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- Robert Woodard II | December 4, 2020
Sacramento Kings rookie forward Robert Woodard II speaks with the media via a Zoom conference call. He discusses his expectations for life in the NBA and how he can contribute to the team on the defensive end on Day 1.
- Richaun Holmes | December 3, 2020
Sacramento Kings center Richaun Holmes speaks with the media via a Zoom conference call. He discusses his offseason workout routine and his excitement about the upcoming season.
- Hassan Whiteside | December 3, 2020
Sacramento Kings center Hassan Whiteside speaks with the media via a Zoom conference call. He discusses why he chose Sacramento in free-agency and that he has never been to Hawaii.
- Harrison Barnes | December 2, 2020
Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes speaks with the media via a Zoom conference call. He talks about his expectations for the upcoming season and his friend Bogdan Bogdanovic.
- DaQuan Jeffries | December 2, 2020
Sacramento Kings forward DaQuan Jeffries speaks with the media via a Zoom Conference. He discusses his new contract and his journey to get where he is today in the NBA.
- De'Aaron Fox | December 1, 2020
Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox speaks with the media via a Zoom conference. He discusses his new contract and what he expects out of the team and himself during the upcoming season.
- Tyrese Haliburton | December 1, 2020
Sacramento Kings rookie Tyrese Haliburton speaks with the media via a Zoom conference. He talks about his adjustments to being in the NBA, Sacramento, and adulting for the first time.
- Luke Walton | December 1, 2020
Sacramento Kings head coach Luke Walton speaks with the media via a Zoom conference. Lots of areas covered regarding the upcoming season and what he expects from the squad.
- Monte McNair: Post free-agency press conference
Sacramento Kings general manager Monte McNair speaks with the media following an active free-agency period. He touches on De’Aaron Fox’s extension, Buddy Hield’s status, the Bogdan Bogdanovic departure, among many other topics.
- McNair gets his wing; GR3 is a King
The Sacramento Kings just keep adding on the wings in their search for Harrison Barnes’ backup. On Sunday, it was reported that high-flying small forward Glenn Robinson III has agreed to a 1-year deal for the veteran minimum with the team from SacTown. GR3, the 2017 NBA Slam Dunk winner has bounced around the league over his six-year career with stops in Minnesota, Philadelphia, Indiana, Detroit, and Golden State. Last season, he split time between the Warriors and 76ers. In 48 starts with the depleted Warriors, he averaged career numbers with 12.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and shot a Steller 40 percent from behind the three-point line. He was traded to Philadelphia late in the season but struggled to maintain his hot shooting and fell to just 7.7 points and 3.1 rebounds off the bench during his second go-around in Philly. Originally drafted out of Michigan in the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft, the 6-6 Robinson was projected to be a 3-and-D specialist with his athletic prowess, but it hasn’t quite turned out that way. Offensively, he is solid with both an inside and outside game. Defensively, he has been frequently cited for unexplainable defensive lapses and mental breakdowns that likely have contributed to his seemingly nonstop relocations around the NBA. The Kings are only betting on him for one season and it is clearly viewed as a low risk, high reward situation. He’ll likely step right in as the backup small forward and potentially slow the development of recently signed DaQuan Jeffries and the other Exhibit 10 wings that have been invited to the team’s training camp. It will be very interesting to see if general manager Monte McNair has one more big trade up his sleeve prior to the start of the season now that he has real depth at every position and a desire to shed some big contracts for the future.
