Category: Sacramento Kings Blog

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Sacramento Kings sign De’Aaron Fox to contract extension

The Sacramento Kings made a big investment on Wednesday (November 25, 2020), signing guard De’Aaron Fox to a multi-year contract extension.

Accorrding to the Sacramento Bee, Fox “received a maximum five-year, $163 million extension that could reach the $195.6 million super max with incentives.”

“De’Aaron is amongst the elite young guards in the league and I can’t say enough about how excited we are to have his talent, leadership and potential remain in Sacramento for years to come,” said General Manager Monte McNair. “His speed and dynamic playmaking ability along with his aggressive defensive mindset are core to our team’s identity. Not only is De’Aaron a fierce competitor who is committed to winning here, his charisma and integrity are characteristics we value greatly. I anticipate a bright future ahead for him and the organization.”

Entering his fourth season in the NBA, the fifth overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft has career averages of 16.2 points (.451 FG%, .328 3pt%, .718 FT%), 3.4 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 30.3 minutes per game in 205 games (190 starts) with the Kings.

During the 2019-20 campaign, Fox averaged 21.1 points (.480 FG%, .292 3pt%, .705 FT%), 3.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 32.0 minutes per game through 51 games (49 starts).

Last season, Fox registered career-highs in points per game, field-goal percentage, points in a game (39), and field goals made in a game (17).

“I would like to thank Vivek and Monte for this opportunity to continue my career with the Kings,” said Fox. “It has been an honor to play in front of the best fans in all of sports and begin my career here in Sacramento. I look forward to getting back on the court with my teammates, competing hard every night and leading this team to the next level.”

Kings will reportedly sign Frank Kaminsky

The Sacramento Kings will reportedly be signing Frank Kaminsky. Here’s the Sacramento Bee:

The Kings got off to a slow start in free agency while the Bogdan Bogdanovic saga played out, but general manager Monte McNair was working overtime on Thanksgiving Day.

McNair signed a second free agent Thursday, adding Frank Kaminsky on a short-term deal a day after signing Hassan Whiteside. Kaminsky agreed to a non-guaranteed one-year-deal with the Kings, a league source told The Sacramento Bee.

Kings trade KJ Martin Jr’s draft rights to Rockets

The Houston Rockets have acquired the rights to rookie guard KJ Martin Jr. in a trade with the Sacramento Kings in exchange for cash considerations and a future L.A. Lakers second round pick attained via trade with Detroit.

The 19-year-old is the son of Kenyon Martin, who was the first overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft. Martin Jr. attended Sierra Canyon School in California, where he was teammates with Scotty Pippen Jr. and Cassius Stanley, who was selected by Indiana with the 54th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

Per the Houston Chronicle, KJ had this to say: “Being around it and seeing it all my life, now I’m in the situation my dad was in a way, I’m just very excited,” Martin said. “I feel like it made me a better player. People ask, ‘Is it harder for you because of your dad?” I kind of take it as an advantage. A lot of kids don’t see that type of stuff and be around NBA guys and see how they work. I took all that in and put it to use for myself. It paid off.”

Martin (6-6, 215) was the 52nd overall pick by the Kings in the 2020 NBA Draft. He spent last season with IMG Academy’s post-graduate team, which posted a 29-3 record, and averaged 19.6 points and 8.3 rebounds while shooting 69.1% from inside-the-arc.

More from the Chronicle: “The league is crowded with second generation players Devin Booker (Melvin,) Jalen Brunson (Rick,) Bol Bol (Manute,) Amir Coffey (Rick,) Steph and Seth Curry (Del,) Jae Crowder (Corey,) Ed Davis (Terry,) Darius Garland (Winston,) Jerami Grant (Harvey,) Al Horford (Tito,) Jaren Jackson Jr., Kevin Love (Stan,) Wesley Matthews (Wes,) Larry Nance Jr., Jabari Parker (Sonny,) Gary Payton II, Austin Rivers (Doc,) Glenn Robinson III, Domantas Sabonis (Arvydas,) Garrett Temple (Hollis,) Klay Thompson (Mychal,) Gary Trent Jr., Andrew Wiggins (Mitchell,) and Justise Winslow (Ricky.)”

Hawks sign former Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic

The Atlanta Hawks have signed restricted free agent guard Bogdan Bogdanovic.

Per multiple reports, Bogdanovic’s Hawks contract is a four-year deal for $72 million.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “the Kings have elected not to match the Hawks’ offer for the 28-year-old restricted free agent, the AJC confirmed, and thus he will play for Atlanta this season, rounding out a handful of moves that have significantly improved its roster.”

“Bogdan has a great feel for the game, and we expect him to be a great fit for us with his high-level offensive skill set, experience and toughness,” said Hawks President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Travis Schlenk. “It’s no secret that one of our biggest areas of focus in free agency was adding shooting and quality depth. With Bogdan as part of our incoming group, we feel those are now areas of strength.”

