Hornets send future first to Knicks for No. 19, select Kai Jones

The Charlotte Hornets are having themselves a busy draft night.

Following trading for Mason Plumlee and No. 37 before the NBA draft and selecting James Bouknight with the No. 11 pick, the Hornets jumped back into the first round for a big man.

Reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Hornets traded a future first-round pick to the New York Knicks for the No. 19 pick, where Charlotte selected Kai Jones out of Texas.

Kai Jones is 6-foot-11 with tremendous mobility and athleticism for a big. Though Jones is still somewhat raw and growing as a player, he checks off a lot of boxes. Jones pairs his ability to defend multiple positions with his rebounding and rim-running strengths.

With the acquisition of Mason Plumlee, Jones has time to come off the bench, take his licks, and learn. If Jones can continue to grow as an offensive talent and keep improving as a floor spacer, he can become an absolute steal at No. 19 for the Hornets and the center of the future.

Stay tuned to Lonzo Wire to see who the Hornets select with their three second-round picks.