He might not have heard his name called on draft night, but Iowa State basketball’s Curtis Jones is getting his NBA shot.
Jones signed a deal with the Denver Nuggets as an undrafted free agent after the conclusion of the NBA Draft on June 26.
The Cyclones’ All-American completed more than a dozen interviews and workouts with NBA teams throughout the draft process. He also participated in the NBA G League Elite Camp alongside teammate Keshon Gilbert and 43 other standout collegiate players and NBA prospects.
Although he went undrafted, the uphill climb is nothing new for Jones.
The 6-foot-4 guard started his collegiate career at Indian Hills Community College, a JUCO in Iowa, after not fielding any Division I offers coming out of high school. The Minneapolis native transferred to Buffalo in 2021 after his first season at Indian Hills and spent two years with the Bulls.
Jones made the jump to the Division I power-conference level when he transferred to Iowa State and was put under the national spotlight in his final year with the Cyclones. During the Cyclones’ 2024-25 season, Jones averaged a team-best 17.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game, while shooting 43.0% overall and 37.4% from deep. He also led the Cyclones with an 84.5% free-throw shooting percentage.
Jones impressed with his ability to be a catalyst off the bench and shoot from long range. He recorded 13 20-point games over the last season. He was named to the All-Big 12 First Team and was crowned the Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year. He also earned All-American second-team honors from the Associated Press.
He joins the Nuggets, who finished 52-30 last season. Denver lost to eventual NBA champ Oklahoma City in a 7-game series during the Western Conference semifinals. The Nuggets didn’t have any draft picks during the 2025 NBA Draft, so Jones will have a chance to leave an impression.
Curtis Jones career college stats
Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State basketball: Curtis Jones signs with Denver Nuggets
Reporting by Eugene Rapay, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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