Clippers Make Final Decision On Troubled Former 1st-Round Pick

The Los Angeles Clippers are reportedly giving their 23-year-old center project from last season a second look.

Former first-round pick Kai Jones has agreed to a new deal with the Clippers, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.

The deal is reportedly non-guaranteed and gives the 6-foot-11 big man a chance to compete for a roster spot once training camp rolls around.

The Clippers had signed Jones to a multi-year deal with a team option before the end of the 2023-24 regular season. Last week, the Clippers declined to pick up Jones' option for the 2024-25 campaign. But reports noted that the Clippers had fully intended to bring him back on a different deal.

Jones was selected 19th overall by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2021 NBA Draft. The Texas alum played sparingly over his first two seasons, averaging just 2.7 points and 2.0 rebounds across 67 games.

Heading into his third year in the league, Jones began making headlines for the wrong reasons. Jones became a trending topic due to a string of utterly bizarre posts on social media. The Hornets waived him last October.

The Philadelphia 76ers signed Jones to a 10-day contract while Joel Embiid was sidelined in March. Jones was let go before he saw a minute of action for Philly.

Jones then latched onto the Clippers' roster on the final day of the 2023-24 regular season. Jones didn't see the court during the team's first-round series against the Dallas Mavericks.

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