I used to pray for times like dis - Kai Jones fires immediate response to Hornets waiving him

Charlotte Hornets waive 2021 NBA Draft pick Kai Jones due to questionable social media behavior and trade request.

The Charlotte Hornets have made the decision to waive Kai Jones, who was the 19th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. This move comes after his questionable behavior on social media during the off-season and his public request for a trade. Jones wasted no time in responding to his release from the team.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Jones appeared to have a positive outlook on being waived. He wrote, "I used to pray for times like dis #GOATLIFE."

It is worth noting that Jones had recently announced his desire to be traded from the Hornets. However, this act is against the rules outlined in the collective bargaining agreement. According to the agreement, any player who publicly expresses a desire to be traded to another team can face fines and/or suspension. The maximum fine that can be imposed by the NBA on a player for this offense is $150,000.

Jones had signed a four-year rookie contract with the Hornets worth $13,421,215. Fortunately for him, even after being waived, the Hornets will still honor his entire contract unless another team claims him off waivers. In that case, his new team would be responsible for covering his remaining salary.

During the off-season, Kai Jones made bold statements about himself and engaged in trash-talking with his teammates and even basketball legends. He even appeared on Instagram Live, where some fans speculated that he may have been under the influence of alcohol or other substances.

Before being waived, Jones claimed that he deserved to be recognized as both the Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year. He also made outlandish assertions that he could outshoot Steph Curry, dominate a prime Shaquille O'Neal, and defeat prime Michael Jordan and LeBron James in one-on-one basketball games.

Jones even went as far as to claim that he was better than his former Hornets teammates LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, who were chosen as the No. 3 and No. 2 picks respectively. When a fan challenged him to acknowledge the superior skills of Ball and Miller, Jones responded with arrogance, stating, "I've had a higher field goal percentage than those guys since I came out the womb, and none of them can guard me, so know your basketball facts before you talk to the one in here MF."

In response to fans suggesting that his Hornets frontcourt teammates Mark Williams and Nick Richards outperformed him, Jones pointed out specific aspects of his game where he believes he excels compared to the two players. He criticized Williams' ability to pull up and shoot going left and emphasized his own assertiveness with the ball compared to Richards.

Jones' recent behavior on social media and his off-court antics may make it challenging for other NBA teams to consider acquiring him, especially considering his underwhelming performance with an average of only 2.7 points per game in his two-year career. Any team interested in acquiring him would need to have a strong belief in his talent, even in light of the red flags surrounding his behavior.

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