The Los Angeles Clippers are finalizing a multi-year deal with free agent center Kai Jones and are expected to waive Josh Primo to create roster space for Jones, according to Shams Charania and Law Murray of The Athletic.
Primo, 21, suffered a season-ending left ankle sprain, which is expected to sideline him through the offseason, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ohm Youngmisuk.
Per a few NBA betting sites, the Boston Celtics remain the odds-on favorite to win the championship. Sportsbooks are still showing great odds for the Denver Nuggets, Clippers, and Milwaukee Bucks.
The Clippers are expected to waive Josh Primo to create roster space for Jones, sources tell me and @LawMurrayTheNU. https://t.co/dENVL6Xmj9
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 13, 2024
Jones, 23, was selected 19th overall by the New York Knicks in the 2021 NBA Draft out of the University of Texas at Austin. The 6-foot-11 big man was then traded to the Charlotte Hornets.
In a combined 67 career games off the bench for Charlotte over the past two seasons, he averaged 2.7 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 9.1 minutes per game. He also shot 56.7% from the field and 64.7% at the free throw line.
Additionally, in 46 games as a reserve with the Hornets in 2022-23, the center averaged career highs of 3.4 points, 2.7 boards, and 12 minutes. Plus, the Texas product shot 55.8% from the floor and a career-best 73.1% at the foul line.
Los Angeles Clippers add Kai Jones for big-man depth, waive Josh Primo to create roster space
In Charlotte’s 137-134 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 28, 2023, Jones recorded career highs of 12 points and 14 rebounds in 22 minutes of action.
Jones was waived by the Hornets in October before training camp after posting a series of strange messages on social media and criticizing then-Charlotte teammates Nick Richards and Mark Williams in August.
The Philadelphia 76ers signed Jones to a 10-day contract last month. However, the 6-foot-11 big man suffered a right hamstring strain and did not appear in a game with the Sixers. Philadelphia opted not to re-sign him.
Each NBA team can offer a maximum of two 10-day contracts to a player in a given season.
KAI JONES DUNKED ON WEMBY 😳 pic.twitter.com/ZzzVKXXwN3
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 8, 2023
Meanwhile, Primo was selected 12th overall by the San Antonio Spurs out of the University of Alabama. The 6-foot-6 guard was waived by San Antonio last year for engaging in “inappropriate and offensive behavior by exposing himself to women.”
The NBA issued Primo a four-game suspension for his behavior. His case allegedly included a number of incidents with a sports psychologist who worked for the Spurs.
Primo appeared in just two games with the Clippers this season after signing him.
Moreover, the Dallas Mavericks lost 107-89 to the Detroit Pistons on Friday night. This means the Clippers have officially secured home-court advantage for their first-round playoff series with Dallas.
The first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs begins Saturday, April 20.
