He played college basketball for the Vanderbilt Commodores and was selected in the first round of the 2016 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors with the 30th overall pick.

Jones attended Scotlandville Magnet High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana[1] where he averaged 15.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.0 blocks, and 2.0 assists as a senior.

[3][4] In three seasons at Vanderbilt, Jones averaged 13.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.69 blocks and 27.2 minutes in 99 games, garnering first-team All-SEC honors as both a sophomore and junior.

He hit 56.6 percent from the field during his collegiate career, the third-best mark in Vanderbilt history, while finishing second on the school's all-time blocks list (167).

As a junior in 2015–16, Jones averaged 13.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.64 blocks in 33 games, helping Vanderbilt to their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2011–12.

[6] While working out with the Orlando Magic in the lead up to the draft, Jones suffered a torn pectoral muscle in his right arm, which required surgery.

[9] On February 1, 2017, in his first game for the Warriors at Oracle Arena, Jones scored his first career NBA points in a 126–111 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.

During his first two seasons, Jones received multiple assignments to the Santa Cruz Warriors, Golden State's G League affiliate.