Dallas Mavericks signing former Charlotte Hornets, LA Clippers big man to two-way contract

The fourth-year forward was selected in the first-round of the 2021 NBA Draft.

Oct 14, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; LA Clippers forward Kai Jones (23) reacts against the Dallas Mavericks during the second half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images | Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks are dangerously thin along the front court with a trio of important big men - forward Anthony Davis, center Daniel Gafford, and center Dereck Lively II - sidelined due to injuries. Davis suffered an adductor injury in his debut with the franchise after being traded by the Los Angeles Lakers for Luka Doncic in a mega deal.

The Mavericks recently saw center Moses Brown's 10-day contract expire and they can't bring him back due to financial restrictions. That has Dallas searching for more help upfront with the team hitting the waiver wire for an addition.

According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, the Mavericks are set to sign former Charlotte Hornets and Los Angeles Clippers center, Kai Jones, to a two-way deal. The Clippers waived Jones earlier Saturday, making room to sign Seth Lundy and Patrick Baldwin Jr. to two-way contracts.

Jan 15, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Reece Beekman (4) dribbles against LA Clippers forward Kai Jones (23) during the second half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

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Jones originally signed with Los Angeles last season and had his deal converted to a two-way contract in October. In 28 appearances with the Clippers, he averaged 2.2 points and 1.6 rebounds over 7.4 minutes per game.

The 24-year-old spent time with LA's G-League team, the San Diego Clippers. Jones saw action in 13 games, averaging 12.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.2 steals in 30.8 minutes per game.

Jones was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the No. 19 pick in the 2021 draft following a college career at Texas where he was named the Big 12's Sixth Man of the Year. In his two seasons with the franchise, he appeared in 67 total games. Jones averaged 2.7 points and 2.0 rebounds over 9.1 minutes per game.

Nov 2, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; LA Clippers forward Kai Jones (23) reacts during warmups against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images | Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

The Hornets released Jones ahead of the 2023-24 campaign following a public struggle with mental health. He re-surfaced a few months later after signing a ten-day contract with the Philadelphia 76ers and eventually making his way to Los Angeles.

It's worth noting that the Mavericks are already at the league maximum of three players under two-way contracts; guard Brandon Williams, center Kylor Kelley, and forward Kessler Edwards. Kelley seems like the most probable candidate for the Mavericks to release as Jones joins the team.

Jones has only appeared in 28 NBA games this season so he'll be eligible to play out the rest of the regular season with the Mavericks. Players on two-way contracts aren't able to appear in more than 50 NBA games.

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