Category: Sacramento Kings Blog

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Kings sign PJ Dozier to second 10-day contract

The Sacramento Kings have signed PJ Dozier to a second 10-day contract.

Dozier signed a 10-day contract with Sacramento on Jan. 9 and has appeared in three games for the Kings. Prior to joining the Kings this season, Dozier played for the Iowa Wolves, the Minnesota Timberwolves G-League affiliate, where he averaged 18.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 36.8 minutes per game in the regular season.

The 26-year-old has seen action in 108 regular season NBA games and 12 NBA playoff games. Dozier, a Columbia, South Carolina, native played for the Denver Nuggets from 2019-2022.

Kings sign PJ Dozier to a 10-day contract

The Sacramento Kings have signed PJ Dozier to a 10-day contract.

The 6-6/205, 26-year-old Dozier had been playing for the Iowa Wolves, the Minnesota Timberwolves G-League affiliate, where he averaged 18.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 36.8 minutes per game in the regular season.

Dozier has played in 105 regular season NBA games and 12 NBA playoff games.

The Columbia, South Carolina, native played for the Denver Nuggets from 2019-2022. He played two years of college basketball at the University of South Carolina, helping the Gamecocks reach the national semifinals in 2017.

Kings waive Chima Moneke

The Sacramento Kings yesterday (Friday) waived forward Chima Moneke.

The Kings are 20-17 this season, which is the 5th best record in the Western conference.

Their leading scorers so far in 2022-23 are De’Aaron Fox at 23.9 PPG, Domantas Sabonis at 18.7 PPG, and Kevin Huerter at 15.9 PPG.

The Kings roster now stands at 16 players, including two Two-Way players.

Kings forward Keegan Murray named NBA Western Conference Rookie of Month for Dec. 2022

Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray has been named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month for games played in December, the NBA announced today.

The fourth overall selection in the 2022 NBA Draft, Murray averaged 12.7 points (46.0 FG%, 46.4 3pt%), 3.5 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 28.6 minutes per game in 14 games (14 starts) during the month of December.

Murray began the final month of 2022 with a new career high of 23 points to go with seven rebounds in a win at the LA Clippers on Dec. 3. The Iowa native had 18 points (6-8 3pt) in a win at Cleveland on Dec. 9 and finished with 20 points (7-13 FG, 4-6 3pt) in a victory over the Pistons on Dec. 16. Murray followed those outings with a career-high tying 23 points in Sacramento’s win vs. the Lakers on Dec. 21, going 7-for-17 from the floor, including 6-of-12 from beyond the arc, to become the first Kings rookie with five or more 3s in multiple games during December.

The first-year forward earns his first Rookie of the Month honor after he led all rookies in total 3-pointers made (39), games with multiple 3-point field goals (10) and 3-point field goal percentage. Since the 1979-80 season, Murray is just one of three rookies to connect on 35 or more 3-point attempts in December, joining Kyle Kuzma (2017-18, 38) and Luka Doncic (2018-19, 35) and the first to also shoot 45.0% or better from 3-point distance. His three games with 20+ points were tied for second in the month among rookies and mark the most by a Kings’ first-year player in December since Tyreke Evans (2009-10, 8).

Among all rookies this season, Murray currently ranks fifth in scoring (11.5) and total points (137) and first in 3-point field goals made (73) and 3-point shooting percentage (38.2%).

Murray is the eighth player in franchise history to receive Rookie of the Month honors and the first NBA Rookie of the Month out of Iowa since the award’s inception during the 1981-82 season.

Kings center Domantas Sabonis reportedly sustains hand injury

Via the Sacramento Bee:

Kings center Domantas Sabonis faces an uncertain prognosis after sustaining a hand injury in Friday’s loss to the Washington Wizards at Golden 1 Center.

X-rays confirmed Sabonis suffered an injury to his right hand in the fourth quarter of the Kings’ 125-111 loss to the Wizards, sources told The Sacramento Bee on Saturday, confirming a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Kings sign Jeriah Horne and Alex O’Connell, waive Wes Iwundu and Jordan Ford

The Sacramento Kings have signed guards Jeriah Horne and Alex O’Connell.

Also today, the Kings waived guards Jordan Ford and Wes Iwundu.

Horne (6-7, 220), a Kansas City, Mo. native, was undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft before joining the Kings Summer League roster, where he averaged 6.7 points per game while shooting 47.1 percent from the field.

From Roswell, Ga., O’Connell (6-6, 185) spent three seasons at Duke (2017-20) before transferring to Creighton (2020-22). He was undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft before joining the Kings for NBA Summer League, averaging 5.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.

Ford (6-1, 175), a Folsom, Calif. native, spent four years at St. Mary’s from 2016-20. Ford spent the 2021-22 season with the Agua Caliente Clippers, averaging 9.7 points and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 40.8 percent from 3-point range.

Iwundu (6-6, 195) played in 14 games for the Cleveland Charge during the 2021-22 season. The Houston native averaged 7.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.

Kings exercise team option for 2023-24 season on Davion Mitchell

The Sacramento Kings have exercised their team option for the 2023-24 season on guard Davion Mitchell, according to Kings General Manager Monte McNair.

Selected by the Kings with the ninth overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Mitchell earned 2021-22 NBA Rising Stars team honors as he averaged 11.5 points and 4.2 assists while shooting .418 percent from the field. Mitchell played in 75 games (19 starts) and averaged 27.7 minutes per game during his rookie campaign.

The Hinesville, Georgia, native finished his first season ranked in the top 10 among all rookies in points (11.5 ppg, 10th), assists (4.2 apg, 5th) and minutes per game (27.7 mpg, 10th).

Sacramento Kings basketball operations promotions and staff additions

Today, the Sacramento Kings announced staff promotions and new hires ahead of the 2022-23 season.

Alvin Gentry has been named Vice President of Basketball Engagement. Mark Toyoda has been elevated to Senior Director of Basketball Administration. Melanie Stocking has been promoted to Senior Director of Team Operations. Saagar Sarin has been promoted to Director of Pro Personnel. Aram Palamoudian has been promoted to Basketball Operations Coordinator.

Jas Randhawa has been promoted to Senior Director of Athlete Health Joel Noland has been promoted to Head Athletic Trainer, Zac Howe has been elevated to Head Strength & Conditioning Coach, Rachel Mack has been promoted to Performance Chef & Nutritionist, and Avery Jacobs has been promoted to Media Relations Coordinator.

The Kings also announced the following staff additions: Samantha Lord (Basketball Administration Coordinator), Scott Layden (Scout), Devin Green (Scout), Cory Kennedy (Director of Performance), Nicholas Taylor (Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach), Crystal Lee (Assistant Athletic Trainer), Shannon Malone (Director of Media Relations), Michael Martinez (Manager of Media Relations), Olivia Gordon (Basketball Operations Intern), Sam Longwood (Coaching Associate), Shane Lawal (Player Development Associate), Damarious Borden (Performance Culinary Intern).