Kofi Inkoom
Charlotte’s young center, Kai Jones, is seeking a fresh start as he wants to leave the team. On Monday afternoon, he took to X(formerly twitter) to announce his request for a trade from the Hornets.
It’s worth noting that publicly expressing his desire to be traded could potentially lead to a hefty fine of $150,000, as stipulated in the league’s trade rules under section 18.
“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.”
This move wasn’t entirely unexpected for those closely following the situation, as Jones had been absent from the team since their return to Charlotte for voluntary workouts and also skipped the training camp.
The NBA will investigate the matter and mete out the appropriate punishment for breaching the trade rules.
Kai Jones, a former first-round draft pick in 2021, has had a limited impact in his first two seasons, with averages of 2.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 0.5 blocks per game.