Bogdanovic, 28, averaged 15.1 points, 3.4 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 29.0 minutes for the Kings last season (.440 FG%, .372 3FG%, .741 FT%), appearing in 61 games (28 starts). He was tied for 24th in the NBA in three-pointers made (164). In his three-year career in Sacramento, the native of Belgrade, Serbia has totaled 13.5 points, 3.5 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 28.2 minutes (.434 FG%, .374 3FG%, .806 FT%) in 209 games (97 starts).

Originally the 27th overall pick in the first round of the 2014 NBA Draft by Phoenix, the 6-foot-6 Bogdanovic played internationally for Partizan (Serbia) and Fenerbahce (Turkey) before coming to the NBA.

He will wear jersey No. 13.

Jabari Parker reportedly exercises option to remain with Kings for 2020-21

Jabari Parker will remain in Sacramento. Here’s the Sacramento Bee:

Kings forward Jabari Parker has reportedly exercised his player option and will remain in Sacramento for the 2020-21 season.

Sources told The Athletic’s Shams Charania on Tuesday that Parker is picking up his $6.5 million option for next season, a move that comes as no surprise. Parker is still only 25 years old, but his career has been plagued by injuries since the Milwaukee Bucks selected him from Duke with the No. 2 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.

Parker played 32 games for the Hawks last season and averaged 15.0 points and 6.0 rebounds, and was traded to the Kings, for whom he played just six games, averaging 8.5 points and 3.8 rebounds in 13.3 minutes per outing.

Sacramento Kings hire Mark Jones as new primary TV play-by-play announcer

The Sacramento Kings announced today that Mark Jones has been named as the team’s new primary TV play-by-play announcer. Universally recognized for his nationally televised work on ESPN and ABC Sports, Jones brings more than 30 years of experience to Sacramento. He will call game action alongside Kings TV color analyst and Legend Doug Christie on NBC Sports California, the exclusive home of Kings basketball, beginning in the 2020-21 season.

“We are delighted to welcome Mark to the Kings family and watch him partner with Doug to form a new, dynamic broadcast team for the franchise and its proud fans,” said Kings Owner and Chairman Vivek Ranadivé. “Throughout his impressive career, Mark has amassed a tremendous wealth of experience broadcasting some of the largest events this league has hosted. We are excited he has chosen to continue his career in Sacramento as we look towards the bright future of this organization.”

“Mark is an exceptional NBA broadcasting talent, as evidenced by his long and successful career on both a national and local level,” added NBC Sports Bay Area/California Senior Vice President and General Manager Matt Murphy. “We’re thrilled to bring Mark on board and look forward to pairing him up with Doug for our expert Kings coverage beginning this season.”

“I am thrilled to join the Kings broadcast team. During my years of covering the league extensively, Sacramento has always stood among the top for its passionate and deeply loyal fan base,” said Jones. “I am thankful to Vivek and the organization for this incredible opportunity. My family and I are excited to move to Sacramento and become a part of the community.”

Jones most recently represented ESPN in Orlando as part of the network’s broadcast team during the 2019-20 NBA season restart. He will continue as a play-by-play commentator for ESPN’s NBA and college football coverage while serving as the lead TV voice for the Kings, calling the majority of games. For those games Jones is absent, the team will announce an additional play-by-play announcer soon who will also have pre- and post-game show responsibilities on NBC Sports California.

Since beginning at ESPN in 1990, Jones has been involved with a wide range of assignments. Prior to his role with the network covering NBA and college football, Jones previously worked on broadcasts for the NBA Finals, WNBA, and men’s and women’s college basketball.

From 1991-96 and 2007-10, Jones hosted the network’s SportsCenter coverage of the NBA Finals and called play-by-play for the 2011 NBA Finals for ESPN 3D. He has also hosted ESPN’s coverage of NBA All-Star events, the NBA Draft Lottery and has contributed to the network’s NBA Draft coverage. Jones previously hosted ESPN’s NBA Today and on occasion served as an anchor/reporter on SportsCenter. In addition, Jones has been assigned to events airing on ABC since 1990 with duties including college football, college basketball, the World League and various events on ABC’s Wide World of Sports.

Before joining ESPN and ABC Sports, Jones worked from 1986-90 for The Sports Network in Toronto, Canada, where he was the sports desk anchor and host of a Toronto Blue Jays magazine show. The Toronto native graduated from York University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics in 1985. At York, he was a four-year member of the basketball team, earning All-Conference recognition. Jones has also represented Canada in international basketball competition.

Sacramento Kings hire Rex Kalamian as assistant coach

The Sacramento Kings announced today that Rex Kalamian has been named Assistant Coach.

“I’m excited to add Rex’s experience and perspective to the team,” said Kings Head Coach Luke Walton. “His nearly 30 years in the league will benefit our group and I look forward to working with him.”

Kalamian returns to the Kings after serving as assistant coach from 2007 to 2009. He joins from the Los Angeles Clippers (2018-20), where the team amassed a 97-57 (.629) regular season record during his tenure on Doc Rivers’ staff. Prior to Los Angeles, Kalamian spent three seasons with the Toronto Raptors, serving as the top assistant for Dwane Casey. He helped lead Toronto to a 166-80 (.675) regular season record, the NBA’s third-best over that span, in addition to 2016 Eastern Conference Finals and second round playoff berths in 2017 and 2018.

