Category: Sacramento Kings Blog

The Sacramento Kings today named Ty Ellis as Head Coach of the team’s NBA G League affiliate Stockton Kings.

Ellis arrives in Stockton having spent the previous 20 years involved in basketball as a collegiate and professional player and coach at the NBA G League, USA Basketball and NBA levels. He takes the helm ahead of the Kings 2018-19 debut season in California’s central valley after relocating from Reno, NV where the club played for 10 seasons.

The opportunity marks Ellis’ second instance as a head coach for an inaugural NBA G League campaign after being tapped to lead the Northern Arizona Suns (Prescott Valley, AZ) in 2016. Under his direction, Johnny O’Bryant and Elijah Millsap earned Gatorade Call-Ups and subsequent multiyear contracts with NBA teams.

Most recently, the Dallas native served as an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns (2017-18) after spending the summer working under Jeff Van Gundy as an assistant during the 2017 USA AmeriCup Team—helping guide the American squad to a 5-0 record and the FIBA Americas Gold Medal. Additionally, Ellis was among only four NBA G League coaches invited to participate in the 2017 NBA Draft Combine tasked with aiding prospects through scrimmages and drills.

Ellis entered the coaching ranks in 2012 after an 11-year playing career domestically and abroad. In 2001, Ellis was drafted by the Huntsville Flight to play in the inaugural season for the NBA D-League. He spent the following decade playing overseas in the top European leagues, including stops in Germany (Frankfurt Skyliners), Turkey (Besiktas Cola Turka), Basket Napoli (Italy), and six years in Spain’s first league (Liga ACB). His international resume also features four years as a member of the Georgian National Team (2006-09), highlighted by 16.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists during the 2009 Division B Eurobasket tournament.

Following his retirement from the court in 2012, Ellis accepted his first coaching position with the Tulsa 66ers (NBA D-League), where he served as an assistant for one year before taking similar roles with the Reno Bighorns (2013-14), Grand Rapids Drive (2014-15) and Bakersfield Jam (2015-16).

Ellis enjoyed a four-year collegiate career at Southern Nazarene University (1997-2001), ranking fourth all-time in Crimson Storm history with 1,822 career points and second with 248 3-pointers made.

The Sacramento Kings signed Wenyen Gabriel to a two-way contract today.

A 6-9, 213-pound forward, Gabriel joined the Kings roster for the inaugural California Classic in Sacramento and the 2018 Las Vegas NBA Summer League, posting 6.8 points and 5.6 rebounds in 16.4 minutes per game over five appearances in the desert after playing in all three Cal Classic contests.

Undrafted in 2018 out of Kentucky, the Sudanese-born product registered 6.8 points (.495 FG%, .396 3pt%, .625 FT%), 5.4 rebounds, 0.84 steals, 1.12 blocks and 23.1 minutes per game as a sophomore last season, making seven starts. He notched a career-high tying 23 points (7-8 FG, 7-7 3pt, 2-2 FT) to complement two rebounds and three blocks versus Alabama (3/10/18) and contributed 16 points (5-11 FG, 3-5 3pt, 3-3 FT), 12 rebounds and two blocks in a 95-75 triumph against Buffalo (3/17/18) in Round 2 of the NCAA Tournament a week later. Gabriel parlayed successful performances in the 2016 Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit prep showcases out of Wilbraham & Monson Academy (Massachusetts), debuting at Kentucky in 2015. In 38 contests as a freshman (started 23), he accrued averages of 4.6 points (.471 FG%, .317 3pt%, .617 FT%), 4.8 rebounds, 0.93 blocks and 17.7 minutes per game.

The Sacramento Kings yesterday signed free agent guard Yogi Ferrell.

Ferrell joins the Kings after spending most of the last two seasons with Dallas, posting 10.2 points (.426 FG%, .373 3pt%, .796 FT%), 3.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 27.8 minutes per game en route to appearing in all 82 contests last season for the Mavericks. He concluded the campaign having scored 10-plus points on 40 occasions and 20 or more in five games, including a season-high 24 points (9-11 FG, 6-11 3pt) to accompany four rebounds, two assists, one steal and a block in 38 minutes versus Denver (3/6).

