Charlotte Hornets big man Kai Jones, who is currently away from the team, took to social media on Monday afternoon to issue a public trade request in his latest social media incident this offseason. “I have officially requested to be traded from the Charlotte Hornets. #GOATLIFE,” Jones wrote.
Here is a screenshot in the event that Jones later deletes the comment.
The Hornets announced on Sept. 30 that Jones would not report to training camp for “personal reasons” and would remain away from the team indefinitely. Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer reported on Sept. 26 that the team “seem concerned” about Jones, who has displayed erratic behavior on social media in recent weeks.
Among other incidents, Jones has been critical of teammates, including fellow big men Mark Williams and Nick Richards, and said he was better than LaMelo Ball and No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller.
Reached by the Observer on Monday, the Hornets declined to comment.
Jones could be subject to a fine or suspension for publicly requesting a trade, based on the current collective bargaining agreement, which states, “Any player (or, for clarity, any player representative or person acting with authority on behalf of a player) who publicly expresses a desire to be traded to another Team shall be subject to a fine and/or a suspension. The maximum fine that may be imposed by the NBA on a player pursuant to the foregoing shall be $150,000.”
The No. 19 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Jones averaged 3.4 points and 2.7 rebounds for the Hornets last season in 46 games.