It was about a year and a half ago that Kai Jones became more known by basketball fans. It wasn’t due to his play on the court though. He posted a string of bizarre posts on his social media which had people concerned with his mental health. (I won’t get into them here, but you can see what he said in this Yahoo! Sports article.) Recently released, it now appears as if Kai Jones will be joining the Dallas Mavericks on a two-way deal.
Controversial Big Man To Join Mavericks On Two-Way Deal
Kai Jones Signing With Mavericks After He Clears Waivers
The Los Angeles Clippers made a bevy of moves on Saturday. That included signing both Patrick Baldwin Jr. and Seth Lundy to two-way deals. They needed to open up two two-way slots in order to bring them in. One was opened up by converting Jordan Miller to a standard contract. The other was opened by waiving the 24-year-old Jones.
It didn’t take long for Jones to find his next landing spot. NBA insider Chris Haynes has reported that he will be added by the Mavericks on a two-way deal. The signing won’t become official until Jones clears waivers.
2021 first-round pick Kai Jones intends to sign a two-way contract with the Dallas Mavericks upon clearing waivers, league sources tell me. pic.twitter.com/BTwTuRmTiA
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) March 2, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
The 19th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Jones appeared in 28 games for the Clippers this season, Playing 7.4 minutes per contest, the 6-foot-11 center posted averages of 2.2 points, 1.6 rebounds, 0.4 assists, and 0.5 blocks. He shot 72.2% from the field, 0-2 from beyond the arc, and 9-12 (75.0%) from the free-throw line.
Prior to that, Jones played his first two seasons in the NBA with the Charlotte Hornets (2021-22 and 2022-23). He appeared in just 21 games for 63 minutes during his rookie season. Jones saw more playing time in his second year, getting into 46 games for 550 minutes. Charlotte waived him prior to the opening of the 2023-24 season.
The Bahamas native did not appear in an NBA game last season. He played in two games for the Delaware Blue Coats of the G League.
Injuries Galore In Frontcourt
The Mavericks are in dire need of players who can man the middle. Their last two games have seen them start Moses Brown at center. His 10-day contract has expired though, and he can’t be brought back right away due to their cap situation.
Dallas’ top three options at center are all injured. Anthony Davis was brought in to play power forward, but he manned center much of his time with the Lakers. The 31-year-old suffered a left adductor strain in his debut with the team and has yet to return to play.
Second-year player Dereck Lively II hasn’t played since January 14. The 21-year-old has been sidelined with a right ankle stress fracture. Daniel Gafford has been out of action since February 10 due to a right MCL sprain.
With Dallas just needing healthy big bodies, it wouldn’t be the least bit surprising to see Jones in the rotation once he clears waivers and joins the team. The Mavericks already have three players on two-way contracts, so an opening will need to be created.
Photo credit: © Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The post Controversial Big Man To Join Mavericks On Two-Way Deal appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.