Former Dallas Mavericks center signs one-year deal with Turkish team

Kai Jones departs the NBA to sign with Anadolu Efes

While the NBA is the biggest basketball league in the world, not every player manages to carve out a permanent career.

The same is the case for former 19th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Kai Jones. According to a recent press release, Jones is taking his talents to Europe by signing a one-year deal with Turkish team, Anadolu Efes.

“We have signed Bahamian player Kai Jones, who played last season with the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, to a one-year contract.

“Born in 2001, the 2.11-meter-tall player can play both center and power forward positions,” the club announced (h/t Eurohoops).

Last season, Jones featured in 12 games for the Mavericks, averaging 11.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game for the team.

Kai Jones has failed to impress in the NBA

While Jones wasn’t a lottery pick in 2021, he had a solid 2020-21 campaign with the Texas Longhorns. After all, Jones was named the Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year that season.

However, Jones failed to carry that momentum forward into his NBA career. Despite being initially picked by the New York Knicks, Jones never donned the iconic team’s jersey.

Instead, he spent the first two years of his NBA career with the Charlotte Hornets. Jones was already playing overseas in his third year before returning for short stints with the LA Clippers and Mavericks.

He has averaged just 3.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.4 assists per game for his career. Jones was briefly a target for the Miami Heat, but considering his career averages in mind, it’s no surprise he has moved to Europe.