Kai Jones discusses the Hornets’ exit

This week on the Vizion Podcast, Kai Jones talked about ending his Hornets stint, expressing love for Charlotte but also the belief that a fresh start might be best.

Jones attributes his release to concerns from the Hornets about his social media activity and sleep patterns. The 22-year-old, dealing with personal challenges like the death of his great-grandmother, resisted when the team suggested speaking to a therapist.

“At this time, I’m stubborn, I’m like, ‘Bro, I do not want to see a therapist. I just want to meditate and clear my head and use my intuition to figure out my own issues,’” Jones said. “They’re like, ‘No, you should go to a therapist.’”

Despite eventually meeting with a therapist, Jones felt the sessions weren’t beneficial. When the Hornets asked him to skip training camp, he realized his time with the team was ending and requested a trade.

“(Hornets general manager) Mitch (Kupchak) tells me I’m not allowed to do training camp,” Jones said. “When he tells me that, that was when I was like, ‘Yo, I’m off of this team.’ How can I play here? They’re not letting me do training camp. They’re not allowing me to try out for my position, right? So I’m upset, I’m like, ‘Yo, I just wanna leave now. I’m gonna leave.’”

Jones requested a trade, but Hornets’ Kupchak claimed he wouldn’t have much trade value. Disagreeing, Jones was waived instead. Now a free agent, he’s spoken to multiple teams post his Charlotte exit.

“Right now I’m just meeting with teams, they’re trying to get to know me better, kind of analyzing my character,” Jones said. “I think the biggest thing for me is if I want to take it somewhere else in life and be more successful than I ever have been, I’ve gotta work harder than I ever have, be more detailed than I ever have, be more consistent than I ever have, and be stronger in my will, in my head space, and (physically) than I ever have.”

Kai Jones Discusses Hornets Exit, Says He’s Meeting With Teams https://t.co/K32rQlhJBi pic.twitter.com/R5GDjM2EF7

— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) November 24, 2023