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Sacramento Kings head coach Luke Walton speaks with the media about the health of the squad and other topics via a Zoom conference call Sunday afternoon.

The Sacramento Kings have completed their roster cutdowns Saturday afternoon and the team now has their 17-man squad identified. This includes two 2-way players. On Saturday afternoon, a visibly uncomfortable head coach Luke Walton announced that center Frank Kaminsky had been waived by the team. “We let Frank go today and he did everything we asked him to do. He is an NBA player, a really good player, a really good teammate “, said Walton. “But we had one spot left and I think Glenn (Robinson III) did a really good job on earning that spot.” In four preseason appearances, Kaminsky averaged 5.3 points and a stretch 5 option that the team was hoping to utilize alongside Richaun Holmes and Marvin Bagley who both have not yet established their outside games. However, the emergence of Hassan Whiteside and his dominant interior defense was too much to pass up and the Kings could not carry so many bigs going into the season. Small forward Vince Edwards was released on Friday as the other necessary cut. He never appeared in any preseason games and was a longshot to make the squad after spending the last two years in the G-League. He may still be considered for the Stockton Kings roster if the league’s season is not cancelled due to Covid-19 logistics. Guard Kyle Guy still holds one of the 2-way spots, but it is unclear who of the remaining 16 will get the other one. Third year bigman Chimezie Metu and rookie Jahmi’us Ramsey are the most likely candidates. The NBA did announce that 2-way players may remain and practice with the parent squad throughout the 2020-21 season but can only participate in a limited number of actual games. With the likelihood of more players missing time due to Covid-19 protocol, this can only help the squad stay more ready for anything that this weird season may throw at them. While the initial roster cuts are complete from the coaching perspective, Walton stated that general manager Monte McNair was not necessarily done as the front office could still make another big, or small move duriing the year. We'll just have to wait and see. But fear not, there is a happy ending for Frank...

Sacramento Kings head coach Luke Walton speaks with the media via a Zoom conference call Saturday afternoon.

Sacramento kings guard De’Aaron Fox speaks with the media via a Zoom conference call following the team’s practice session Saturday afternoon.

Sacramento kings guard Buddy Hield speaks with the media via a Zoom conference call following the team’s practice session Saturday afternoon. He discusses his new approach on defense and how he spent the summer preparing for the upcoming season.

The Sacramento Kings could not hit a three-pointer if their lives depended on it Thursday night, while the Golden State Warriors could not miss their threes as they rolled to a 113-105 victory in the preseason finale at the Golden 1 Center. The Kings shot just 7 for 30 (23.3%) from deep, while the Warriors were a scorching 20 for 43 (46.5%) for a differential of 39 points. And that was your whole game right their folks! Notes Following a scheduled day off on Friday, the Kings will have three days of practice to prepare for their regular season opener on December 23 against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. DaQuan Jeffries, Cory Joseph, and Jabari Parker all missed their third straight game with back soreness. Post-game Interviews More Videos Pre-game Interviews

Sacramento Kings forward Glenn Robinson III speaks with the media via a Zoom conference call Wednesday afternoon.

Sacramento Kings center Frank Kaminsky speaks with the media via a Zoom conference call Wednesday afternoon.

Sacramento Kings head coach Luke Walton speaks with the media on a Zoom conference call on Wednesday afternoon.

With 6.1 seconds remaining and his team trailing by two, Kyle Guy dribbled the ball up court, gave a little pump-fake, and calmly buried the game-winning three at the buzzer to give the Sacramento Kings a thrilling 114-113 victory over the Golden State Warriors Tuesday night at the Golden 1 Center. The second-year guard out of Virginia scored a team-high 20 points, including 6-10 from deep and continued his push for playing time on the parent squad once the season starts. As for the rest of the game, Sacramento dominated Golden State for three quarters leading by as much as 19 until it got a little dicey when both teams went to their deep bench in the final frame. The Warriors rallied and held a 113-109 lead with just under 30 seconds remaining, but a Robert Woodard III dunk and the eventual Guy three sealed the win. Buddy Hield dropped five three-pointers and finished with 18, while Hassan Whiteside made his preseason debut with a strong 11 points, nine rebounds, four blocks and brought a defensive paint presence not seen in Sacramento for years. Marvin Bagley also made his preseason debut and contributed nine points and four rebounds in his first action since January 20, 2020. He is still working himself back into playing shape following his absence due to Covid-19 protocol, but he looked good and should be just fine after a few more games. Notes DaQuan Jeffries, Cory Joseph, and Jabari Parker all sat out due to back soreness. Rookie Tyrese Haliburton was held to just 16 minutes on the court as planned. He should see normal minutes when the two teams face off in the preseason finale Thursday. Post-game Interviews More Videos Pregame Interviews

