When the Charlotte Hornets traded back into the first round of the 2021 NBA draft to select Kai Jones, they knew they had a long-term project on their hands with insanely high upside.
The talented forward/center prospect out of the University of Texas was the team's second first round pick of the night. Earlier, they added another high-upside player in James Bouknight. Bouknight was viewed as a player who could provide an immediate return on investment in Charlotte, while Jones was looked at as a player who needed some seasoning before being ready to contribute in the NBA.