Charlotte Hornets waive Kai Jones following trade request

Following a strange series of events, the Charlotte Hornets have decided to part ways with center Kai Jones, according to reports.

This comes after Jones recently requested to be traded earlier this week, a request that he unwisely decided to bluntly state on Twitter/X. The most recent collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and its players has clauses that will fine players if they, or their representatives, make a public declaration of their desire to be traded. Considering Jones’ trade request was very public, a fine of some type could be coming his way soon.

Trading Jones was a request that was always going to be difficult to fulfill. The 19th overall selection in the 2021 NBA Draft has not done much of anything in his career, making it significantly difficult to find a trade partner. That is if Charlotte seriously entertained his trade request instead of just opting to cut ties and move along.

And then there is the whole online activity of Jones that resulted in him being away from the team for an indefinite period as they get ready for the upcoming season. From criticizing his own teammates to claiming he is better than some of the best to ever play the game, Jones was clearly not making many friends in his locker room and others. Finding a team willing to acquire the services of someone willing to publicly take shots at players who are without a doubt better than him was going to be a tough sell.

Moving on from Jones right now is the best course of action for the Hornets. This is a team looking to bounce back from a year that saw anything and everything go wrong. They cannot afford to continue having a distraction on their roster, which will only make things much more difficult for them to focus on the task at hand.

Should the Charlotte Hornets put this veteran on the trade block?

Should the Charlotte Hornets put 33-year-old veteran small forward Gordon Hayward on the trade block as a recent article suggests?