- All the Kings 2020 offseason transactions...so far
While many Sacramento Kings fans may feel the team has not been very active during the offseason, the team has actually been extremely busy behind the scenes preparing for the 2020-21 NBA season. Here are just a few of the transactions the Kings have been involved in since their departure from the Orlando bubble over the summer. As usual, if we missed anything, please let us know. 8/14 – Vlade Divac resigns as GM. 8/15 - Peja Stoijakovic resigns as assistant GM. 9/17 – Monte McNair hired as GM. 9/17 – Joe Dumars named Chief Strategy Officer. 10/7 – Alvin Gentry hired as Associate Head Coach. 10/18 - Wes Wilcox hired as Assistant GM. 10/18 - Phil Jabour hired as VP of Player Personnel. 10/18 - Paul Johnson hired as Director of Basketball Operations; 10/31 - Bob Beyers resigns as Assistant Coach (hired by New Orleans). 11/5 - Rex Kalamian hired as Assistant Coach. 11/6 - Marc Jones hired as lead TV play-by-play announcer for the 2020-21 season. 11/9 – Gary Gerould to return as the radio play-by-play announcer for the 2020-21 season. 11/17 – Forward Jabari Parker exercises $6.5 million player option for 2020-21 season. 11/18 – Forward Nemanja Bjelica had his $7.15 million team option picked up for the 2020-21 season. 11/18 - Guard Tyrese Haliburton (Iowa State) selected with the 12th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. 11/18 - Traded the draft rights to the 35th pick (Xavier Tillman Sr) to the Memphis Grizzlies for the draft rights to the 40th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and a future second round selection. 11/18 - Forward Robert Woodard II (Mississippi State) selected with the 40th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. 11/18 - Guard Jahmi'us Ramsey (Texas Tech) selected with the 43rd pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. 11/18 – Traded the draft rights to the 52nd pick (Kenyon Martin Jr) to the Houston Rockets for a future second-round pick and cash considerations. 11/20 – Guard Quinton Rose (Temple) agreed to sign an Exhibit 10 contract. 11/22 – Center Harry Giles (Sacramento Kings) signed a 1-year/minimum free-agent contract with the Portland Trail Blazers. 11/22 – Guard Kent Bazemore (Sacramento Kings) signed a 1-year/$2.3 million free-agent contract with the Golden State Warriors. 11/24 – Guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (Sacramento Kings) signed a 4-year/$72 million restricted free-agent contract with the Atlanta Hawks that was not matched. 11/25 – Guard De'Aaron Fox signed a 5-year/$163 million contract extension. 11/26 – Center Frank Kaminsky (Phoenix Suns) agreed to sign a 1-year/veteran minimum (nonguaranteed) free-agent contract. 11/27 – Guard Tyrese Haliburton (Iowa State) signed a 4-year/$17.8 million rookie contract. 11/27 – Center Hassan Whiteside (Portland Trail Blazers) signed a 1-year/$2.3 million free-agent contract. 11/27 - Forward Vince Edwards (Canton Charge) agreed to sign an Exhibit 10 contract. 11/28 – Forward DaQuan Jeffries signed a 2-year/$3 million restricted free-agent contract. 11/28 - Center Chimezie Metu (San Antonio Spurs) signed an Exhibit 10 contract. 11/29 – Center Alex Len (Sacramento Kings) signed a 1-year/$2.3 million free-agent contract with the Toronto Raptors. 11/29 - Forward Glenn Robinson III (Philadelphia 76ers) agreed to a 1-year/veteran minimum free-agent contract. 11/30 - Kyle Draper hired as secondary TV play-by-play announcer and pre/post-game host for the 2020-21 season. 12/1 - Forward Robert Woodard II (Mississippi State) signed a 4-year/$3.3 million rookie contract. 12/2 - Forward Glenn Robinson III (Philadelphia 76ers) signed a 1-year/veteran minimum free-agent contract 12/4 - F Marvin Bagley had his 4th year rookie contract option of $11.3 million picked up for the 2021-22 season. 12/4 - Guard Jahmi'us Ramsey (Texas Tech) signed a 3-year rookie contract. 12/18 - Forward Vince Edwards was waived. 12/19 - Center Frank Kaminsky was waived. Stay tuned! The Kings are not even close to being done. We'll update this list as new transactions are announced leading up to the start of the 2020-21 season.
- Kings invite Vince Edwards to training camp
The Sacramento Kings continue to fill out their training camp roster with the addition of free-agent small forward Vince Edwards to the squad via an Exhibit 10 contract. Originally drafted by the Utah Jazz in 2018 with the 52nd overall pick and then traded to the Rockets for cash, the 6-8 Perdue standout briefly saw action in two games with Houston during his rookie campaign averaging 1.5 points and 1.0 rebounds. In 13 starts for the Oklahoma City Blue of the G-League last season, Edwards averaged 11 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists on 41 percent shooting from deep. His perimeter defense and high basketball IQ has been noted by all coaches who have worked with him throughout his career. College Edwards was named second-team All-Big Ten after averaging 14.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in his final year at Perdue. He shot nearly 40 percent from three-point range and was a deadeye 84 percent shooter from the line. He joined Michigan State's Denzel Valentine and Tulane's Jerald Honeycutt as the only three players in the last 25 years to finish their college careers with at least 1,600 points, 750 rebounds, 400 assists and 170 three-pointers. "He sort of can do it all,'' then Houston GM Daryl Morey said following the 2018 NBA Draft. "He can defend multiple positions. He really fits our style of play ... one thing unique about him is he can handle the ball and pass at his size and he's already an accomplished shooter.'' New Kings general manager Monte McNair is likely very familiar with Edwards during their time together in Houston and the hope is that Vince can bring his size and skills to a position of need for Sacramento. We'll know soon enough as the 2020-21 NBA season is less than four weeks away.
