Philadelphia 76ers Sign Troubled Former First-Round Pick

The Philadelphia 76ers, still looking for some help at the 'five' spot with Joel Embiid remaining out of the lineup for the time being, have taken a chance on a former first-rounder who was facing personal troubles in the preseason, signing Kai Jones to a 10-day contract.

The Philadelphia 76ers plan to sign F/C Kai Jones on a 10-day contract Friday, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Jones, the 19th pick in 2021 NBA Draft, returns to the league after being released by Charlotte in October. High-upside flier for 76ers in the 6-foot-11 athlete. pic.twitter.com/J7cSksigMV
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 14, 2024

The 6-foot-11 athletic big man was released by the Charlotte Hornets back in October, after a series of bizarre personal issues that included going live on Instagram in September, slurring his speech. A few days later, he called out some of his teammates on X/Twitter. He eventually demanded a trade in early October, and instead was waived and has been a free agent ever since.

Jones was selected by the Hornets with the 19th overall selection in the 2021 NBA Draft after trading for that pick from the New York Knicks. The mercurial yet highly-skilled big man spent two seasons with the Bugs, but wasn't able to live up to the promise, averaging just 2.7 points and two rebounds in about nine minutes of action per night in 67 games across the two seasons.

We'll see if Nick Nurse and the Sixers can get the most out of the high-flier, as they add him to their big man mix which includes Mo Bamba and Paul Reed, while they await their MVP's return. Embiid is now expected to be back in about a month, just in time for the playoffs.

Photo: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sport