What happened to Kai Jones? Exploring recent controversy surrounding Hornets center

Kai Jones of the Charlotte Hornets will be away from the team indefinitely and there is no timetable for his return. According to Shams Charania of the Athletic, the third-year center will miss training camp due to personal reasons. The statement released by the Hornets added that they will not be providing additional comments on the matter at this time.

This follows the team's annual media luncheon where coach Steve Clifford declined to respond to a question regarding Jones' weird social media posts. The posts include an Instagram video that went viral where Jones was sweating profusely and his speech was indiscernible. Here is a repost of the video.

The Hornets big man also said he was better than LeBron in another post and openly criticized teammates Nick Richards and Mark Williams in yet another social media post.

Jones was drafted by the Knicks with the 19th overall pick in 2021. The Knicks then traded him to the Hornets for a future first-round pick. He appeared in 21 games for the Hornets in his rookie season.

According to the coach, Jones did not attend any of the optional team workouts. This is unusual considering Jones has a lot to prove for him to earn consistent minutes.

Charlotte Hornets' offseason

Perhaps the biggest move of the Charlotte Hornets in the offseason was the end of Michael Jordan's 13-year major ownership. Jordan sold his majority stake to a group led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall.

The Hornets extended their franchise player LaMelo Ball to a five-year deal. Melo is only 22 and his best days are ahead of him. He won the Rookie of the Year award in 2020-21 and has already made the All-Star team once. The young point guard now has to figure out how to stay healthy.

The Hornets had an eventful NBA draft, where they selected Brandon Miller with the No. 2 pick. There were questions if Miller was the right pick over Scoot Henderson, the answers for which only time will give. Miller is a skilled player and will be important to the franchise's future.

The Hornets also resigned Miles Bridges to a one-year, $7.9 million deal. In addition, they signed PJ Washington to a three year, $48 million deal. The Hornets also filled up their glaring backup guard by picking up Frank Ntilikina and R.J. Hunter.