Kai Jones Waived by Hornets After Trade Request, Indefinite Leave of Absence

The Charlotte Hornets have waived center Kai Jones, a move that was first reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

It comes two days after Jones publicly requested a trade:

The Hornets announced last week that Jones wouldn't be joining the team for training camp, citing "personal reasons."

"There is currently not a timetable for his return to the team," the team added in its statement. "Out of respect for the personal nature of the situation, the Hornets will not have any additional public comment regarding the matter at this time."

He appeared to respond to news of his release with the following post on social media:

Jones, 22, had been posting on social media in September that he was better than a number of his own teammates, including LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller:

Those posts and other social media activity reportedly concerned the Hornets:

The Associated Press noted on Sept. 30 that Jones "had a bizarre post on Instagram Live where he danced and rambled incoherently. He has also repeatedly stated that he's the GOAT (greatest of all time) and plans to be MVP and defensive player of the year, along with writing that he would beat Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James in a 1-on-1 game," (h/t ESPN).

Jones was the No. 19 overall pick in the 2021 draft out of Texas and has appeared in 67 total games in his first two NBA seasons, averaging 2.7 points and two rebounds per game while shooting 56.7 percent from the field. He was a depth piece for the Hornets, averaging 9.1 minutes per game off the bench in his short career without ever making a start.

With Jones no longer on the team, Mark Williams and Nick Richards are the team's options at center. Both played more significant minutes for the Hornets last season.