- Frank Kaminsky, why the hell not
The Sacramento Kings continue their bargain bin shopping spree this week by adding another NBA veteran as center Frank Kaminsky has reportedly signed a one-year nonguaranteed deal at the veteran minimum to join the team and battle with the recently inked Hassan Whiteside for minutes in the middle. Drafted in 2015 out of Wisconsin by the Charlotte Hornets with the ninth overall pick, Kaminsky was never able to establish himself in the league. Over five seasons he has career averages of 9.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.6 points. He was projected to be an outside threat at both the 4 and 5 positions but has only hit 34.7 percent of his three-pointers and basically flamed out of the NBA by the end of the 2019-20 season as a forgotten member of the Phoenix Suns. General manager Monte McNair is apparently hoping the 7-*footer can be re-invented in Sacramento. The team needs more outside shooting from their bigs as Marvin Bagley, Richaun Holmes, Jabari Parker, and Whiteside all struggle outside the paint. If Frank can find his outside shot, it would open the middle up for the bigs to work down low and allow De’Aaron Fox to drive in for easy buckets. Clearly this team is focusing on the core and evaluating the youth, while filling the edges with cheap vets on 1-year deals to pass the time. Sorry, I just couldn't resist.
- DaQuan Jeffries gets his call-up from the Kings
DaQuan Jeffries has shown patience and a strong work ethic, and it has finally paid off for the second-year wing out of Tulsa. The Sacramento Kings signed the 6-5 Oklahoma native to a two-year deal for a reported $3 million. There is a team option for the second year. Jeffries impressed the Kings last season with his high-energy and athleticism on the court. In 13 games, he averaged 3.8 points and 1.4 rebounds while splitting time between the Stockton Kings of the G-League and the parent club. His efforts on both ends of the court have made him a fan favorite already. During the 8-game Orlando bubble season, Jeffries got a chance to prove himself averaging 6.1 points and 2.4 rebounds on .515 shooting from the field. His best game was a 5-for-5 shooting performance (including 2-for-2 from deep) on August 2 against the Orlando Magic where he finished with 12 points. The Kings are going to let the kids battle it out for minutes behind starting small forward Harrison Barnes. Jefferies, Justin James, and rookies Robert Woodard and KJ Martin will all be given chances to claim minutes. General manager Monte McNair is looking for defensive-minded young wings who can hit the shot when left open, but more importantly, not get totally humiliated by the league’s top small forwards. Only time will tell, but the Kings are obviously hoping one of these guys can grab the opportunity and not force the team to have to go out and bring in another veteran small forward mid-season. Jefferies is going to do everything within his power to be that guy for the Kings.
- The return of Count Blockula to Sacramento
The Sacramento Kings have signed center Hassan Whiteside to a one-year $2.3 million veteran minimum deal for the 2020-21 season. The 7-foot, 265-pound bigman will fill the whole left by Alex Len, who bolted for the Toronto Raptors earlier in the week. Whiteside, 31, was originally selected by Sacramento back in 2010 with the 33rd overall pick in the NBA Draft. He held the dubious label as the team’s other center selected that year as All-Star DeMarcus Cousins was the team’s choice with the 5th pick. The Marshall standout played in just 19 games for the Kings over two seasons before being cut. He then spent two years overseas playing in Lebanon and China before making his way back to the D-League in 2014. Shortly thereafter, the Miami Heat called Hassan up to the parent team and he never left. In 2016, he signed a lucrative deal worth $98 million over the next four years. Over his 8-year NBA career, Hassan established himself as one of the leagues best per-minute rebounder and shot-blocker. He has career averages of 13.7 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks in just over 26 minutes a game. Last season with the Portland Trail Blazers, he averaged 15.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks. So, what happened? How can such a defensive stud on paper end up with a vet minimum contract in Sacramento? While talented, Whiteside lacks the consistent mental and physical toughness to dominate the NBA. He suffers from long stretches in a game where he is completely disengaged. Smart opponents can get in his head and throw him off. His inability to defend or shoot outside the paint does not equate to success in today’s NBA style of play. He is a center of the 1990s stuck in 2020. The Kings likely only want him around for insurance, as they hope to develop third year bigman Marvin Bagley at the 5 and continue to evaluate Richaun Holmes, Hassan will likely be used sparingly and only when the opponent presents large front lines like the Los Angela’s Lakers. Fans will wonder why general manager Monte McNair would even consider bringing the enigma that is Hassan Whiteside back to Sacramento, but if you look at the numbers, it kind of makes sense. Kind of.
