"I used to pray for times like dis" - Kai Jones wastes no time and fires immediate response to Hornets waiving him

The Charlotte Hornets have waived Kai Jones, the 19th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, following his questionable off-season social media behavior and his recent public request for a trade. The center did not waste time responding to being released by his former team.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Jones seemed positive about being waived.

“I used to pray for times like dis #GOATLIFE,” he wrote.

He recently announced that he demanded a trade from the Hornets. This act is punishable according to the collective bargaining agreement, which states:

"Any player (or, for clarity, any player representative or person acting with authority on behalf of a player) who publicly expresses a desire to be traded to another team shall be subject to a fine and/or a suspension. The maximum fine that may be imposed by the NBA on a player pursuant to the foregoing shall be $150,000."

Jones's rookie contract with the Hornets was a four-year deal worth $13,421,215.

Good thing for Jones, even after being waived, his entire contract will be honored by the Hornets unless another team claims him off waivers, then his new team will have the responsibility to cover his remaining salary.

Kai Jones’ troubling social media activity

This offseason, Kai Jones made audacious statements about himself and engaged in trash-talking with both his teammates and even basketball legends. The young Hornets player also appeared on Instagram Live, during which some fans speculated that he might have been under the influence of alcohol or other substances.

Before being waived, he claimed his new version deserves to be recognized with both the Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year awards.

He also made absurd assertions that he would outshoot Steph Curry, dominate a prime Shaquille O'Neal, and defeat a prime Michael Jordan and LeBron James in one-on-one basketball games.

Jones took it to another level by claiming 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 asked him to acknowledge that Ball and Miller were better than him, he responded:

“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 facets of his game in which he believes he excels compared to the two players.

“Show me a video of Mark pulling up going left and hitting it. Anywhere main in college some where show me one,” Jones said about Williams. “I'm more assertive with the ball than him. I can read myself,” Jones said of Richards.

Jones' recent social media activity and behavior may be difficult for other NBA teams to digest, especially as he has only scored 2.7 ppg in his two-year career. A team would need to have a strong belief in his talent to consider acquiring him, even in light of red flags.