Sixers Opt Not To Re-Sign Kai Jones

Jones, 23, suffered a right hamstring strain and did not appear in a game with the Sixers after signing his 10-day deal on March 15.

Jones is 6-foot-11 and was waived by the Charlotte Hornets back in October after he made a trade demand on social media.

“I have officially requested to be traded from the Charlotte Hornets,” Jones wrote on X/Twitter at the time. He then retweeted popular basketball Twitter aggregator NBA Central about his trade request. 

He was selected by the Knicks with the No. 19 overall pick out of Texas in the 2021 NBA Draft, and then immediately traded to the Hornets. He’s played sparingly since, appearing in 46 games last season and averaging 3.4 points and 2.7 rebounds.

The Hornets announced on Sept. 30 that he would be away from the team indefinitely for personal reasons. His trade demand followed shortly thereafter.

It’s unclear if the Sixers will add another big man or perhaps bring back Jones once his injury heals. For now, he returns to unrestricted free agency.

Per CBS Sports:

“The 76ers have the option of retaining Jones on a second 10-day deal, but it’s unclear if the organization has any desire to do so while he’s still recovering from a right hamstring strain. The injury prevented him from playing with the 76ers at any point during his initial 10-day deal, but he likely wouldn’t have been featured in head coach Nick Nurse’s rotation even if he had been healthy.”

The 76ers (39-32) currently sit in the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference following Sunday’s road win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Meanwhile, Jones expressed high hopes for himself when he first signed with Philly.

“I’m focusing on being the MVP of the NBA. That’s a long journey. That’s a lot of practices. But I think that I’m capable,” he told Shams Charania of The Athletic. “I think that the best version of me is that — the MVP, DPOY, and being the greatest of all time. I think that I can do that.”