- The Bogdanovic era is over in SacTown
The Sacramento Kings have been outplayed, again. On Monday evening it was reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that the team has decided to not match the 4-year/$72 million offer sheet by the Atlanta Hawks, and thus allow Bogdan Bogdanovic to walk away for nothing in return. Not at all how Kings fans would have liked to see new general manager Monte McNair’s first run at free agency play out. McNair apparently felt that the need to maintain cap flexibility for the future outweighed the need to keep talent today. Perhaps the team thinks they have a shot at Giannis Antetokounmpo next summer? 🤣 Regardless, it is disappointing that the Kings were unable to find a solution for moving either Bogdanovic or guard Buddy Hield during the offseason when everyone knew they needed to choose between their two talented, but expensive shooting guards prior to the start of the 2020-21 season. Successful small market franchises find ways to flip assets for other assets. To date, this free-agent season has been a total bust for the Kings. In addition to Bogi’s departure, Harry Giles, Kent Bazemore, Alex Len, and Yogi Farrell have also left the team. The only new faces are rookies Tyrese Haliburton, Robert Woodard, and Jahmi'us Ramsey. Sacramento is clearly pulling back a bit to see what they have in their core of De’Aaron Fox, Marvin Bagley, Richaun Holmes, Hield, and Haliburton before making a run at things. Perhaps this group will prove out to be a bunch of young superstars, or maybe we’ll see more assets leave SacTown next summer. Either way, Kings fans will need to endure more patience as another front office exec tries to salvage the franchise.
- Alex Len leaving Kings for Toronto
Free agent center Alex Len joins a growing list of former Sacramento Kings looking elsewhere to continue their NBA careers. On Monday, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the veteran bigman has signed with the Toronto Raptors for the 2020-21 season. The 7-footer came to the Kings mid-season as part of the Dewayne Dedmon deal that also landed Jabari Parker in Sacramento. In 15 games, he averaged 5.9 points and 6.1 rebounds. But more importantly, he brought a level of size and toughness that has not been seen in SacTown for years. With the Kings likely looking at Marvin Bagley, Nemanja Bjelica, Richaun Holmes, and Parker as their center rotation, “toughness” is not the first word that comes to mind. Fans just assumed that Len would be back for, at least, another year to shore up the middle against large front lines like the Lakers and other such teams, while Bagley figured out how to play the position. Now, the rumors of a possible Hassan Whiteside return to Sacramento are sounding even more chillingly realistic. Let’s hope Monte McNair has spoken to someone with the team who was here during Whiteside’s initial stint and realizes that it is not something worth repeating. There are plenty of other 7-footers still on the market.
- Giles, Bazemore bolt for greener pastures
The Kings lost two fan favorites on Sunday as both Harry Giles and Kent Bazemore will be wearing another team’s colors next season. Giles, the injury-prone, but beloved young center has agreed to a one-year deal with the Portland Trailblazers reportedly for the minimum. He will be given a chance to prove his worth in the league as starter Jusuf Nurkic’s backup. In 104 games with the Kings, Giles averaged 7.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists. It was his passing that set him out from the rest. His court vision and ability to get the ball to his teammates for easy dunks was rather Chris Webber-like. His positive attitude and desire to interact with the fan base just sealed the deal as an all-time favorite Sacramento King within the community. However, his surgically reconstructed knees and a question of dedication to fitness have been huge red flags for the front office fthroughout his NBA career. We’ll see if he can turn things around in Rip City and be the prospect everyone predicted he could be. Bazemore accepted a one-year deal to return to his first NBA team in Golden State. With the recent injury to All-Star Klay Thompson, Baze is likely to have a significant role on the imbalanced Warriors’ roster. In 25 games with Sac following his mid-season trade from Portland, Bazemore experienced a resurgence in his career, averaging 10.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists. He helped shore up the Kings’ lack of defense at the wing and was well-liked all around for his veteran work ethic. With Sacramento clearly needing more defensive wing help, it was believed that Kent would be brought back, but apparently the $2.3 million and the promise of substantial minutes to return to the Bay Area was just too appealing. So here we stand. Sacramento has lost Giles, Bazemore, and likely Bogdanovic. The addition of first-round pick Tyrese Haliburton and a couple second-round picks with no other significant moves to date shows that the direction of the Kings is looking like they want to contract, reset and poke their heads out of their hole in another year or two. Guess we’ll just have to be patient some more.
