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Former Texas Forward Kai Jones Sets Career-High in Points in Mavericks Debut

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ryan Harris | Last updated Mar 4, 2025 12:10 PM ET

The Dallas Mavericks, dealing with various injury concerns amongst their big men, signed former Texas Longhorn Kai Jones to a two-way contract in hopes of creating a presence in the paint against the Sacramento Kings on Monday night.

After spending the beginning of the season with the Clippers and getting most of his playing time with their G League affiliate before being waived Saturday, the Mavericks saw an opportunity to fill an immediate need.

Kai Jones rose to this challenge and made the most of it. He broke his previous career high of 12 points with a stellar 21 point, 8 rebound performance in a 122-98 home loss to the Sacramento Kings.

Jason Kidd was asked about the signing of Jones and what he could bring to the team.

He stated that he likes Jones' ability to "play a little vertical" which adds a piece to the Mavericks that has been missing with the injuries to PJ Washington, Dereck Lively II, and Anthony Davis.

In a post-game interview, Jones was asked what kind of player he thought he could be, to which he responded that he could be a "great player in the NBA."

Kai Jones says he can be a “great player” in the NBA#MFFL pic.twitter.com/rCFZe0nmyJ
— Joey Mistretta (@JoeyMistretta_) March 4, 2025

The former Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year has 11 more games of NBA eligibility after his impressive performance on Monday night. Given the Mavericks' current injury woes, it's likely that Kai Jones will need to step up and fill in for the injured big men.

The Mavericks head to Milwaukee for a game against the Bucks on Tuesday night, and we can expect to see more from Kai Jones.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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