Kings Rumors

Kings Exercise 2025/26 Option On Keegan Murray

The Kings have exercised their 2025/26 team option on Keegan Murray, tweets Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 KTXL.

The move ensures that Murray, who is slated to make $8,809,560 this season, will earn a guaranteed $11,144,093 in ’25/26, which is the fourth and final year of his rookie scale contract.

Murray, 24, was the fourth overall pick of the 2022 draft out of Iowa. It was a mere formality that Sacramento would pick up the option, since Murray emerged as a vital part of the team’s core over his first two seasons.

A 6’8″ forward, Murray made the All-Rookie First Team in ’22/23 and followed that up by appearing in 77 regular season games in ’23/24, averaging 15.2 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.7 APG and 1.0 SPG on .454/.358/.831 shooting in 33.6 MPG. He was also frequently tasked with defending the opposing team’s top perimeter player and has positional versatility on both ends of the court.

The deadline for teams to decide on ’25/26 rookie scale team options is Oct. 31. We’re tracking all of those decisions right here.

Pacific Notes: Sabonis, DeRozan, Monk, Kings, Mann, Lakers

Kings center Domantas Sabonis recently spoke to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee about “Starting 5,” the Netflix series in which he stars alongside LeBron James, Jimmy Butler, Jayson Tatum and Anthony Edwards. The show’s premiere is Oct. 9.

As for Sacramento’s offseason, Sabonis said he’s he looking forward to playing with six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan, whom the Kings acquired from Chicago in a three-team sign-and-trade.

It’s amazing,” Sabonis said. “Having a veteran like that, I’ve wanted that for a long time. He has a Hall of Fame career, and to bring that IQ — I was with him in L.A. for a couple weeks working out at USC and I learned so much personally in those couple weeks of workouts. Having him be around the team and having that rub off on everyone is going to be good. He’s here for the right reasons and he wants to win. That’s going to be good for us.”

Here’s more from the Pacific:

  • Sabonis also covered a number of topics in an interview with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, including his love for Sacramento, the team’s high expectations, and what to expect out of Keegan Murray entering his third season. Sabonis was ecstatic the Kings were able to re-sign Malik Monk to a four-year, $78MM deal in free agency. “Thank God that we kept him,” Sabonis said. “He’s a big piece of how we play, and his energy and vibes off the court. He’s a great locker room guy. He keeps us always locked in and happy. That’s something you can’t replace with a lot of players in the league. He brings a swagger and is always ready to go. For us off the bench last year, he had a burst coming in and helping the second unit. To maintain that with another year of experience under his belt and a new contract it usually gives you more confidence. I’m expecting big things from him.”
  • Terance Mann‘s new three-year, $47MM extension with the Clippers is fully guaranteed with no team or player option, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Mann will earn $15.5MM in 2025/26, when the extension begins, and he remains trade-eligible due to the terms of the agreement, Marks adds (via Twitter). Mann, a 27-year-old swingman, figures to take on an increased offensive role after the offseason departure of Paul George.
  • The Lakers intend to hire Vanessa Brooks to be their new head athletic trainer and senior physical therapist, sources tell Jovan Buha of The Athletic (Twitter link). Brooks had been with the Thunder since 2019.

Kings Sign Brodric Thomas To Camp Deal

5:08pm: The signing is official, tweets James Ham of The Kings Beat.


4:00pm: The Kings are adding free agent shooting guard Brodric Thomas to their training camp roster, reports Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link).

While Anderson doesn’t specify what type of contract Thomas will sign, it will almost certainly be a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 deal, which won’t count against Sacramento’s cap.

Thomas appeared in a total of 44 NBA regular season games for the Rockets, Cavaliers, and Celtics from 2020-22, but has mostly played in the G League since going undrafted out of Truman State in 2020. Last season, he appeared in 22 games for the Clippers’ G League affiliate, averaging 11.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 24.9 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .387/.357/.750.

The 27-year-old also represented the G League United earlier this month in exhibition games against Serbian team KK Mega Basket.

