Kai Jones took to social media on Monday to announce that he has "officially requested to be traded from the Charlotte Hornets."
According to Brian Goins, Jones could be subjected to a fine of up to $150,000 by the NBA, based on Article VI, Section 18 of the league's collective bargining agreement. The CBA indicates a player can be fined and/or suspended when someone "publicly expresses a desire to be traded to another Team."
Before he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks last month, Damian Lillard first approached the Portland Trail Blazers about being dealt, and subsequent reports were confirmed by the team. Lillard's experience tends to be the typical order of operations when requesting a trade.
The Hornets recently released a statement announcing Jones would not participate in training camp due to personal reasons. The 2021 first-round pick displayed concerning behavior on Instagram Live last month and posted a series of bizarre tweets, including a few messages where he criticized his own teammate Mark Williams.
Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Jones will be away from the team indefinitely, but the two sides remain in constant contact.
