Florida State basketball is heading to the Bay Area. LaJae Jones was selected by the Golden State Warriors with the 54th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on Wednesday night, becoming the first player drafted in the Luke Loucks era at FSU. It’s a moment worth celebrating, both for Jones personally and for what it signals about the direction of this program.
Jones had an unconventional road to being drafted. After playing just 10 games for Tarleton State as a freshman, he went the junior college route for his sophomore season before transferring to St. Bonaventure, where he looked like a real 3-and-D draft prospect. From there, he made one final stop in Tallahassee, and it paid off.
The 6’7″ wing averaged 12.7 points and 5.7 rebounds while showcasing the size, defensive versatility, and physical tools that drew attention from scouts. At the NBA Draft Combine, Jones measured 6’7″ and 220 pounds, confirming the strong frame that stands out on film.
His path to FSU is worth noting too. He entered the NCAA transfer portal on March 24, 2025 and committed to Florida State on March 31, 2025, making him just the second commitment of the Luke Loucks era. One year from committing to play for a first-year head coach looking to rebuild a program as a plyer with something to prove himself, he’s an NBA Draft pick. That’s a heck of a story.
The family angle here is genuinely cool. LaJae’s father, Jackie Jones, also played at Barton Community College, where he earned All-American Second-Team honors in 1989 and is enshrined in the school’s Athletics Hall of Fame. Jackie was later a first-round draft choice of the Rapid City Thrillers of the CBA and was a member of the Dallas Mavericks’ roster prior to the 1991 season. Basketball is clearly in the bloodline.
What He Brings to Golden State
The Warriors weren’t flying blind on this pick, and that’s part of what makes it interesting from an FSU angle. Loucks went from an intern to a player development coach for Golden State, where he was part of the organization from 2016 to 2021. Jones was part of the Warriors’ stacked pre-draft workout that included five first-round picks, and they clearly liked what they saw.
Jones’ swing skill will be three-point shooting. He connected at just 32.5 percent from three at FSU, but he was at 38.9 percent the previous season at St. Bonaventure. The talent to be a legitimate shooter is there, the consistency just needs to catch up.
He had a monster finish to his FSU career, averaging 21.5 points and 5.5 rebounds across his final two games at the ACC Tournament against Cal and top-ranked Duke, earning second-team All-ACC Tournament honors. He scored a career-high 36 points, including 10 3-pointers, in an early season win against Georgia Southern. That kind of ceiling was always there, and he showed it when the lights were brightest.
His offensive rebounding shifted the dynamic on the glass for FSU, and his defensive tenacity helped the Seminoles shut down opponents in the second half of the season. The tools that teams covet at the next level, the length, the two-way potential, the motor, were on full display.
What This Means for FSU
Let’s be real: this pick matters beyond just LaJae Jones. For Loucks to get someone to the NBA in his first season as a coach is tremendous. It took Leonard Hamilton until his third season in Tallahassee to have someone drafted (Von Wafer).
Jones follows Jamir Watkins, who was picked by the Washington Wizards in the second round in 2025, so the program has now produced back-to-back draft picks. That’s not nothing. NBA front offices talk, prospects and their families research where players get developed and get opportunities, and a program that can point to consecutive draft picks has something to sell.
Loucks built his entire sales pitch around his NBA connections and his ability to develop players for the next level. He came to Tallahassee after working in the Warriors organization for five years, and on his very first night having a player’s name called in the draft, that promise was validated in the most public way possible. The connection to Golden State clearly didn’t hurt here, but Jones still had to earn that pick by performing.
The loaded recruiting class Loucks brought in this past cycle should only accelerate things from here. This won’t be his last draft pick. If anything, it might just be the opening act.
Stay tuned to your source for fan-focused FSU coverage here at Plant The Spear. Thanks for reading and Go Noles!