Daryl Morey, Sixers Officially Announce Roster Move on Friday

On Friday, Philadelphia 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey officially announced that the team added Kai Jones.

The 23-year-old former first-round pick joins the Sixers after spending months available on the free agency market. The Sixers offer the young veteran an opportunity to showcase his skillset after spending time away from the game.

Lately, the Sixers have battled without their star center, Joel Embiid. As a result, the team has utilized a heavier dose of Paul Reed and Mo Bamba. While the Sixers hope for Embiid’s return sometime next month, the Sixers considered adding depth at the center position even before he went down.

“I do think some depth at the big might be helpful,” Daryl Morey said months before the trade deadline. After the deadline came and went, the Sixers entered the final stretch of the year without striking a deal to acquire a new center.

“There really were no bigs traded,” Morey said following the deadline. “I was shocked by that. We were aggressive to do that, but they just weren’t available so it didn’t happen. We’re going to have to continue to be creative.”

The Sixers were expected to be players in the buyout market. Several centers became available, but the Sixers didn’t pounce. After taking their time and doing some due diligence on the available Jones, who was waived in October, the Sixers will be the first team to take a chance on him since his run with the Charlotte Hornets.

In 2021, Jones landed in Charlotte after becoming the 19th overall pick in the 2021 draft. He appeared in just 21 games during his rookie effort, averaging three minutes of playing time.

During his sophomore season last year, Jones spent 46 games on the court, averaging 12 minutes per outing. During that time, he produced 3.4 points per game, along with 2.7 rebounds per night.

Following a matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, the Sixers are set to take on Jones’ former team on Saturday.