Category: Sacramento Kings Blog

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Kings sign Devin Carter

The Sacramento Kings recently signed Devin Carter.

Carter (6-3, 193) spent two seasons at Providence (2022-24) after transferring from South Carolina following the 2021-22 season. A Miami, Fla. native, he averaged 19.7 points (47.3 FG%, 37.7 3pt%, 74.9 FT%), 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.8 steals in 35.3 minutes per game over 33 games (33 starts) during the 2023-24 season. Carter averaged 7.7 defensive rebounds per game, the seventh-highest mark in the nation, and scored in double figures in all 33 appearances. He led the Big East in scoring overall and in conference games (21.4 ppg) while also ranking third in the league in rebounding and fourth in steals and 3-pointers made per game.

Carter was named the 23-24 Big East Player of the Year by the conference’s coaches and earned All-Big East First Team honors. He was also an Associated Press All-American Honorable Mention and a Naismith Defensive Player of the Year semifinalist.

Carter became the third lottery pick in Providence school history, joining Austin Croshere (1997) and Kris Dunn (2016).

Kings sign Isaiah Crawford and Isaac Jones to two-way contracts

The Sacramento Kings recently signed Isaiah Crawford and Isaac Jones to two-way contracts.

Crawford, a 6-6, 220-pound forward, averaged 16.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.1 steals per game during the 2023-24 season for Louisiana Tech. Originally from Fort Worth, Texas, Crawford became the 18th player in program history to reach 1,500 career points and ranked second in Conference USA (CUSA) field goal percentage (48.5%), while also shooting a team-best 41.4 percent from three-point range. Crawford was named CUSA Player of the Year and CUSA Defensive Player of the Year for the 23-24 season.

Jones, a 6-9, 242-pound forward, averaged 15.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.1 blocks per game during the 2023-24 season for Washington State. Jones, a Spanaway, Washington native, earned All-Pac-12 Conference First Team honors and finished fourth in the Pac-12 Conference for total rebounds.

Raptors trade Jalen McDaniels to Kings

The Toronto Raptors have acquired guard Davion Mitchell, forward Sasha Vezenkov, the draft rights to Jamal Shead and a 2025 second round pick (via Portland) in a trade with the Sacramento Kings for forward Jalen McDaniels.

“This trade provides us with a mix of young and veteran players, as well as future flexibility and draft assets, as we continue our quest to win, and so we’re pleased to welcome Davion, Sasha and Jamal to the Raptors and to Toronto,” Raptors General Manager Bobby Webster said. “We thank Jalen for his contributions, and we wish him all the best in the future.”

Mitchell, 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, averaged 5.3 points, 1.9 assists, 1.3 rebounds and 15.3 minutes in 72 games (four starts) with Sacramento last season. He shot .452 (146-323) from the field, including .361 (57-158) from three-point range, and scored in double figures 12 times. Mitchell holds career averages of 7.4 points, 2.8 assists, 1.6 rebounds and 20.4 minutes in 227 games (32 starts).

A native of Hinesville, Georgia, Mitchell was picked ninth overall by the Kings in the 2021 NBA Draft. Following one year at Auburn (2017-18), he played two seasons at Baylor (2019-21). As a junior, Mitchell helped the Bears capture the 2021 NCAA Championship and was named the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year.

Vezenkov, 6-foot-9, 225 pounds, appeared in 42 contests with the Kings last season, posting averages of 5.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 12.2 minutes. He shot 44 per cent (84-191) from the floor, .375 (45-120) from beyond the arc, and scored in double digits in eight games.

Vezenkov was picked 57th overall by Brooklyn in the 2017 NBA Draft. Sacramento acquired his draft rights from Cleveland in June 2022. Prior to signing with the Kings last summer, Vezenkov played five seasons (2018-2023) with Olympiacos in Greece where he earned Euroleague MVP honours (2023-23). A native of Nicosia, Cyprus, he has also played professionally overseas with FC Barcelona (2015-18) in Spain and Aris Basketball Club (2011-15) in Greece.