Although Thomas has only made 18-of-68 (26.5%) three-point attempts at the NBA level, he’s known as a talented shooter and has made 38.9% of 373 career outside shots in the G League.

Assuming Thomas signs an Exhibit 10 contract, he could have it converted to a two-way deal before the regular season or he could be eligible for a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he’s waived by Sacramento and then spends at least 60 days with the Kings’ G League affiliate. However, the Stockton Kings would have to acquire his returning rights from the San Diego Clippers for that latter scenario to happen.

Once Thomas’ deal is official, Sacramento will have a full 21-man preseason roster.

Injury Notes: Walter, M. Williams, Lyles, McLaughlin, Watson

Raptors wing Ja’Kobe Walter, the No. 19 pick in this year’s draft, has been diagnosed with an AC joint sprain in his right shoulder, the team announced in a press release on Friday.

According to the Raptors, Walter – who sustained the injury during informal workouts this week – won’t be able to take part in on-court activities during training camp. An update on the rookie’s status will be provided by the club after camp has ended.

While it doesn’t necessarily sound as if Walter’s absence will be a long-term one, Toronto is now dealing with a pair of injuries on the wing that could impact the team’s depth in the early going. Bruce Brown underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on Thursday and was ruled out for at least three weeks.

Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

  • Hornets center Mark Williams, who missed much of the 2023/24 season due to a back issue, strained a tendon in his left foot during an offseason workout on Thursday, according to a press release from the team. Williams will be sidelined through training camp and will be reevaluated in two weeks, the club said in its statement.
  • The Kings announced on Friday that a pair of veterans won’t be available for training camp, as James Ham of The Kings Beat relays (via Twitter). Forward Trey Lyles will be reevaluated in approximately three weeks after straining his left groin during offseason workouts, while newcomer Jordan McLaughlin has been diagnosed with a grade 2 right ankle sprain and will be reexamined in about two weeks.
  • Nuggets guard Peyton Watson is dealing with a soft-tissue hamstring injury and likely won’t suit up for either of the team’s first two preseason games in Abu Dhabi next weekend, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscriber link). “I think it’s really important that we’re smart about his injury, his rehab, his recovery,” head coach Michael Malone said. “Because as much as we want him playing these games, the season opener in probably about four weeks is more important.”

Skal Labissiere Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Kings

SEPTEMBER 26: The agreement is now official, Sacramento has announced.


AUGUST 14: Skal Labissiere will sign an Exhibit 10 contract with Sacramento and play for the Stockton Kings this season, according to Sean Cunningham of KTXL in Sacramento (Twitter link).

The 28-year-old power forward/center took a similar path last offseason when he was signed and waived by Sacramento on September 8. He appeared in 14 games with Stockton, making two starts and averaging 7.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 16.4 minutes per night. He was selected to take part in the G League’s Up Next Game at All-Star Weekend.

Labissiere started his career with the Kings, who acquired him from Phoenix after he was selected with the 28th pick in the 2016 draft. He played in 106 games over two and a half seasons with Sacramento before being shipped to Portland at the 2019 trade deadline. The Trail Blazers traded him to Atlanta a year later, and he hasn’t played in the NBA since then.

Labissiere has spent most of his time in the G League, making stops with the Westchester Knicks and the Mexico City Capitanes before coming to Stockton. He also had a brief stay with a team in Puerto Rico.

A player on an Exhibit 10 contract can earn a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he’s waived by his NBA team and then spends at least 60 days with his club’s G League affiliate. Exhibit 10 deals can also be converted to two-way contracts before the start of the regular season.

Bucks’ Alston, Hornets’ Battle Among Wednesday Cuts

The Bucks waived forward Philip Alston on Wednesday, according to the NBA’s transaction log. Alston had been signed to an Exhibit 10 deal.

The 6’6″ forward went undrafted this year after two seasons at Loyola Chicago. In his junior and senior seasons, he averaged 13.6 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 45.1% from the field. If he reports to the Bucks’ G League affiliate Wisconsin Herd and spends at least 60 days with the club, he’ll be eligible for a bonus worth up to $77.5K.

