The second round of the NBA draft is where Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy has aced the test, finding value in his first few years on the job.
Dunleavy traded back into the draft to select Trayce Jackson-Davis with the No. 57 pick in 2023. He then added another center in the second round the next year, when the Warriors went with Quinten Post at No. 52 overall in 2024. Last year, Alex Toohey didn’t work after taking him No. 52, but Will Richard was a gem of a get at No. 56.
This year, the Warriors stood pat and took Lajae Jones out of Florida State with the 54th pick.
Like Yaxel Lendeborg, the Warriors’ first-round pick at No. 11, Jones had an unconventional road to being drafted. After playing just 10 games for Tarleton State as a freshman, Jones went the junior college route for his sophomore season, before then transferring to St. Bonaventure, where he looked like a real 3-and-D draft prospect. Jones, as a junior, averaged 10.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while 38.9 percent from 3-point range.
He then faced his toughest competition yet, transferring to FSU as a senior. Jones, this past season, averaged 12.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. His 3-point shooting went from 3.7 attempts per game at St. Bonaventure to 5.1 percent for Florida State, but his percentage dropped to 32.5 percent.
However, Jones shot 80 percent from the free-throw line as a junior and then 76.3 percent as a senior.
What the Warriors are getting out of Jones, which also fits the Lendeborg mold, is positional size. Jones is a shooting guard/small forward who comes in at 6-foot-7 and 220 pounds. In theory, Jones’ versatility should be his calling card as someone who can defend and crash the glass. If his outside shot develops, Dunleavy might have found another second-round pick who is seasoned and can provide rotational minutes as a rookie.
Jones, now 22 years old, ended his college career on a high note individually at Florida State. To open the ACC Tournament, Jones dropped 15 points (6-of-9 shooting, 2 of 4 from three), six rebounds, three assists and three steals to beat Cal by six points. Jones and the Seminoles nearly shocked Duke the next game in a one-point loss where he dominated to the tune of 28 points (8-of-15 shooting, 4 of 8 from three), five rebounds and two steals.
The Warriors also must feel comfortable with the intel they received on Jones. Former Warriors assistant Luke Loucks was Jones’ head coach at FSU this past season. Loucks went from an intern to a player development coach for Golden State, where he was part of the organization from 2016 to 2021.
From the outside, experts did not have Jones getting drafted at all. He was ranked No. 99 on The Athletic’s top 100 of draft prospects. Inside Chase Center, Jones clearly made fans. Jones was part of the Warriors’ stacked pre-draft workout last Thursday that included five first-round picks, and they must have liked what they saw.
Grade: B
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