- Bye-Bye Bogi; Hawks offer 4-year/$72 million deal
Sacramento Kings restricted free-agent Bogdan Bogdanovic has signed a four-year/$72 million offer sheet from the Atlanta Hawks. The deal also includes a 15% trade bonus. Atlanta’s hope is that Kings GM Monte McNair will not want to match the high-priced offer and be forced to let Bogi walk for nothing. Not an ideal scenario for Sacramento and a poor first impression of McNair’s new reign as the King’s front office if this is indeed how it all plays out. Small market teams like Sacramento cannot afford to lose valuable assets for nothing in return. Portland, Oklahoma City, and Utah are clear examples of how small market franchises can become perennial powerhouses by flipping valuable assets for more good assets while never missing a beat. The Kings have struggled with the practice for decades. The 28-year-old Serbian has been a solid contributor for the Kings over the past three seasons averaging 13.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. His ballhandling skills and high basketball IQ have made him an invaluable member of the squad. Bogi is best suited for a more methodical style of play where he can have the necessary time to evaluate the defense and carve it up with drives to the hoop, deep threes, or passes to teammates requiring pinpoint accuracy. The run-and-gun style Sacramento is likely to adopt may not have been a perfect match for him, and that is likely why guard Buddy Hield is sticking around instead. The Kings have 48-hours to match the offer once Bogdanovic signs it. We will all be waiting to see what kind of general manager Monte is. Was he outwitted, or does he still have a plan to salvage this situation and get the Kings on the right path again?
- Fox gets the franchise; To sign 5-year max with Kings
De’Aaron Fox will be wearing Kings purple for a very long time to come. Sacramento’s dynamic point guard has reportedly agreed to a 5-year $163 mullion deal with incentive’s that could bring it up to the $196 million super max. The 4th year guard enjoyed his best overall season in the NBA last year averaging a team-high 21.1 points, 6.8 assists, and 1.5 steals. But more importantly, he elevated himself as the clear team leader on the floor which likely went a long way toward new GM Monte McNair feeling comfortable enough to hand him the keys to the franchise for the next six years. Fox will be just 28 when his contract expires, setting him up for one more large haul if he can prove himself as the All-Star guard everyone is predicting him to be. At the $163 mullion scale, here is how De'Aaron's salary would breakdown. If he achieves All-NBA, the numbers would go up. 2021-22 = $28.1M 2022-23 = $30.4M 2023-24 = $32.6M 2024-25 = $34.8M 2025-26 = $37.1M
- With the 12th pick, the Sacramento Kings select Tyrese Haliburton
They did not expect him to still be available at number 12, but the versatile guard out of Iowa State Tyrese Haliburton is the newest Sacramento King.
- Jabari Parker exercises his $6.5 million option for 2020-21
In a move that was considered a mere formality, forward Jabari parker has exercised his $6.5 million player option for the 2020-21 season with the Sacramento Kings. It is still unclear if the talented, but extremely injury-prone bigman will step onto the court for the Kings this season. He played in just six games for Sacramento last year averaging an efficient 8.5 points on 56% shooting and 3.8 rebounds in just under 14 minutes a game. However, his entire game revolves around shots inside the three-point arc and he is notoriously known as one of the leagues worst defenders. Parker was originally acquired by the Kings along with center Alex Len for Dewayne Dedmon and a couple second-round picks back on February 6, 2020. The move was in an effort for then GM Vlade Divac to get out from under Dedmon’s 3-year $40 million deal that was signed over the summer. It will be interesting to see if new GM Monte McNair sees a path for Jabari to be part of his plans for the Kings’ season, or if he will be moved to yet another destination. He is a scoring machine on the inside, but little else.
