The Charlotte Hornets have made their final decision on Kai Jones’ future with the organization.
The Hornets have waived Jones after his troubled offseason, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The Charlotte Hornets have waived former first-round pick Kai Jones, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. pic.twitter.com/53L73V4H49
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 11, 2023
The decision does not come as a huge shock, even though Jones was a former first-round pick.
The issues began roughly a month ago, when Jones sparked concern with a bizarre social media video. He escalated things a week later by trashing his own teammates online, and then demanded a trade via X on Monday. Up until that point, the Hornets appeared willing to stick by him, but clearly things changed and the organization had had enough.
A former University of Texas star, Jones went in the first round (No. 19 overall) of the 2021 NBA Draft. While the 22-year-old has only managed 2.7 points and 2.0 rebounds per contest over two seasons, the physical tools are there for Jones, and Charlotte had previously exercised his $3 million team option for 2023-24.
