Our exit interview series on the 2025 Clippers continues with former two-way big man Kai Jones.

Basic Information

Height: 6’11

Weight: 218 pounds

Position: Center

Age: 24

Years in NBA: 3

Key Regular Season Stats: 2.2 points, 1.6 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.5 blocks, and 0.4 turnovers in 7.4 minutes per game across 28 games played (0 starts) on 72.2/0/75 (0.1 3PA, 0.4 FTA) shooting splits (73.9 True Shooting)

Expectations

Coming into the season, expectations for Kai were minimal. The Clippers did not have much depth at center, but with Ivica Zubac, Mo Bamba, and Nic Batum as a small-ball option it didn’t seem as though the Clippers would need to count on Kai much. Instead, it was expected that Kai would spend most of the season in Oceanside developing with the G-League team, and get minimal garbage time minutes with the big-league club.

Reality

Things were thrown off kilter by Mo Bamba’s injury, which sidelined him for the start of the season. Kai thus started the season in the Clippers’ rotation as Zubac’s backup, as Ty Lue didn’t want to overplay Nic Batum at small-ball center. Kai thus played in the Clippers’ first eight games, though he played more than 10 minutes in just two of them and played under five in three. Kai was mostly ineffective, with his offense being entirely limited to dunks around the rim and his defense a complete disaster. He played one more game in the rotation (under four minutes) before Mo returned, and was then shifted to the pine for good. Thank god.

However, even with Mo back, Kai mostly stayed up in Los Angeles, playing just 13 games in Oceanside with the G-League squad. Instead, he appeared in a bunch of blowouts, logging minutes in garbage time. Even in those instances, Kai largely failed to impress, as his sheer lack of knowledge on where to position himself on both ends of the court as well as execute simple basketball plays (like setting a firm pick and roll) resulted in numerous slip ups. The energy was great, and you always knew Kai would play hard and run the court in transition. Everything else though, was not NBA caliber.

Thus, it was not a huge surprise when the Clippers waived Kai on March 1 as part of their transactions involving Jordan Miller’s conversion to a full NBA contract. Kai signed with the Mavericks two days later, and played in 12 games for them during their injury-ravaged phase down the stretch of the season. He even had a couple big box-score performances – though watchers noticed the same weaknesses he displayed with the Clippers.

Future with Clippers

Kai has probably shown just enough that he could get another two-way deal or a minimally guaranteed training camp deal in the NBA next year. However, considering the Clippers’ swiftness in moving on from him, it’s very unlikely said deal would be with the Clips. Kai seems like a hard worker, and I hope he can stick in the NBA for a bit, but I remain very skeptical. He seems like someone whose boundless athleticism would make him a true force at a lower level in Europe or elsewhere overseas. If he wants to make it in the NBA, his fundamentals need to improve, and probably significantly so.

2025 Clippers Exit Interviews: Kai Jones
Robert Flom

The Clippers made a flurry of moves this afternoon, prompted by the March 1 deadline of playoff eligibility. First, they waived Marjon Beauchamp to enable the conversion of Jordan Miller to a full deal (an article on that is next). They then waived two-way player Kai Jones and signed Seth Lundy and Patrick Baldwin Jr. to the two open two-way spots.

Kai was signed by the Clippers at the end of last season so that they’d have his rights in the offseason. He was then signed to a two-way deal and played 28 games for the Clippers this season, in essence replacing Moussa Diabate in the Clippers’ organization. In fact, for the first 10 games or so of the season, he was the Clippers’ backup center with Mo Bamba out due to injury. Unfortunately, Jones was not good – he played with a lot of energy and his sheer athleticism was useful in the open court, but he showed zero skills on offense and was constantly out of position on defense. At 24 years old, it’s probably unlikely that Jones improves enough at the fundamentals of basketball to be a real NBA player, and the Clippers clearly agreed. It’s not a huge deal, but with Moussa looking like an actual NBA caliber guy in Charlotte, the Clippers’ choosing of Kai over Moussa appears to be a total whiff.

Baldwin Jr. is the more recognizable name of the two new faces. He was a 5-star high school recruit in the 2021 class before disappointing at Milwaukee. He was still selected with the 28th pick of the 2022 Draft by the Warriors, but did not play much for them (31 games) and was moved in the Chris Paul-Jordan Poole in the summer of 2023. Baldwin was on the Wizards for the next 1.5 seasons and played in 60 games for them before getting traded to the Spurs in February and promptly getting waived.

A 6’9, 220 pound forward, Baldwin has the physical profile of a modern NBA forward. He can also shoot, with a 36.6% three-point percentage on 202 threes in the NBA and 35.8% on 190 attempts in the G-League. Unfortunately, Baldwin hasn’t shown much else, with average or worse rebounding, playmaking, and defensive stats and very poor 2-point shooting percentages. He’s still young at 22 years old, and has a pedigree, so this is a fine swing on a two-way even if he’s not ready to help the Clippers now.

Seth Lundy is probably less known for your average NBA fan. He was the 46th pick in the 2023 Draft by the Atlanta Hawks, but unlike Baldwin has barely played in the NBA, with just nine games and around 50 minutes to his name. He was waived in December 2024 by the Hawks and has not signed anywhere since (he had foot surgery in the offseason and hasn’t played this year). A four-year starter at Penn State, Lundy is already close to 25 years of age, with his birthday coming up in April.

Lundy is a fairly traditional shooting guard at 6’4, 220 and has shot the ball very well (40% from deep on 8.8 attempts per game) in the G-League, albeit on a relatively small sample size (25 games total). Lundy is definitely a score-first player, as he averaged less than one assist per game in college despite playing a lot of minutes. He is a strong rebounder for his size, however, and has decent defensive stats. There’s not a ton of upside there, but there’s more evidence he is good at basketball than Kai.

