NBA Rumors: Kai Jones Signs 76ers 10-Day Contract amid Joel Embiid Injury

In the midst of reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid's ongoing absence, the Philadelphia 76ers reportedly added some depth to the center position.

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Sixers will sign former Charlotte Hornets center Kai Jones to a 10-day contract on Friday.

Jones was a first-round pick in the 2021 draft by the New York Knicks, who selected him at No. 19 and immediately traded him to the Hornets.

After spending two seasons in Charlotte, Jones announced in a since-deleted social media post in October that he had requested to be traded, and the team waived him two days later. He went unclaimed and spent the entire season unsigned until Philadelphia showed interest in him.

The Sixers scheduled a workout with Jones last week, and they apparently liked what they saw. The 6'11" big man has career averages of 2.7 points and 2.0 rebounds in 9.1 minutes of action across 67 games, but Philadelphia will need much more from him.

After Embiid went down with a meniscus injury that required surgery, the Sixers have been in a tailspin, losing 12 of their last 19 games to fall to sixth place in the Eastern Conference with a 36-29 record. The Indiana Pacers (37-30) and Miami Heat (35-30) are right on their heels, so they will need to string together some wins down the home stretch if they hope to avoid the play-in tournament.

Philadelphia will take on the Milwaukee Bucks (42-24) on Thursday. With Jones' signing reportedly becoming official on Friday, his first game for the Sixers will come against his old Hornets team on Saturday.

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