The Philadelphia 76ers are reportedly planning to meet and work out with former Charlotte Hornets first-round pick Kai Jones, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Eastern Conference playoff contender set to meet/workout former first-round pick Kai Jones, who is hopeful for NBA clearance soon to play again: pic.twitter.com/SmubqValwP
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 8, 2024
Jones, a first-round pick for the Hornets back in 2019, was waived by Charlotte in October after he sent out multiple social media posts criticizing the organization. He was away from the team during training camp for personal reasons. Jones later asked for a trade and was ultimately waived by the Hornets.
The 23-year old failed to earn a significant role with the Hornets before being waived. He played in a total of 67 games through two seasons. In that time, he averaged 2.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.5 blocks in 9.1 minutes per game. Jones possesses a ton of athleticism and could potentially be a useful player off the bench.
Ever since Joel Embiid went down with a knee injury, the Sixers have been searching for ways to improve their front court depth. Paul Reed has done an admirable job, averaging 8.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game since Embiid’s injury. However, he has at times been overextended while playing starters minutes. Behind Reed, the Sixers have been forced to rely on a mixture of Mo Bamba and small-ball lineups.
There is some concern about Jones considering the way his time ended in Charlotte. However, Charania reported Jones has been “working on himself on and off the court” in recent months. If Jones has figured out his off-court issues, he would be worth taking a flyer on. He is an intriguing talent with a lot of untapped upside.
