Colby Jones joined Trendon Watford to help Mountain Brook win its third consecutive AHSAA Class 7A boys’ basketball championship in 2019. On Thursday night, Jones joined Watford in the NBA.

The Charlotte Hornets selected Jones with the 34th choice of the 77th NBA Draft in Brooklyn, New York. That was the fourth pick in the second round.

But ESPN reported the Sacramento Kings had executed a draft-night trade with Charlotte to obtain Jones.

Watford has spent the past two seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers after playing at LSU.

After a pre-draft workout for the Trail Blazers, Jones was asked about the skills he would bring to an NBA team.

“I would just say being a connector on offense,” Jones said, “and then I would just say my motor and my hustle. I feel like I make a lot of hustle plays, and I feel like that translates regardless of where you play. And then, just being able to guard on defense and being a team defensive player.”

Jones joins the NBA after three seasons at Xavier.

The Musketeers posted two victories in the 2023 NCAA tournament after winning the 2022 NIT, with Jones earning the Most Outstanding Player Award for his performance in Xavier’s five victories in that tourney.

The 6-foot-6 guard averaged 15.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.3 steals for the Musketeers in the 2022-23 season, when Jones earned second-team All-Big East recognition.

Jones came to Xavier as the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s 2020 Class 7A Player of the Year. He averaged 25.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.5 steals as a senior, but Mountain Brook’s streak of state championships ended with a 40-38 loss to Lee-Montgomery in the AHSAA Class 7A title game.

Jones comes from a basketball family. His father, Chad Jones, played for UAB, and his brother C.J. Jones played for Arkansas and Middle Tennessee.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.