LA Clippers Give Promotion to Ex-76ers Center

Former 76ers center Kai Jones landed a promotion in LA.

Oct 11, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Kai Jones (23) dunks the ball with 2.5 seconds left in the game to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Since a short-lived run with the Philadelphia 76ers’ organization, the veteran center Kai Jones has been working on finding a long-term home in the NBA. The Los Angeles Clippers have surely shown plenty of intrigue this year.

Back in March, Jones was a notable free agent throughout the entire 2023-2024 NBA season. Considering the way his time in Charlotte concluded, it seemed teams were hesitant to take a chance on Jones. The Sixers signed him to a 10-day deal late into the season.

The Sixers’ plan for Jones was to keep him with the Delaware Blue Coats throughout the entire 10-day tenure. If all went well, the Sixers were expected to re-sign Jones on a second temporary deal to then allow him to gain some playing time with the main roster.

Oct 14, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; LA Clippers forward Kai Jones (23) looks to pass against Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford (21) during the first half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images / Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

Unfortunately, a minor injury took Jones off the floor in Delaware way too early. As a result, the Sixers moved on. Once the contract expired, Jones was free to explore other options. He landed a contract with the Los Angeles Clippers shortly after.

Jones didn’t log any minutes with the Clipper last year. He signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the team once again this offseason. As the Clippers embarked on their preseason run, Jones returned to the floor to state his case and crack the final roster.

In five games, Jones averaged 24 minutes on the court. He produced eight points and five rebounds per game during the preseason stretch. While Exhibit 10 deals typically lead players to get waived and picked up by an organization’s G League team, Jones landed a promotion.

According to Chris Haynes, Jones had his contract converted to a two-way deal. While Jones is likely to still compete in the G League next year, he’ll have the chance to get called up to the main roster when his services are needed.

Early on in his career, the 23-year-old big man showed some promise. Coming out of Texas as the 19th overall pick in 2021, Jones was a reserve for 67 games on the Charlotte Hornets. He averaged three points and three rebounds in 12 minutes of action during his sophomore effort.