Kai Jones will not be with the Charlotte Hornets once training camp begins. Jones will be away from the team indefinitely, with no planned timeline for his return.
The Charlotte Hornets will have 2021 first-round pick Kai Jones away from the team indefinitely and there’s no timetable for his return, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Jones will miss training camp due to personal reasons, and team remains in constant communication with him.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 30, 2023
The Hornets would release a statement regarding the decision for Jones to not be with the team.
"“The Charlotte Hornets announced today that forward/center Kai Jones will not participate in Training Camp due to personal reasons. There is not currently a timetable for his return to the team. Out of respect for the personal nature of the situation, the Hornets will not have any additional public comments regarding the matter at this time.”"
This comes after some strange online behavior from Jones via Twitter/X and Instagram. Jones claimed that he was better than some of his teammates (factually untrue), in addition to saying he would be LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal in games of one-on-one.
It is incredibly difficult to envision a scenario that results in Jones rejoining the team at any point in the future. While Jones’ unpredictable behavior is a driving factor here, it is also about recognizing his overall skill level and contributions to the team. Jones has clearly become a distraction, and that is not something the Hornets can afford as they attempt to bounce back from a disappointing 2022-23 campaign.
The unfortunate and harsh reality of the sports world is that there is a certain talent level that is required for a player to remain rostered while being a distraction. Jones is not anywhere in the ballpark of the minimum skill level that is considered acceptable for him to continue being a member of this team. It would take a lot for Jones to come back to the Hornets, so much so that it may be considered unreasonable at this time.
Charlotte has multiple other options who are superior basketball players than Jones, and that is what it truly comes down to at the end of the day. There is a world where Jones does return, but that is not a bet that anyone should feel comfortable making.
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