Locals In The NBA: Dillon Jones’ Finals Appearance Highlights Local NBA Playoff Performers
Jun 3, 2025, 1:23 PM | Updated: Jun 4, 2025, 3:10 pm
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 6: Dillon Jones #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder rebounds during the third quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Paycom Center on April 6, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by William Purnell/Getty Images)
(Photo by William Purnell/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – Following a handful of first-round flops, the 2025 NBA playoffs have more than lived up to expectations for basketball fans around the world.
The NBA game has become an increasingly international affair, but that didn’t prevent several players with Utah ties from making significant contributions in the sport’s most intense moments.
NBA Finals Are Set: It’ll Be Thunder Vs. Pacers, Starting Thursday Night
PACERS. THUNDER. 🍿
The #NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV are officially set!
Game 1: Thursday, June 5th at 8:30pm/et on ABC pic.twitter.com/vkBIUyf8UO
— NBA (@NBA) June 1, 2025
Eight players with Beehive State ties have made an appearance in this season’s playoffs.
Even better, former Weber State star Dillon Jones and Utah center Branden Carlson have reached the NBA Finals as rookies with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Damian Lillard – Milwaukee Bucks
The biggest star of the group, it’s hard to argue that Lillard suffered one of the worst blows any individual has seen during the 2025 playoffs.
After missing the first game of Milwaukee’s opening-round series against the Finals-bound Indiana Pacers, Lillard returned, only to suffer a torn left achilles tendon in game four.
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Damian Lillard making progress in recovery from an Achilles injury 🙌
(via @Dame_Lillard/ IG)pic.twitter.com/2m9xPF0yBi
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 2, 2025
Considered one of the worst injuries for a basketball player, the former Wildcat is likely to miss the entire 2025-26 campaign as the soon-to-be 35-year-old rehabs.
Lillard scored 21 points on 6-of-27 shooting in three playoff games before injury.
Dillon Jones – Oklahoma City Thunder
The 26th overall selection in the 2024 draft, Jones averaged 2.5 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 54 games for OKC as a rookie.
RELATED: Weber State Star Dillon Jones Off To Hot Start With Thunder
Finals Bound!
Congrats to Weber State’s Dillon Jones on advancing to the #NBAFinals with the @okcthunder!
🫡 @drizzydj23 #WeberStateGreat pic.twitter.com/Y7HWN3ct63
— Weber State Men’s Basketball (@WeberStateMBB) May 29, 2025
He is averaging 2.7 points and one rebound across seven playoff games.
Jones played a playoff career-high 9:39 in a Western Conference Finals loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He scored ten points while grabbing three boards and a steal.
Delon Wright – New York Knicks
Acquired by the Knicks as part of the February 6 deadline deal that sent Kyle Kuzma to Milwaukee, Wright was shipped from the Bucks to the bright lights of New York City and Madison Square Garden.
Delon Wright thanks New York 🧡 pic.twitter.com/poVuGBIoNp
— KnicksMuse (@KnicksMuse) June 3, 2025
Wright played 14 regular-season games with New York, averaging 4.3 points, 2.1 assists, and 1.4 rebounds in 16 minutes a night.
He saw limited action during the Knicks’ Eastern Conference Finals run, averaging eight minutes in the six games he played.
New York is the tenth organization Wright has suited up for in his nine-year NBA career.
Kyle Kuzma – Milwaukee Bucks
A trade deadline acquisition in February, Kuzma’s mercurial NBA existence continued in the Cream City.
He averaged 15.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 33 games with Milwaukee after the trade.
RELATED: Kuzma Has Chance To Thrive With Lillard, Giannis
The Bucks have been better when Kyle Kuzma is off the court since they traded for him.
On: 110.7 OffRtg (25th), 110.0 DefRtg (3rd), +0.6 NetRtg (15th)
Off: 115.6 OffRtg (14th), 106.9 DefRtg (1st), +8.7 NetRtg (6th)
Kuzma’s fit in Milwaukee thus far has been clunky at best. pic.twitter.com/vfLCdS7ZS2
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) March 25, 2025
Kuzma’s numbers fell dramatically in a round one loss to the Pacers.
Seeing his playing time decrease from nearly 32 minutes in the regular season to just over 20 in the playoffs, the former Ute averaged 5.8 points and 2.2 boards in the 4-2 series loss.
Neemias Queta – Boston Celtics
Queta won an NBA championship with the Celtics last season, and Boston entered the 2025 playoffs with expectations of another title run.
Those goals came crashing down when superstar forward Jayson Tatum suffered a torn achilles tendon in a second-round game that dropped Boston to a 3-1 series deficit to the Knicks. Boston was eliminated in a 4-2 second-round loss.
RELATED: Former USU Star Neemias Queta Signs Deal With Celtics
Neemias Queta offensive rebound and slam pic.twitter.com/4Lpz78WOG2
— Danielle Hobeika (@DanielleHobeika) May 15, 2025
After averaging five points, 3.8 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks in the regular season, the backup big man received limited burn in two playoff rounds.
Queta played 13 minutes in four games, finishing with ten points, two rebounds, two assists, and a steal.
Sam Merrill – Cleveland Cavaliers
An important bench piece for the Eastern Conference’s top seed, Merrill played 71 games this season, averaging 7.2 points on 37.2 percent shooting and a .567 effective FG percentage.
RELATED: Sam Merrill Has Career Night vs Mavericks
SAM MERRILL LADIES AND GENTS. #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/rkTYitkEvN
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) May 6, 2025
The 2021 NBA champion with Milwaukee hit seven threes and dished out seven assists in a dominating round one win over Miami.
Merrill added a playoff career-high 14 points on four threes in the second-round series against Indiana.
The former Aggie averaged 5.8 points, 2.5 boards, and 1.8 assists in eight playoff appearances.
Gary Payton Jr. – Golden State Warriors
The son of NBA Hall of Fame point guard Gary Payton, former Salt Lake Community College guard Gary Payton Jr. has been a mainstay in Golden State’s second unit for years.
Payton played 62 games in 2024-25, averaging 6.5 points, three rebounds, 1.3 assists, and nearly a steal per game.
2022 NBA Champion
Golden State Warrior
Gary Payton II pic.twitter.com/YpuOpfnDs5— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) February 10, 2023
The 2022 NBA champion averaged 16.4 minutes in the playoffs, playing in 11 of Golden State’s 12 games. He chipped in 4.6 points, 2.2 boards, and 1.5 assists while often defending the opponent’s best guard on the defensive end.
Branden Carlson – Oklahoma City Thunder
Former Utah big man Branden Carlson played 32 games with OKC as a two-way player.
He averaged 3.8 points and 1.7 rebounds in nearly eight minutes per game.
Carlson has been inactive throughout the playoffs.
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X, Instagram, and BlueSky at @bpreece24.
