He played college basketball for the Connecticut Huskies, and earned second-team all-conference honors in the American Athletic Conference (AAC) as a sophomore.

After he decided to forgo his remaining two years of college eligibility, Hamilton was selected in the second round of the 2016 NBA draft by the Denver Nuggets.

[2][3] In a 99–52 blowout of Central Connecticut State on December 23, 2015, Hamilton posted a triple-double with 11 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, the 10th Husky to record one.

After leaving UConn, Hamilton was one of two Division I players (the other being LSU's Ben Simmons) to register more than 450 points, 300 rebounds and 150 assists on the season.

[6] On August 3, 2017, Hamilton signed a two-way contract with the team that acquired him on draft night, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

[15] In 9 league games, he averaged a spectacular 18.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.2 steals, playing around 37 minutes per contest and helping the club avoid relegation in the process.