By waiving Alston, the Bucks dip to 20 players on their training camp roster, one below the limit. They also have Liam Robbins and James Akinjo signed to Exhibit 10 deals and it seems likely that they’ll continue churning through players as they prepare their NBA and G League rosters ahead of the season.

There were two more cuts from Wednesday:

  • The Hornets waived West Virginia product Raequan Battle, according to the log. Battle’s reported agreement from August must have been officially finalized shortly before he was cut. The Hornets now have 19 players on their offseason roster and another reported agreement with Harry Giles. In addition to three Exhibit 10 players already signed — Caleb McConnell, Marcus Garrett and Keyontae Johnson — the Hornets have a two-way contract opening and a vacant spot on their projected 15-man roster. Battle is now primed to suit up for the Greensboro Swarm if he so chooses. He averaged 16.1 PPG in his final collegiate season.
  • After signing him to an Exhibit 10 deal this morning, the Kings are waiving Justin Powell. The Kings are back down to 19 players on their offseason roster, with a pending agreement with Skal Labissiere that has yet to be finalized. They also waived Dexter Dennis earlier today. The Kings now have two players on Exhibit 10 deals: Boogie Ellis and Terry Taylor.

Kings Sign, Waive Dexter Dennis

5:17pm: The Kings have now waived Dennis, according to the NBA’s transaction log.


2:04pm: The Kings have signed free agent swingman Dexter Dennis, according to RealGM’s official NBA transaction log. It’s an Exhibit 10 deal, per Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link).

Dennis, 25, went undrafted out of Texas A&M in 2023 and caught on with the Mavericks for training camp, earning a two-way contract at the end of the preseason. However, he appeared in just four NBA games for Dallas before being waived in December.

Dennis played in a total of 44 Showcase Cup and regular season games in the G League as a rookie, including 29 for the Texas Legends and 15 for the Cleveland Charge, who traded for him in February. He averaged 11.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 29.3 minutes per game with a shooting line of .430/.350/.778.

Dennis is also considered a strong defender, having won the AAC Defensive Player of the Year award in 2022 at Wichita State.

The Charge traded Dennis’ G League returning rights to the Stockton Kings earlier this month, so in all likelihood, he’ll be waived before the NBA season begins and will subsequently report to Sacramento’s G League affiliate, where his Exhibit 10 contract will make him eligible to earn a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he spends at least 60 days with Stockton.

The Kings still have one open spot on their 21-man preseason roster and have reportedly agreed to Exhibit 10 deals with both Skal Labissiere and Justin Powell, so more back-of-the-roster transactions are likely coming in Sacramento.

Kings Signing Justin Powell To Exhibit 10 Contract

The Kings have reached an agreement with free agent shooting guard Justin Powell on an Exhibit 10 contract, agent George S. Langberg tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Powell, who went undrafted out of Washington State in 2023, signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Cavaliers last September and was with the team for training camp and the preseason before being waived and joining the Cleveland Charge as a G League affiliate player.

In 44 Showcase Cup and regular season games for the Charge as a rookie, Powell averaged 6.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 23.9 minutes per game, posting a shooting line of .421/.368/.824.

Powell, 23, had his G League returning rights traded from the Charge to the Stockton Kings in a three-team deal earlier this month, so assuming he’s waived by Sacramento and then spends at least 60 days with Stockton, he’ll be eligible for an Exhibit 10 bonus worth up to $77.5K on top of his NBAGL salary.

The Kings currently have 19 players on their 21-man preseason roster, meaning no corresponding move will be necessary in order to make room for Powell.

Kings Sign Terry Taylor To Training Camp Deal

SEPTEMBER 23: The signing is official, KTXL’s Sean Cunningham tweets.


SEPTEMBER 6: The Kings are signing free agent forward Terry Taylor to a training camp contract, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link).

Exact terms of the agreement have not been reported, but it seems likely to be an Exhibit 10 deal.

Taylor, 24, spent parts of the last two seasons with the Bulls, where the 6’5″ vet played as an undersized small forward.

