Hornets' Kai Jones Says He's Requested Trade amid Indefinite Leave of Absence

Charlotte Hornets big man Kai Jones has requested a trade.

The 22-year-old posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, he's formally seeking an exit.

This comes as Jones is indefinitely away from the team. The Hornets announced on Sept. 30 he would miss training camp for "personal reasons" and that there's no firm timeline for when he'll be back.

Jones' exile came after he made derisive remarks about multiple players on the Hornets roster. First, he was dismissive of Mark Williams and Nick Richards, and then he claimed he's a better player than LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller.

The Charlotte Observer's Scott Fowler reported Sept. 26 the Hornets "seem concerned" about the 6'11" center based on his social media activity:

Jones is approaching his third year with the Hornets, who acquired him from the New York Knicks in a 2021 draft-night trade. He's averaging 6.7 points and 2.0 rebounds while shooting 56.7 percent from the field through 67 games.

Fans couldn't help but get a little excited when he dunked on San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama in the NBA Summer League.

In a vacuum, Jones might have some value because the new collective bargaining agreement has placed an even higher premium on team-friendly rookie deals. He's due to make $3 million this year and has a $4.7 million club option for 2024-25 before he's eligible to hit restricted free agency in 2025.

But teams that may otherwise have been interested in a trade might be put off by what has transpired off the court this fall.