The Kings are keeping KZ Okpala on their roster, according to Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link), who hears from a source that the forward had his contract guaranteed for the rest of the season.
The 32nd overall pick of the 2019 draft, Okpala spent his first two-plus seasons with the Heat. However, Miami traded him to Oklahoma City last February and he was subsequently waived by the Thunder.
The 23-year-old signed a two-year, $4MM deal with the Kings ahead of training camp, but it was only partially guaranteed for $250K. The guarantee increased to $500K when he made Sacramento’s regular season roster.
Okpala started the Kings’ first three games in 2022/23, but he hasn’t played a whole lot since. Overall, he’s appeared in 25 games for an average of 7.8 minutes per night. Head coach Mike Brown is a fan of Okpala’s defense.
Kings eatablishing winning culture in every aspect under Brown….. players are trying to win for Brown.