Shead, 6-foot, 201 pounds, was picked 45th overall by Sacramento in the 2024 NBA Draft. He played four seasons at Houston (2020-24) where he averaged 9.7 points, 5.0 assists, 2.8 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 27.5 minutes in 138 career games (108 starts). Last season Shead was named the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year and became the first player in Big 12 history to earn Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honours in same season. The Manor, Texas, native finished his career as the second-winningest player in Cougars history with 120-18 record.

McDaniels averaged 3.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 10.8 minutes in 50 games (one start) with the Raptors last season. He signed as a free agent in July 2023

Report: Malik Monk will stay with Kings

Per ESPN.com:

Free agent guard Malik Monk intends to sign a four-year, $78 million deal — including a player option — to return to the Sacramento Kings, sources told ESPN on Thursday night.

Monk, the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year runner-up, had a career-best season, averaging over 15 points and five assists, and he avoids free agency with the maximum deal available to him to stay in Sacramento.

Kings sign Keon Ellis to multi-year NBA contract

The Sacramento Kings have signed guard Keon Ellis to a multi-year NBA contract.

In his first two seasons, Ellis has appeared in 45 career games, including 29 games and three starts during the 2023-24 season. Last season with the Stockton Kings, the G League affiliate of the Sacramento Kings, Ellis accrued averages of 16.8 points (51.7 FG%, 44.4 3pt%), 5.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game in 23 regular season games.

Ellis originally went undrafted out of Alabama in the 2022 NBA Draft before signing a two-way contract with Sacramento on July 2, 2022.

Pelicans beat Kings in NBA In-Season Tournament quarterfinals

Per the New Orleans Times-Picayune:

The New Orleans Pelicans trailed the Sacramento Kings by 11 points when Jose Alvarado checked in midway through the first quarter. By the time Alvarado subbed back out, the Pelicans had not only erased that deficit — they had pulled ahead by six.

Alvarado came up with two steals and two blocks in his first stint on the floor. His energy plays helped shift the momentum of Monday’s game.

The Pelicans overcame a wobbly start to defeat the Kings 127-117 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. Their win in the first stage of the In-Season Tournament knockout round earned them a trip to Las Vegas. On Thursday, the Pelicans will face the winner of Tuesday’s game between the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers in the In-Season Tournament semifinals…

Ingram poured in 17 of his 30 points after halftime. Ingram also chipped in with eight rebounds and six assists.

FULL ARTICLE

Dillon Brooks goes wild in Rockets win over Kings

Per the Sacramento Bee:

Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks threw up three fingers and stared down the Sacramento bench after hitting a big 3-pointer in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game against the Kings. Brooks blew the Kings a kiss moments later after burying another long ball to seal Sacramento’s fate.

Brooks had 26 points and nine rebounds to lead the Rockets to a 107-89 victory over the Kings before a sellout crowd of 18,055 at Toyota Center in Houston. Brooks made 9 of 14 from the field and 2 of 4 from 3-point range, both coming during a decisive stretch late in the fourth quarter.

“(Brooks) got in a rhythm,” Kings guard Davion Mitchell said. “He had a really good game. He hits shots. He got comfortable. He’s a basketball player. We’re all competitive and he hit shots. He’s going to talk trash. If he wasn’t hitting shots, he wouldn’t be doing the same thing, so it’s OK. We’ll live with the results and we’ll see them again.”

FULL ARTICLE

Kings forward Trey Lyles out with calf injury

Sacramento Kings forward Trey Lyles injured his left calf during warmups of the Kings preseason game vs. the Golden State Warriors on October 18.

Multiple imaging studies confirmed Lyles suffered a left calf strain. Lyles continues to progress through return to play protocol.

Lyles will not travel to Houston with the team and he will be ruled out for the next two games.