Raptors NBA Draft option at 39th overall: Kam Jones
The following is part of Raptors Republic’s series of pieces previewing the 2025 NBA draft. You can find all the pieces in the series here.
Kam Jones – 6’4 Combo Guard – Marquette University – Age: 23
The Offence
Kam is a scorer with a deep bag and wide array of moves that helped him post 19 ppg this past season at Marquette. What’s fascinating is that most of his moves are well polished – from the slashing, crossovers, behind the back moves, to the side-step and dribble pull-up threes, Kam just makes scoring look oh-so-easy. It should be noted that despite his efficiency dropping from his junior season, he was asked to carry a much larger offensive load due to the departure of teammates Tyler Kolek and Oso Ighodaro. Move him into a backup scoring role playing alongside NBA teammates, and I’m optimistic that the efficiency creeps its way back up.
An ambidextrous finisher at the rim, Kam can use either hands or utilize a hook shot or floater to get points for his team – just don’t expect him to dunk.
If the shot’s not falling, he’s unselfish and developing into a shining playmaker who averaged 5.9 assists per game (on a 3.17 AST/TO). After Tyler Kolek left the team, Kam became the primary facilitator for Marquette. In the NBA, teams can feel comfortable about playing him in either guard spot as a scorer or as someone asked to playmake.
Though an increase in off-the-dribble threes largely lowered his efficiency from deep in his senior campaign, Kam shot 38% on spot-up threes in his college career.
Kam Jones is an all-around Swiss army knife on the offensive end whose ceiling will be defined by how effective his off-the-dribble scoring develops. Only 20% of his 70 shots off the dribble as a senior ended up connecting. Combined with his concerning free throw percentages, there’s reason to be a little hesitant with his overall shooting prowess.
The Defence
Kam is a good athlete, though not a great one. He’s shifty and skilled, but not explosive or bursty. I wouldn’t expect him to win any all-defence awards, but he plays with effort and was never a negative on the defensive end for Marquette. He’s someone who you can rely on in a pinch, and that will get him into some closing lineups in the NBA. He moves his feet on the perimeter and creates pressure well, and I would project him to match up fairly well against guards in the NBA.
The Fit
Kam’s an older guard but provides a reliable scoring and playmaking punch off the bench for the Raptors at either guard position, making him versatile in terms of how he would be used in Darko’s scheme. He wouldn’t really create a logjam either.
Kam thrived when having some more talented players beside him who helped take the pressure off. In the NBA, he would have that in spades – on the Raptors specifically, he would benefit from the spacing provided by players like Ingram and Dick, and Poeltl would fill a role that he’s used to playing alongside (Ighodaro was used as a screener and short-roll playmaker much like Jak).
I do think Kam’s ceiling with the Raptors is limited by his shotmaking and average athleticism, but he’s a very good player to target in the second round just due to the versatility he provides on the offensive end while also being someone who won’t get played off the floor on the defensive end. At the 39th pick, you can’t ask for much better.
The Conclusion
Expected Pick Range: 25-45. Some of the playoff teams with late picks will likely view Kam as a valuable asset due to his scoring ability and Sixth-Man-spark-plug play style, though his age and meh athleticism are also factors that will likely scare some teams off. The Raptors are at the end of his range but he’s a realistic target nonetheless.
Brendan’s Big Board: Kam makes sense as a guy in the early 20’s. I believe I’ll end up with him around 23rd on my big board. The all-around polish of his game and multi-situational utility that Kam possesses make him an excellent target in the early second round.
He also posted the first triple double at Marquette since Dwyane Wade played there.
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