76ers Rumors: Former First-Round Pick Scheduled for Workout

With just a few weeks to go in the regular season, the Philadelphia 76ers are not done sculpting their roster. Recent news has emerged that they plan on hosting a workout for a former first-round pick who got waived earlier this year.

On Friday afternoon, Shams Charania reported on the Sixers bringing in Kai Jones for a meeting and workout. Jones, 23, was drafted 19th overall in the 2021 draft. He spent the first two years of his career with the Charlotte Hornets, but was waived just before this season began.

Eastern Conference playoff contender set to meet/workout former first-round pick Kai Jones, who is hopeful for NBA clearance soon to play again: pic.twitter.com/SmubqValwP
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 8, 2024

Jones is a 6-foot-11 forward who impressed many with his athleticism when given playing time with the Hornets. He appeared in 46 games for Charlotte last season, and posted averages of 3.4 PPG, 2.7 RPG, and 0.3 APG.

The Hornets decided to waive Jones back in October following a series of concerning social media posts. It was capped off by taking to Twitter and openly requesting a trade. After no team decided to claim him on waivers, he has been a free agent ever since.

Over the past few months, Jones has made appearances on podcasts and talked about his desire to return to the NBA. Based on this recent reporting, he might get his opportunity.

Between still being a young prospect and his combination of size and athleticism, Jones might be valuable to right team. The biggest concern for any organization thinking about taking him on is if he's worked out his off-the-court issues that were apparent earlier this year.

The Sixers are a team dealing with multiple injuries and lack size on their roster. As a former first-round pick with potential, Jones might be worth taking a flier on in the short term.