From 2009-15, he worked with the Oklahoma City Thunder, as the team posted a 316-160 (.664) regular season record, reaching three Western Conference Finals and making one NBA Finals appearance. Before his first stint in Sacramento, Kalamian also coached with Minnesota (2005-07), Denver (2004-05) and the Clippers (1995-2003). He previously served as a scout for Philadelphia (2003-04) and the Clippers (1992-95) before being promoted to assistant coach.

Prior to the NBA, Kalamian worked for two seasons as an assistant at his former school, East Los Angeles College. A graduate of Cal Poly Pomona, Kalamian earned a bachelor’s degree in business management.

Which Kings players are free agents this NBA offseason?

The Sacramento Kings finished the shortened 2020-21 NBA season with a 31-41 record, placing them 12th in the Western conference. Here’s the Sacramento Bee with a quick free agency overview:

The Kings will have a number of personnel decisions to make when free agency begins. Kent Bazemore, Harry Giles III, Alex Len and Yogi Ferrell will be unrestricted free agents. Bogdan Bogdanovic will be a restricted free agent. Nemanja Bjelica’s $7.2 million salary will become fully guaranteed if he is not waived before the start of free agency.

The Kings were led in scoring last season by De’Aaron Fox at 21.1 points per game, Buddy Hield at 19.2 ppg, Bogdan Bogdanovic at 15.1 ppg, Harrison Barnes at 14.5 ppg, Marvin Bagley III, who played just 13 games, at 14.2 ppg, and Richaun Holmes at 12.3 ppg.

Sacramento Kings hire Wes Wilcox, Phil Jabour and Paul Johnson to basketball operations group

The Sacramento Kings hired Wes Wilcox, Phil Jabour and Paul Johnson to the team’s basketball operations group today.

Wilcox will serve as Assistant General Manager. He will support General Manager Monte McNair in all facets of front office operations including roster construction, strategy and player evaluation. He joins the Kings organization with nearly 20 years of experience in the NBA, including serving as General Manager (2015-17) and Assistant General Manager (2012-15) of the Atlanta Hawks.

Jabour was named Vice President of Player Personnel. He will be primarily responsible for overseeing the structure and processes of the scouting department. He comes to Sacramento’s front office with 14 years of experience in the league, most recently serving as Director of Scouting for the Philadelphia 76ers where he was heavily involved in day-to-day personnel operations, including talent evaluation, leading intel processes and collaborating with player agents.

Johnson was named Director of Basketball Operations and General Manager of the team’s G League affiliate, the Stockton Kings. He will lead Stockton’s front office and have a hand in multiple aspects of Kings basketball operations. He joins the Kings basketball operations department with seven years of NBA experience, most recently serving as the Assistant General Manager of the NBA G League’s Oklahoma City Blue.

These three executives join Chief Strategy Officer Joe Dumars, Assistant General Manager Ken Catanella, Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance Teena Murray and Vice President of Kings Academy and Professional Development Galen Duncan in rounding out McNair’s management team.

“I am excited to have Wes, Phil and Paul join the front office,” said McNair. “Wes’ background as an executive in the league combined with Phil’s veteran leadership through the scouting ranks and Paul’s proven experience in evaluating talent will be strong additions to the basketball operations group. Their diverse skill sets and unique perspectives will add valuable knowledge and innovative thinking as we focus on executing our vision of building a winning culture in Sacramento.”

Should the Sixers pursue shooting guard Buddy Hield?

Should the Sixers chase shooting guard Buddy Hield? The idea is just an idea and not a real rumor just yet, as far as we know. But a fan is asking the question to the Philly Voice. The response:

Buddy Hield’s name is going to come up a lot this offseason and for good reason. But I would agree people have been a little overzealous talking about him like he would be the Sixers’ version of Klay Thompson or something.

Let’s start with the positives. Though he fell out of favor with Kings coach Luke Walton last season, there is almost zero doubt Hield’s shooting would translate to any team he plays for. Hield knocked down 39.4 percent of his threes on almost 10 attempts per game, a number that rises to 41.3 percent when you focus strictly on catch-and-shoot threes. On the Sixers, Hield wouldn’t need to do much, if any self-creation, and Doc Rivers has a history of making the most out of guys who can shoot on the move like Hield can.

For the amount of money he’s going to be making — and Hield’s $94 million extension doesn’t kick in until next season — you would just hope Hield could offer something more than shooting prowess. I would agree that he’s not very good defensively despite having the size to be at least average, and he’s not offering you much creation for himself or others.

A big question regarding the Sixers is how they’ll be using Ben Simmons going forward. Should he continue at point guard, where he has a big size advantage, but while lacking an ability to stretch the defense due to his limited shooting range? Or should they make him a point-forward, and stick another shooter in the backcourt?

The answer to this question will help determine who the Sixers should go after in trade or the free agent market this offseason.