acquired him in the related draft trade. For a player from Weber State, the first-round call was a major milestone. Damian Lillard had been the only other Weber State player selected in the first round before Jones.

His rookie year in Oklahoma City included 54 NBA appearances and time with the Oklahoma City Blue. The Blue assignment mattered. It gave Jones regular minutes and a chance to work on the playmaking that had made him special at Weber State. He averaged 13.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.7 assists in 23 G League games that season. The G League is often where a young player's next chance is earned, a route also familiar to NBA followers reading about Charles Bassey and other players moving between opportunity, development and roster competition.

What happened after the Thunder?

Jones did not follow a straight line after Oklahoma City's title run. He joined the Washington Wizards for preseason in 2025, then entered the NBA G League Draft pool. The South Bay Lakers selected him first overall before his returning rights were moved to the Rip City Remix. In Portland's system, Jones again showed why coaches trust him with the ball. He posted strong all-around production, including triple-doubles, and averaged 16.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 1.8 steals across 24 games before New York called.

The Knicks signed Jones to a two-way contract in January 2026. A two-way deal lets a player work with both an NBA club and its G League affiliate, in this case the Westchester Knicks. Jones later became a two-time NBA champion when New York won the 2026 title after Oklahoma City's 2025 victory. The back-to-back rings sound improbable for a player still fighting for a permanent spot, which is one reason his career gets compared with the unpredictable routes of players like D'Angelo Russell and Peyton Watson.

What kind of player is Dillon Jones?

Jones is a forward with a guard's instincts. He sees passes early, rebounds in traffic and has the physical build to defend more than one position. His college film made his versatility obvious, but NBA success depends on sharpening the details around it, especially outside shooting, turnover control and defensive reads against faster opponents.

Part of his game	What it means on court
Rebounding	Jones can finish defensive stops and start transition plays.
Passing	He can create for teammates rather than only play as a finisher.
Strength	His frame helps him compete with bigger forwards.
Versatility	He can fit different lineups, from bench units to small-ball groups.

That mix gives him a real role to chase, though it also means he competes with many players who bring similar size and energy. NBA teams are always looking for wings who can do several jobs. That competition includes prospects and young contributors like Rob Dillingham, Jaxon Kohler and Klay Thompson, each watched through a very different basketball lens.

Who are the people around Dillon Jones?

Jones keeps much of his private life private. The public family detail that appears in his basketball biography is his brother Eric Jones, a professional player in Germany. Dillon Jones studied Professional Sales at Weber State, a reminder that his college years involved more than basketball.

His wider basketball community includes the coaches and teammates from Weber State, Oklahoma City, the Rip City Remix, Westchester and now Philadelphia. Those connections matter because a developing player often gets his next opening through people who have seen his work every day. Fans interested in the human side of a changing sports career often search beyond one athlete, whether that means following TyTy Washington's overseas decision or tracking how another young pro handles a new team.

Where can fans follow Dillon Jones?

The cleanest places to follow Jones are the Philadelphia 76ers' official roster and game coverage, the NBA player page, and NBA G League channels when he is assigned or appears in their coverage. His public social media presence has also been associated with the handle gfb.dj. As with any athlete account, fans should check that an account is verified or linked by an official team before treating it as his.

His immediate basketball task is straightforward: turn camp and preseason minutes into the next contract opportunity. That could mean a place with Philadelphia, another NBA camp, or a G League role that leads to a later call-up. The route is rarely neat. Readers who jump between sports stories about Malik Washington, Matthew Knies and Gavin McKenna will recognize the pattern: a player becomes much easier to notice once a new stage arrives. Dillon Jones has already shown that he can keep finding the next stage.