What a pity! Signing with an overseas league! The 24-year-old NBA first-round pick center

American media Sportando reported that the Italian club Virtus Bologna is close to signing Kai Jones.

During last season's regular season, Jones played for two teams, appearing in 28 games for the Clippers with an average of 7.4 minutes, scoring 2.2 points and grabbing 1.6 rebounds; he played 12 games for the Mavericks, starting 6 times, averaging 21.7 minutes, contributing 11.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists, with an impressive shooting percentage of 83.6%.

During his time with the Mavericks, Jones had his best game against his former team, the Clippers, where he played less than 21 minutes, shooting 9 for 9 for a perfect shooting percentage, scoring 18 points, grabbing 7 rebounds, and blocking 3 shots, proving himself emphatically...

However, it is still very unfortunate that after the summer offseason began, the Mavericks, with a crowded frontcourt (including Anthony Davis, Lively, and Gafford), did not offer Jones a contract extension, making him a completely unrestricted free agent. To date, he has not received any offers from other NBA teams, so he may really have to start his overseas journey at the age of 24.

Born on January 19, 2001, Jones stands 2.11 meters tall with a wingspan of 2.17 meters. He is an explosive jumping big man and was the 19th overall pick in the first round of the 2021 draft. He was expected to have a bright future, but in the summer of 2023, he suddenly went "off the rails," calling himself the Goat, MVP, and DPOY, even claiming he could outperform superstars like Jordan and LeBron. Subsequently, his mother team, the Hornets, could not bear it any longer and waived him.

After leaving the Hornets, Jones fell into a wandering state, paying the price for his recklessness. In the 2023-24 season, he first signed a 10-day contract with Philadelphia, then reached an agreement with the Clippers, but he did not play a single official game that season, and the situation for the 2024-25 season is as described above.

Of course, considering that Jones is still very young, if he can perform well in the Italian league or other overseas leagues and maintain his mental state, there is still a chance for him to return to the NBA in the future. After all, this guy's physical talent is truly enticing; the moment he dunked over the rookie version of Wembanyama is still fresh in people's memories.

It has been proven that no matter how good the talent is, it must be paired with a sound mind to be realized; no zuo no die.