Charlotte Hornets Waive Former First-Round Pick Kai Jones Following Trade Request and Social Media Controversy 

The Charlotte Hornets have announced the waiver of former first-round pick, Kai Jones, from the 2021 NBA Draft.

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Mitch Kupchak, president of basketball operations and team general manager, made the announcement on Wednesday.

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Kai Jones, who was selected as the 19th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft from the University of Texas.

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Made it public on social media (X, formerly Twitter) on Monday that he had formally requested a trade from the Hornets.

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At the time of Jones' initial request, the Hornets did not provide any public comment or response.

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The team had previously revealed that Kai Jones would not be a part of training camp due to strange behavior he displayed on social media platforms.

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This behavior included posting an incomprehensible video on Instagram Live and making critical comments about his peers on X.

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"Kai Jones will not participate in training camp due to personal reasons. There is currently no specific timeline for his return to the team," the official statement read.

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