Daniss Jenkins hit the game-tying three-pointer with 1.9 seconds left against the Washington Wizards in November 2025, sending the game to overtime and announcing his arrival in the NBA. The shot wasn’t lucky—it was earned through four different colleges, countless rejections, and a belief that never wavered.
Born August 17, 2001, in Dallas, Texas, Jenkins is an American professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the NBA. At 24 years old, he’s living proof that the path to professional basketball doesn’t have to be straight—it just has to be persistent.
His journey from Hillcrest High School in Dallas through Pacific, Odessa College, Iona, and St. John’s to the NBA represents the winding road most players actually take, not the one-and-done lottery pick narrative that dominates headlines.
Growing Up in Dallas, Texas
Jenkins attended Hillcrest High School in Dallas, where The Dallas Morning News selected him as the District 12-4A offensive MVP in his senior year. The North Dallas neighborhood where he grew up wasn’t known for producing NBA players, but that’s changing.
Specific details about his parents and family background have not been widely publicized. Jenkins has kept his family life relatively private, focusing public attention on his basketball journey rather than personal details.
What is clear is that he had a support system that kept him grounded through multiple transfers and setbacks. Jenkins credits his circle of support for keeping him grounded and motivated throughout his journey, though he hasn’t specified family members by name in interviews.
He averaged 24.5 points, 7.1 assists, 3.5 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game as a high school senior. He was named Dallas ISD Offensive Player of the Year and a finalist for Dallas ISD MVP, but major Division I programs weren’t convinced he could compete at their level.
Ethnicity, Religion and Personal Life
Daniss Jenkins is African American, representing the Dallas basketball community that’s increasingly recognized as a talent pipeline to professional leagues. His surname “Jenkins” is common in African American communities across the United States.
Regarding religion and spiritual beliefs, Jenkins has not publicly discussed these matters in interviews or social media. Like many professional athletes, he appears to keep personal faith private while focusing public discussion on basketball.
His relationship status and dating life remain unknown. At 24, Jenkins appears entirely focused on establishing his NBA career rather than publicizing romantic relationships. There is no public information about a girlfriend, wife, or children.
His Instagram handle is @djenkinss5, where he primarily posts basketball content, training updates, and occasional glimpses into his professional life without revealing extensive personal details.
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The Four-College Journey
Jenkins played college basketball for the Pacific Tigers, Odessa Wranglers, Iona Gaels, and St. John’s Red Storm. This unconventional path taught him adaptability and resilience that lottery picks never develop.
He started at University of the Pacific from 2019 to 2021. During his freshman year at Pacific, Jenkins was named to the West Coast Conference All-Freshman team, showing early promise at the mid-major level.
He transferred to Odessa College, a junior college in Texas, for the 2021-22 season. This step backward was actually forward—JUCO basketball allowed him to refine his game away from major conference pressure while maintaining eligibility.
From Odessa, he moved to Iona College for the 2022-23 season under coach Rick Pitino. This proved pivotal. Pitino recognized Jenkins’s basketball IQ, leadership, and clutch gene—qualities that don’t always show up in recruiting rankings.
When Pitino took the St. John’s job in 2023, he brought Jenkins with him for graduate studies. In his final year playing for St. John’s, Jenkins averaged 14.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.7 triples and 1.6 steals per game on 44.6% shooting from the field and 85.1% at the line.
Jenkins did exactly that in his only season at St. John’s, earning All-Big East honors and nearly willing the team to an NCAA Tournament berth with his play in February and March.
Physical Measurements and Playing Style
Daniss Jenkins is 6-4 (193 cm) tall and weighs approximately 165-175 pounds. His height is ideal for a modern NBA point guard who needs to see over defenses while maintaining the quickness to defend smaller guards.
His playing style emphasizes basketball IQ over pure athleticism. He’s a composed floor general who makes smart decisions with the basketball, distributes effectively, and hits clutch shots when games hang in the balance.
Rick Pitino wanted a composed, win-at-all-cost point guard who could make a big play when the time called for it, and that’s exactly what Jenkins provided at St. John’s and continues to deliver in Detroit.
Going Undrafted and Signing with Detroit
Jenkins was not selected in the 2024 NBA Draft. For someone who already transferred three times and played at four schools, this could have been the final rejection that ended his NBA dreams. Instead, it was just another obstacle.
Jenkins told The Post after going undrafted: “All I needed was somebody to give me a chance. That’s all I ever needed, somebody to believe in me. See that vision”.
The Detroit Pistons saw that vision. They signed him to a two-way contract in July 2024, splitting time between the NBA roster and their G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise.
Two-way contracts allow teams to develop players while maintaining control over them. Most players on two-ways never convert to standard NBA contracts. Jenkins was determined to be the exception.
Breakout Performances and Contract Conversion
In a game against the Washington Wizards on November 10, Jenkins broke out, scoring a career-high 24 points, including the game-tying three-pointer at the end of regulation. That clutch shot against Washington wasn’t lucky—it was who he’s always been.
He followed his performance with a game two days later, where he registered 18 points, 12 assists, and helped the Pistons to a win over the Chicago Bulls. The game was also Jenkins’ first career start.
Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff told media after the game: “We wanted Daniss on the floor because we know the work that he puts in. He’s earned the respect of his teammates and the trust of his teammates and all of his coaches as well”.
On February 7, 2026, Jenkins’ two-way contract was converted into a standard two-year contract. The conversion means guaranteed money, job security, and validation that his four-college journey led exactly where he believed it would.
The Dallas Connection in Detroit
Jenkins is part of a growing Dallas-Fort Worth pipeline inside Detroit’s locker room. He shares the roster with fellow DFW products Cade Cunningham (Bowie High School, Arlington), Marcus Sasser (Red Oak High School), and Ron Holland (Duncanville High School).
Jenkins said: “We always tell people—and they laugh—that Dallas is the new Mecca. We weren’t known for basketball for a long time. We’re a football state, we dominate football, but we really have everything”.
In January 2026, Jenkins returned to Hillcrest High School for a jersey dedication ceremony. The moment represented full circle—the kid they once doubted now inspiring the next generation.
Net Worth and Financial Situation
As a player who just converted from a two-way contract to a standard NBA deal in February 2026, Jenkins’s net worth is modest compared to lottery picks but life-changing compared to where he started.
Two-way contracts in 2024-25 paid approximately $559,782 for a full season. His new standard two-year contract likely guarantees between $2-4 million total, though exact terms weren’t publicly disclosed.
For someone who went undrafted and spent most of his rookie season in the G League, this represents financial security his family may have never experienced. NBA minimum salaries for players with his experience level are approximately $1.1 million annually.
His earnings will grow if he establishes himself as a reliable rotation player. Solid backup point guards in the NBA can earn $5-10 million annually once they prove their value over multiple seasons.
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