Charlotte Hornets President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Mitch Kupchak has officially announced the team’s decision to waive forward/center Kai Jones. This move comes after Jones’s two seasons with the Hornets, where he played in 67 games and averaged 2.7 points and 2.0 rebounds in 9.1 minutes per game. Jones, initially the 19th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, was acquired by Charlotte through a draft-night trade with the New York Knicks.
Charlotte Hornets Part Ways with Forward/Center Kai Jones
Kai Jones, a former first-round pick, recently made headlines by publicly requesting a trade via social media. The Hornets remained silent about his request, but it was preceded by unusual social media behavior, including an indecipherable video on Instagram Live and criticism of teammates.
Notably, Jones won’t participate in the Hornets’ training camp due to personal reasons, and the team has not set a timetable for his return. The Hornets respect the personal nature of the situation and have refrained from making further public comments regarding it.
With a career that includes 67 games in Charlotte, Jones’s release marks a significant change for the Hornets, especially given his status as a first-round pick in 2021. As the Hornets move forward, they face a unique challenge in filling the void left by Jones, particularly in the power forward position.
This move follows Kai Jones’s intriguing journey with the Charlotte Hornets, and it remains to be seen where his NBA career will take him next.
