Should San Antonio Spurs Trade for Charlotte Hornets' Kai Jones?

After cryptic social media posts, Kai Jones has officially requested a trade and the San Antonio Spurs could take a flyer.

The San Antonio Spurs have a solid young frontcourt made up of Victor Wembanyama, Jeremy Sochan, Zach Collins, and the often-overlooked Charles Bassey. 

While the Spurs are building a long-lasting winning team, adding high-upside young players is always a priority, regardless of position. Enter the Charlotte Hornets’ 22-year-old center Kai Jones, who publicly requested a trade from the Hornets on Twitter.

Jones has been linked to the Spurs since his time with the Texas Longhorns. In his second season, he was the Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year and garnered national attention as one of the most athletic players in the 2021 draft class. The Spurs opted to select Josh Primo instead, another high-risk player who did not pan out.

Jones is on the outs with the Hornets. Since September, he has been away from the team for “personal reasons” and has been erratic on social media, claiming that he is better than both LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. Self-confidence is always a good thing, but LaMelo Ball is an All-Star, and Jones is averaging 2.7 points in nine minutes across his two NBA seasons.

Kai Jones would be behind Sochan and Wembanyama in the lineup.  / © Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

Despite being drafted 19th overall, the Hornets could be convinced to let him go for a second-round pick from the Spurs. Jones is under contract for two more seasons and could develop into a very good player. In the G League, Jones has averaged 17.2 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks.

There is no doubt that the basketball upside is there. Jones could become an excellent, NBA-level player, but his recent antics would be an unwelcome distraction to the Spurs. 

It seems like Jones and the Hornets have an unmendable relationship, but unless Jones receives the help he needs, the Spurs should stay the course. That being said, if he does backtrack his bizarre rants but still wants a change of scenery, the Spurs should give Charlotte a call, but by then, the asking price will go up.