David Jones is officially a professional basketball player.

Jones — who starred for Memphis basketball in 2023-24 and averaged 21.8 points per game — declared for the NBA draft but did not hear his name called last month. He signed a two-way contract with the 76ers shortly after the draft and made his summer league debut this week.

There were certainly ups and downs for Jones, who will have a few more opportunities to prove himself during the rest of summer league play. All 30 teams will be in Las Vegas for the 2K25 Summer League, which starts on Friday. The Sixers begin Las Vegas summer league play on Saturday against the Pistons.

Here's how Jones fared during his first few professional games, including one against the Grizzlies.

How David Jones landed with Philadelphia 76ers

Jones took his decision to stay in the draft down to the wire. He declared for the draft and went through the pre-draft process, including the NBA combine, while leaving the door open to return to Memphis. He played only one season for the Tigers after starting his collegiate career with DePaul and St. Johns but had a major impact, quickly becoming the go-to scorer for Penny Hardaway's team.

The Dominican Republic native averaged 13.2 points per game for the Red Storm in 2022-23,but made a major jump for the Tigers. He became a go-to scoring option, hitting a game-winner against Wichita State and routinely pacing Memphis throughout the season. He earned plenty of postseason plaudits, including a spot on the All-AAC first team.

Jones had one season of eligibility remaining, and Memphis fans had hoped he would return. While Jones had garnered some draft buzz because of his scoring ability, he ultimately didn't get taken.

He quickly signed with Philadelphia, though. He's likely to spend time with the Sixers and with their G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, during his rookie season.

How David Jones fared during Salt Lake City summer league

In three games in Salt Lake City, Jones averaged 7.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. He came off the bench and was not the top option on a team that included Sixers' draft picks Jared McCain and Aden Bona.

Jones got at least 15 minutes in all three games, but he played his most significant role in Wednesday's finale against the Jazz. He scored 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting but had three turnovers, something he struggled with during his season with the Tigers.

Rebounding is a strength for Jones, and he showed it during Wednesday's game against the Grizzlies. He grabbed 10 boards in that game, including five on the offensive glass. He did not turn the ball over in Monday's game against the Thunder and only had one turnover against the Grizzlies.

With the number of games teams play during summer league, Jones is likely to play a variety of different roles throughout the summer.

Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on X @thejonahdylan.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Unpacking former Memphis Tiger David Jones' start to NBA summer league