Kai Jones was one of the unlikeliest headline makers of the 2023 offseason. After posterizing Victor Wembanyama on his Summer League debut, Jones had erratic social media activity, requested a trade, called out his teammates, and found himself getting waived by the franchise. Jones has finally opened up on what went down and why he wanted out of Charlotte before they waived him.
“I loved the whole situation in Charlotte and I wish it continued, but it’s all for the best… They were concerned about my social media stuff and my sleeping patterns. My great-grandma had just passed away… They wanted me to see a therapist and I was stubborn… I ended up going and felt like therapy wasn’t helping. Mitch tells me I’m not allowed to do training camp. When he told me that, I was like, ‘Man I’m like I’m off this team’. How can I play here when they’re not letting me do training camp and try out for my position? That’s when I decided to leave… Mitch told me I don’t have trade value… So they waive me.”
Kai Jones on why he requested a trade:
“They were concerned about my social media, my sleeping patterns. They wanted me to see a therapist. I ended up going and felt like therapy wasn’t helping. Mitch tells me I’m not allowed to do training camp. That was when I’m like I’m off.” pic.twitter.com/fEzS9OplJ5
— Israel (@iohandles) November 23, 2023
Jones not having trade value makes sense, given the unspectacular start to his NBA career. He still has potential, but it’ll take a patient team that gives him an opportunity to succeed for it to be realized. He averaged 2.7 points and 2.0 rebounds in 67 games over two years with the Hornets.
Jones also shared why he didn’t receive much playing time with the Hornets squad even though he was dominating in the G League. He got honest and revealed his practice inconsistencies held him back on the franchise.
“You have to understand all the complexities you’re working with…your relationship with the coach… and you have to have a consistent character every day. Yeah, I had G-League games where I went off, but in the workouts, I wasn’t shooting well.”
Kai Jones on why he didn’t get PT in CLT:
“You have to understand all the complexities you’re working with…your relationship with the coach… and you have to have a consistent character. Yea I had G-League games where I went off but in the workouts I wasn’t shooting well.” pic.twitter.com/teGHTpMnZq
— Israel (@iohandles) November 23, 2023
Jones reportedly worked out for the Los Angeles Clippers before they signed Daniel Theis to be the veteran big-man backup for the franchise. It’ll be interesting to see where he ends up next if he even gets an opportunity in the NBA.
Where Could Kai Jones Go Next?
The NBA big man market isn’t stacked, so any team needing to add size and athleticism to their roster could take a look at Jones’ availability. It could give a team a chance to find an extremely useful player for cheap, but the odds of it working out are slim given Jones’ lack of on-court NBA experience. There are many veteran centers that NBA teams may feel more comfortable with, especially if they’re filling a part-time need caused by injuries or anything.
The Clippers clearly valued Theis’ stability and experience as a backup center in the NBA compared to Jones’ raw skill and athleticism. The available options for centers in free agency aren’t that attractive, with Derrick Favors arguably being the only other usable center on the market. An NBA season is long, and an opportunity could open up for Kai.
Whether or not he can live up to the potential that made him a first-round pick in 2021 is unclear, but we will never know if the 22-year-old doesn’t get another opportunity in the NBA.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
