Should The Golden State Warriors Take This Gamble?

What if the Golden State Warriors signed Kai Jones?

Kai Jones was initially the 19th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft after two seasons of college basketball playing for Texas. 

This past year, the 22-year-old averaged 3.4 points and 2.7 rebounds per contest while shooting 55.8% from the field.

However, Jones was waived by the Hornets earlier this month after publicly requesting a trade and being away from the team indefinitely. 

Now that Jones has cleared waivers, he is a free agent available to be signed by any team in the league. 

Should The Golden State Warriors Sign Jones? 

The Golden State Warriors are among the best teams in the NBA, but they lack size on the roster.  

Outside of Dario Saric (who is not a center), no one on the team is taller than 6'9".

Jones (who is 6'11") has potential, considering he was a recent first-round pick and has played very well in the G League.

This past year, he averaged 15.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.0 blocks per contest while shooting 75.0% from the field and 37.5% from the three-point range in 14 regular season games. 

KAI JONES CAN’T STOP DUNKING‼️@greensboroswarm are DOMINATING 84-59 in Q3 on https://t.co/fLGfbO0vpY. pic.twitter.com/Db8U4gz3Kt

— NBA G League (@nbagleague) February 4, 2023

Since Jones could likely be signed for a veteran's minimum (or non-guaranteed) contract, the Warriors would be a good landing spot.  

They have a fantastic track record of bringing the best out of role players, and Jones is so young that he could still be a good NBA player. 

The 2023-24 NBA season will begin on October 24 (the Warriors will host the Phoenix Suns), so Jones will be a name to watch. 

KAI JONES JUST BROUGHT THE HOUSE DOWN WITH THIS DUNK! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/8mc9ClUHNE

— NBA G League (@nbagleague) March 11, 2022