- Kings choose Buddy over Bogi...or did they?
Update: The sign-and-trade between the Kings and Bucks is on hold as Bogi is apparently refusing to accept the deal and will enter restricted free agency on Friday. More details to come… New general manager Monte McNair Has now signaled the direction he intends to take the Sacramento Kings, and it looks like we may see more speed and threes coming our way. Late Monday night, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Sacramento Kings have reached a sign-and trade agreement that would send Bogdan Bogdanovic and Justin James to the Milwaukee Bucks for Donte DiVincenzo, D.J. Wilson, and Ersan Ilyasova. The deal essentially closes the door on all those Buddy Hield trade talks as the outspoken sharpshooter is now expected to move back into the starting lineup alongside point guard De’Aaron Fox and be a primary offensive focus for the team once again. Bogdanovic leaves Sacramento after 3 solid seasons with the Kings, averaging 13.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. His cool demeaner and clutch scoring will be dearly missed. However, he made no secret of his desire to win in the NBA and now he will have that chance on a loaded Bucks team. Bogi was likely one of Sacramento’s smartest players on the court. Being able to see the floor very well and make the right decisions at the right time. His ability to play three positions made him invaluable to the Kings, but his lack of defense, redundancy at the shooting guard position, and the expected high price to keep him, made him ultimately expendable. Justin James was coming off a rookie campaign where he split time between the parent club and the Stockton Kings of the G-League. The athletic 6-7 swingman showed real promise on the defensive end and could have likely grown into his offense, but he will now have that opportunity on a rather thin Milwaukee bench that will need him more than the Kings. Donte DiVincenzo is the prize return for Sacramento. The 6-4 shooting guard is known for his perimeter defense and ability to play in an up-tempo offense. In his first two seasons in the NBA, the two-time NCAA champ averaged 8.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.0assists. He doesn’t have much of a long-range game yet but is effective in the paint. Paired up with backup point guard Corey Joseph, DiVincenzo could give Sacramento a real lockdown backcourt defense when needed. He is only entering the third year of his rookie deal, so the Kings have salary cap control on him for several more seasons as well. Power forward DJ Wilson returns to Sacramento where he played at Capital Christion High School. The 6-10 power forward was used sparingly in Milwaukee during the 2019-20 season but could get a chance to revitalize his career back in his hometown. Ersan Ilyasova, 33, has a team option worth $7 million which has to be picked up in order to complete this trade. He is yet another 6-10 power forward that will just increase the Kings' logjam at that position.
- ESPN's Mark Jones named new Kings TV play-by-play guy
The Sacramento Kings have named ESPN’s mark Jones their new primary television play-by-play announcer for the 2020-21 season. He will be teamed up with current color analyst Doug Christie to broadcast games on NBC Sports California. A 30-year veteran of ESPN, Jones is no stranger to the NBA. In addition to being a member of the #2 national broadcast crew for the network, he has also hosted a weekly NBA show, covered the NBA Draft and All-Star games over the years. Jones and his new broadcast partner Christie have been friends since 1995, when the Kings’ standout was a member of the New York Knicks. They were neighbors and played pickup ball together and their chemistry during broadcasts should be apparent on Day 1. The Toronto native and South Florida resident is excited to move to California and start a new chapter of his career with an up-and-coming young team. “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’ three children all reside in California for college, so there were plenty of additional reasons to say goodbye to South Florida. Due to his existing commitments to ESPN, Jones will not be able to broadcast every Kings game on NBC Sports California. A secondary announcer will be identified shortly to fill in during those times when national obligations conflict. This is not uncommon for many local broadcast teams who are lucky enough to hire big name talent like him.
- Rex Kalamian is back in Sac
The Sacramento Kings have named Rex Kalamian as the team’s newest edition to head coach Luke Walton’s coaching staff. He will fill the position recently vacated by former assistant Bob Beyer, who recently accepted a new role with the New Orleans Pelicans. With nearly 25 years of NBA coaching experience, Kalamian brings a winning tradition to a club looking to take the next step. Most recently, he spent time as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Clippers, Toronto Raptors, and Oklahoma City Thunder – all of which made deep playoff runs during his tenure. He is also very familiar with Sacramento. He was a member of Reggie Theus’ staff with the Kings from 2007 to 2009. While many of us might not recall Kalamian’s time in Sacramento, he apparently made quite an impression on some.