Tyrese Haliburton and the Sacramento Kings made the necessary adjustments Sunday evening and came away with a solid 121-106 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers to close out their preseason set at the Moda Center. Following a rather passive debut 48 hours earlier, the rookie guard provided Kings fans a glimpse of his potential by stuffing the stat sheet with 11 points, six rebounds, seven assists, a steal, a block, and no turnovers in 30 minutes of action. He also led the squad with a +20 +/-. The Iowa State standout looked more comfortable tonight as he guided the 2nd and 3rd units, made smart passes and a great backcourt steal and dunk to close out the third quarter. He did not look at all like a kid playing in just his second NBA contest. The rest of the team was equally solid. They came out of the gate in attack mode and pushed the pace and was aggressive on defense. Drives to the paint for layups or kickouts for open three-pointers was the consistent theme all night. They finished with 27 assists and just 12 turnovers. Portland’s offense was shut down for most of the game as they were held to just 40 percent from the field. Damian Lillard did not make a field goal in 13 minutes before being pulled from the game for rest. Richaun Holmes and Kyle Guy led Sacramento with 14 points each, while De’Aaron Fox finished with 13 points and four assists Notes In addition to Marvin Bagley and Hassan Whiteside remaining in Sacramento during this road trip, Cory Joseph, Jabari Parker, and DaQuan Jeffries all sat out due to back soreness. The Kings return home to wrap up the preseason with two contests against the Golden State Warriors at the Golden 1 Center starting on Tuesday night. Post-game Interviews More Highlights Pre-game Interviews

Sacramento Kings rookie Tyrese Haliburton speaks to the media before his first NBA game Friday night against the Portland Trail Blazers. Clearly excited and confident, the Iowa State guard will get his chance against the likes of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum to see where he stands against some of the league’s best guards.

The Sacramento Kings opened their 2020-21 exhibition season with a rather sour 102-127 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers Friday night at the Moda Center. It was pretty apparent from the opening tip that the unintentional game plan was to jack up as many three-pointers as possible (50) and watch the opponent run through wide open shooting drills and finish with a blistering 51 percent from the field, including 50 percent from deep. But wait, there were some positives. The team clearly has embraced a fast-paced style reminiscent of the 2018-19 squad that literally ran their opponents off the court. The plan is to get the ball up court within four seconds and see what options they have rather than walk it up and allow the defense to get set. The ball was also zipping around efficiently when the starters were on the court leading to 15 assists in the first half. The three-point shot will obviously be heavily utilized. 15 out of the 16 Kings that saw action Friday night took at least one shot from deep. Even Richaun Holmes threw one up. He missed it, but it looks like he has been given the green light to shoot it if the opportunity presents itself. Of course, Buddy Hield is never shy to shoot and he finished with a team high 23 points including five threes. He looks like this return to a fast style of play will suit him just fine. The test will be to see what adjustments head coach Luke Walton and the team makes for their rematch on Sunday. If we see the same bad habits repeated, it will not bode well, but I suspect we will see a different approach to defense and a more limited number of ill-advised three-pointers. Notes Marvin Bagley (Covid protocol) and Hassan Whiteside (strained calf) did not travel with the team and will not see any game action until at least the team’s Tuesday home game against the Golden State Warriors. Post-game Interviews More Highlights Pre-game Interviews

Sacramento Kings center Marvin Bagley speaks with the media via a Zoom conference call. He discusses his excitement about the upcoming season and his battles with Covid-19 at the beginning of training camp.

Sacramento Kings forward Nemanja Bjelica speaks with the media via a Zoom conference call. He talks about switching back to jersey #8 and his thoughts on the team’s new offensive approach to speed and shooting.

Sacramento Kings head coach Luke Walton speaks with the media via a Zoom conference call. He discusses the current health of the players and how the squad is looking thus far in training camp.

Sacramento Kings head coach Luke Walton speaks with the media via a Zoom conference call. He talks about how the young players are doing so far and provides an injury update on Hassan Whiteside.

Sacramento Kings forward Jabari Parker speaks with the media via a Zoom conference call. He discusses his fitness regiment and why he chose to come back to Sacramento this season.

Sacramento Kings center Richaun Holmes speaks with the media via a Zoom conference call. He talks about the pace of practice and his new three-point shot.

Sacramento Kings rookie Jahmi'us Ramsey speaks with the media via a Zoom conference call. He discusses his first ever NBA training camp session and what he feels he can bring to the squad this season.

Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox speaks with the media via a Zoom conference call. He talks about his thoughts on the team’s first group practice and his leadership responsibilities in his 4th year.

Sacramento Kings head coach Luke Walton speaks with the media via a Zoom conference call. He discusses his thoughts on the upcoming season and some insights on the players.

Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield speaks with the media via a Zoom conference call. He discusses his relationship with the organization and how he is driven by his love of playing basketball.

Sacramento Kings forward Glenn Robinson III speaks with the media via a Zoom conference call. He discusses why he chose to come to Sacramento and how he can be a positive veteran influence on his younger teammates.

Sacramento Kings point guard Cory Joseph speaks with the media via a Zoom conference call. He talks about his role as a veteran mentor to the younger players and how the team can excel with so many ballhandlers on the court at the same time.