Hornets acquire No. 19 pick from Knicks, draft Kai Jones

Jones is a wiry 6-foot-11 forward who adds some much-needed size, versatility and dynamic athleticism to the Hornets’ frontcourt.

Although his production in college doesn't jump off the page, Jones showed marked improvement as a sophomore with the Longhorns. He’s a smooth athlete with great leaping ability, a fine 3-point shot (38.2% on 34 attempts last season) and an ability to run the floor.

Hornets young star LaMelo Ball loves to get out in transition and create easy baskets for teammates and Jones is precisely the type of dynamic athlete who can translate defense to offense in a hurry on the fast break.

With players like Ball, Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward flanking him, Jones’ immediate role will be that of an energy guy to crash the boards and put his high motor to good use.

The selections of Bouknight and Jones are in a similar vein. It’s clear the Hornets wanted to get more explosive and find players with the ability to plug into the rotation right away. These weren’t developmental prospects, even though Jones in particular still has a much higher ceiling to explore.

Look out for the Hornets in the coming years. There will be plenty of buzz coming out of Charlotte after an active, seemingly successful draft night.

As for the Knicks’ side of this trade, they’re clearly building toward something big. With a culture change successfully pulled off under the watch of head coach Tom Thibodeau, New York should once again become an intriguing free-agent destination over the next few years.