These are about as minor as moves can be in the NBA, but I’m pretty much on board with them. Best of luck to Kai, and welcome Pat and Seth to the Clippers!

Clippers Waive Kai Jones, Sign Seth Lundy and Patrick Baldwin Jr.
Robert Flom

Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT broke the highly expected news today that the Clippers are converting Kai Jones’ Exhibit 10 to a two-way contract.

Jones, 23, had some flashes in preseason based mostly on his athleticism and motor, averaging 8 points and 5 rebounds with some big dunks and blocks along the way. Jones was the 19th overall pick in 2021 by the Hornets, but was released by them on October 11 of last year after playing in just 67 games and 613 minutes for the team. The Clippers picked him up at the end of last season, and he’s ben with the team ever since.

With Mo Bamba out, this move was anticipated, as Jones will not only make the roster but will serve as the Clippers’ backup center in the short term. Even in the longer term, Bamba’s hold on the backup spot does not seem secure, so if Jones plays well enough, and if Bamba is out long enough, Jones might end up holding onto the reserve center role for more than a handful of games.

I’ve made it fairly clear I’m not super high on Jones. He’s a raw, raw player that does not have much in the way of skill as a shooter, scorer, or passer, and is still learning the nuances of NBA defense. He probably will not be a positive impact player this season. However, the Clippers have been old nd unathletic for years, and Kai is the kind of upside talent swing they should be making. At 23, he will be the youngest player in their 10-man rotation, and he does have a chance to be a real NBA player considering his size and insane athleticism.

As for the Clippers, their roster is now complete, with 15 players under full contract and now all three two-way slots being filled. PJ Tucker is, of course, sill away from the team, but a deal to move him does not seem to be in the offing. Similarly, Bones Hyland, who is not part of the healthy rotation and has been in trade rumors for a while, also does not appear to be on the move soon, at least until the Clippers know what’s happening with Kevin Porter Jr. and his potential suspension. Thus, the Clippers’ roster is set for the regular season, which commences in just four short days.

Clippers Sign Kai Jones to Two-Way Deal
Robert Flom

Amidst the Paul George, Russell Westbrook, and Brandon Boston decisions today, the Clippers made two smaller moves, declining the team option for Kai Jones and not tendering Moussa Diabate a qualifying offer. Both of these actions make those players unrestricted free agents.

Unlike Boston, the path for Moussa and Kai to return seems fairly open, per Law Murray of the Athletic. Moussa has only two years of NBA service, which means he can still sign one more two-way deal (Xavier Moon, who the Clippers also did not sign a qualifying offer for, can’t). Right now, therefore, Jordan Miller is the only guy signed to a two-way, with Trentyn Flowers and other Clippers’ summer league guys being in contention for the last two spots. It’s also possible Miller earns a full spot on the roster, as he had an excellent G-League season and is an older prospect.

Jones has not played at all with the Clippers after signing his deal at the tail end of this past season, but the Clips seem to have liked what they’d seen from him just being around the team in the playoffs.

Moussa and Jones are totally unrestricted, so it’s possible another team offers them a two-way or even a full NBA roster spot and that’s that. Based on their track records, I don’t think that option is super likely, so my guess is we will see both guys on the Clippers’ Summer League team and then probably in training camp.

Overall, the Clippers’ board is now set heading into free agency. Kawhi, Norm, Zu, Terance, Russ, Amir, Bones, PJ, and Kobe are all under contract on regular deals, Jordan Miller is on a two-way, and everyone else from last season’s team is a free agent. Let free agency begin!

Clippers Make Decisions on Kai Jones, Moussa Diabate
Robert Flom

In a bit of pre-playoffs housecleaning, the Clippers waived Josh Primo today and simultaneously signed Kai Jones to a multi-year deal. Jones will fill their last roster spot heading into the playoffs, and because he has not appeared in an NBA game for another team this season, I think he can technically log minutes in the playoffs.

For everyone getting excited about the signing, a bit of cold water. Jones will have almost no time to practice with the team, and has played in just 67 total NBA games, may of them “garbage time” appearances. It is extraordinarily unlikely he is called to do anything in the playoffs outside of fill in garbage time. This is not a move for this playoff run.

Jones, a 6’11, 220 pound big man with a lot of vertical pop, was selected 19th in the 2021 Draft (Primo was 10th), but played limited minutes for the Hornets during his two-year tenure before being waived this fall after erratic behavior and social media posts. Jones has since talked about his mental health with Shams Charania of the Athletic. I’m not a huge fan of Jones on the court, but he’s probably shown more and been more productive than Primo in their professional experiences.

As for Primo, this is the end of his frankly bizarre tenure with the Clippers (for now, anyway – Law Murray has indicated the Clippers could still be interested in him). Primo was a controversial signing after allegations of indecent exposure, and the confusion was compounded when the Clippers signed him to a full deal instead of a two-way in November. Primo played just 10 minutes in the NBA this year, and his G-League numbers were solid though unextraordinary. I’m still not sure why they converted his two-way to a full deal, nor why they’d still have any interest in him, but who knows.

As for Jones, while his deal is “multiyear”, my guess would be that any years he’s signed for after this one are non-guaranteed or with very, very light guarantees. The Clippers want to get him in their program, see what he’s like, and add him to their Summer Camp roster. If that all goes well, maybe he works his way into a spot on next year’s team, as both Mason Plumlee and Daniel Theis are free agents.

Clippers Sign Kai Jones, Waive Josh Primo
Robert Flom