NBA

Kai Jones’ Future With Hornets Remains Uncertain After Dissing Teammates, Skipping Team Drills

Author photo
By
James Foglio
Author photo
James Foglio Sports Editor

James is a Basketball Insiders contributor. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. James enjoys watching sports and helping gamblers win money.

All posts by James Foglio
Sports Editor

Updated27 Sep 2023

Kai Jones Future With Charlotte Hornets Remains Uncertain After Social Media Posts, Skipping Team Drills

Kai Jones’ future with the Charlotte Hornets remains uncertain after the 6-foot-11 center dissed his teammates on social media and refused to participate in optional team drills. The big man isn’t expected to attend training camp next week.

“Hornets seem concerned about Kai Jones, whose odd behavior on social media has raised eyebrows and worried people,” The Charlotte Observer’s Scott Fowler posted on X.

“From what I understand, Jones hasn’t been participating in the optional team drills and it’s undetermined if he will be there when practice starts next week.”

Per NBA betting sites, the Charlotte Hornets hold 30th-ranked odds to win next season’s 2024 championship. Sportsbooks are showing better odds for the Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, and Orlando Magic.


“Hornets coach Steve Clifford was asked today during a media session about Jones and some of his social media posts and said he wouldn’t be commenting but that the Hornets were aware of the situation,” Fowler added.

Earlier this month, Jones became a trending topic on social media after speaking gibberish on Instagram Live. Also, he dissed his fellow Hornets teammates Nick Richards and Mark Williams.

Jones replied to trolls on his posts after they called him a worse player than Richards and Williams.

Of Richards, Jones said, “I’m more assertive with the ball than him [and] I can read myself.” For Williams, Jones posted, “show me a video of Mark pulling up going left and hitting it. Anywhere man in college some where [sic] show one.”

Kai Jones’ NBA future with the Charlotte Hornets is unclear, Hornets front office concerned after Jones skipped optional team drills

Jones, 22, was selected 19th overall by the New York Knicks in the 2021 NBA Draft out of the University of Texas at Austin. He was then traded to the Hornets.

The Bahamian hooper has appeared in a combined 67 games off the bench for Charlotte the last two NBA seasons, averaging 2.7 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 9.1 minutes per game.

His social media posts are concerning to Hornets brass, considering Jones logged his best numbers last season. In 46 games as a reserve in 2022-23, the center averaged career highs of 3.4 points, 2.7 boards, and 12 minutes per game. Plus, he shot 55.8% from the floor and a career-best 73.1% at the foul line.


In Charlotte’s 137-134 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 28, 2023, the Texas product recorded career highs of 12 points and 14 rebounds in 22 minutes of action.

On Kai Jones’ X account, his pinned post reads, “Meditate on the ones I made let go of the ones I missed and make them all going forward here we go road to the RING!!! MVP DPOY I BE IN THE SKY!!!!!”

If his goal is to win NBA Defensive Player of the Year, he could at least pretend to care about team offseason activities. Ignoring drills sends the wrong message.

Additionally, his team option salaries are $3.04 million for 2023-24 and $4.69 million for 2024-25.

NBA Betting Content You May Like