Undrafted out of Indiana University, the 6-0, 180-pound guard spent time between the Brooklyn and Long Island Nets as an affiliate player following summer league, making his NBA debut on Nov. 30, 2016. He totaled 10 NBA appearances with Brooklyn between G-League assignments, registering 5.4 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 15.1 minutes per game before earning a 10-day contract from the Mavericks in late January. In 36 contests to conclude the 2016-17 season, Farrell increased his scoring average by nearly six points a game and made 29 starts, averaging 11.3 points (.412 FG%, .403 3pt%, .877 FT%), 2.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.14 steals and 29.1 minutes per game, highlighted by a career-best 32 points on 9-of-11 three pointers made (becoming the third undrafted rookie in league annals to post a 30-point effort within his first 15 games). For his efforts in contests played during February of 2017, Ferrell was named the Western Conference Player of the Month and ultimately a nod on the NBA All-Rookie Second Team by season’s end.

Ferrell enjoyed a four-year collegiate career at Indiana, earning Second-Team All American, First Team All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Defensive team accolades following his senior season (2015-16). His name peppers the IU record book, where he ranks first in school history with 633 career assists and holds the Hoosiers all-time mark of 68 consecutive games with a three-pointer made.

The Sacramento Kings have expanded the role Peja Stojakovic will play with the team. His title is now Assistant General Manager, according to General Manager Vlade Divac.

In his new position, Stojakovic will help Divac in regard to front office responsibilities, and assist with management of player development, talent evaluation and oversight of the Stockton Kings, who are the team’s NBA G League affiliate.

“I am thrilled to announce that Peja will serve in this expanded role,” Divac said. “His experience as a player and basketball executive combined with his ability to develop players and assess talent is a valuable asset to the Kings.”

Stojakovic moves into this role after spending the past three seasons as a team executive, most recently as Vice President of Basketball and Team Development.

In addition to player development responsibilities, Peja assisted the front office in domestic and international scouting efforts and oversaw the team’s D-League affiliate.

Selected 14th overall in the 1996 NBA Draft by Sacramento after playing six seasons overseas (four for Greek powerhouse POAK), the Serbian-born sharpshooter helped form a nucleus that would go on to participate in the postseason in each of his seven seasons in a Kings uniform. A three-time All-Star, his resume features back-to-back Three-Point Contest victories at All-Star Saturday night in 2002 and 2003. A 13-year NBA veteran, he accrued averages of 17.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 804 contests with the Kings (1998-2006), Indiana Pacers (2006), New Orleans Hornets (2006-2010), Toronto Raptors (2010-2011) and Dallas Mavericks (2011), where he won an NBA Championship.

Stojakovic continues to pace the Kings annals in several shooting categories, ranking first in franchise and Sacramento-era history in three-pointers made (1,070) and attempted (2,867). He retired from basketball in 2011 and returned to Sacramento in 2015 to serve as an executive in the front office. In honor of his accomplishments as a King, his No. 16 jersey hangs in the Golden 1 Center rafters.

Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic had a post season MRI at Kaiser Permanente in Sacramento that revealed a slight tear of the medial meniscus in the left knee.

Today, he will undergo a minimally invasive meniscus debridement procedure at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. The arthroscopic procedure will be performed by Dr. Riley Williams.

The Kings expect he will make a full recovery and an update will be provided when it is available.

The Sacramento Kings on Saturday signed forward Nigel Hayes.

The 6-foot-8 Hayes averaged 15.0 points (.442 FG%, .423 3pt%, .722 FT%), 6.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.3 steals and 34.0 minutes per outing in 43 games (35 starts) this season in the G League, playing for the Westchester Knicks and Raptors 905. He also appeared in two NBA games, for both the L.A. Lakers and Raptors, totaling nine points (3-5 FG, 2-4 3pt, 1-1 FT) and two assists.

The Wisconsin standout finished his collegiate career ranked third on the school’s all-time scoring list (1,857) and remains the only Badger in program annals with top-10 statistics in points, rebounds (802) and assists (309). His tenure included Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year accolades as a freshman (2014), First-Team All-Big Ten honors as junior (2016) and Third Team All-Big Ten nods following his sophomore and senior campaigns (2015 & 2017) while averaging 12.4 points (.446 FG%, .332 3pt%, .666 FT%), 5.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 29.6 minutes per contest in 150 games (112 starts). A durable player, Hayes did not miss a game in his college career, a streak that featured 113 straight starts from 2014-17 (including 35 during Wisconsin’s 2014-15 run to the national championship game).