After going undrafted in 2021, Taylor began his pro career as an affiliate player for the Pacers’ NBAGL team, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. He inked a two-way deal that December with the Pacers, who converted his contract to a standard deal in April of that same season. Indiana eventually waived him in February 2023.

Taylor was quickly snatched up by the Bulls, on a two-way deal. Ahead of the 2023/24 season, his agreement was converted into a standard contract.

Last year with Chicago in a deep-bench role, Taylor averaged just 1.5 points and 1.2 rebounds across 31 games in 2023/24.

The Kings have 14 players on their standard roster, and all three of their two-way slots occupied. Power forward/center Skal Labissiere and guard Boogie Ellis are currently signed to training camp agreements for Sacramento.

If waived and then signed by a club’s G League affiliate, players who ink Exhibit 10 contracts are eligible for bonuses worth up to $77.5K should they stick around with those affiliate squads for at least 60 days.

Pre-Camp Roster Snapshot: Pacific Division

Hoops Rumors is in the process of taking a closer look at each NBA team’s current roster situation, evaluating which clubs still have some moves to make and which ones seem most prepared for training camp to begin.

This series is meant to provide a snapshot of each team’s roster at this time, so these articles won’t be updated in the coming weeks as more signings, trades, and/or cuts are made. You can follow our roster counts page to keep tabs on teams’ open spots as opening night nears.

We’re continuing our pre-camp Roster Snapshot series today with the Pacific Division. Let’s dive in…


Golden State Warriors

The Warriors are hard-capped at the first tax apron and are currently less than $1MM away from that threshold, so carrying a full 15-man standard roster won’t be an option to start the season. That doesn’t mean roster changes aren’t possible, since either Santos or Waters could be replaced with a minimum-salary player. However, recent reporting suggested that Golden State will probably stick with those two for opening night, despite recently working out several veteran free agents.

The Warriors have been in the process of shuffling Exhibit 10 players on and off the roster, having waived Donta Scott, Yuri Collins, and Javan Johnson within the last few days. That process figures to continue.

One key outstanding question in Golden State is which two-way player will be cut to make room for Post — the No. 52 overall pick is expected to receive a two-way contract of his own, but either Beekman, Plowden, or Spencer will have to be waived to open up a spot.

Two-way players who are holdovers from the prior season are generally more in danger of losing their roster spots than newly signed players, which is why I’d long viewed Spencer as the Warriors’ most likely release candidate. However, the fact that the College Park Skyhawks recently surrendered a G League draft pick in a trade for Plowden’s returning rights is a signal that he could be the odd man out. Complicating matters further? Beekman was easily the trio’s least effective performer in Summer League play. I wouldn’t necessarily assume that any one of these three players is entirely safe.

Los Angeles Clippers

With 15 players on standard guaranteed contracts, the Clippers‘ standard roster looks pretty set for opening night. They’d probably like to find a taker for Tucker’s expiring contract, but I wouldn’t count on that happening before the season begins.

There’s still work to be done with the Clippers’ two-way contracts though. Even if Flowers and Miller keep their spots, the club will almost certainly add a third player to that group prior to the start of the regular season. Of the camp invitees on Exhibit 10 contracts, Jones – the 19th overall pick in 2021 – looks like the most intriguing option for that final two-way slot.

Meanwhile, the reporting on Williams’ alleged agreement with the Clippers was somewhat vague and has yet to be corroborated, so it’s unclear if and when that signing will be finalized and what kind of contract he’ll get. It’s possible Williams could be among the players in the mix for the final two-way spot.

Los Angeles Lakers

Like the Clippers, the Lakers have one or more potential salary-dump candidates among their 15 guaranteed players on guaranteed contracts, but those trade opportunities are more likely to materialize during the regular season than during the preseason. I’d expect the 15 players on standard contracts listed above to be the ones on the Lakers’ opening night roster.

The Lakers have shown already this offseason that they don’t mind shaking up their two-way spots — they signed Blake Hinson to a two-year, two-way contract in July, only to waive him a couple months later in favor of Koloko. It’s possible the team will make another change to that group (Goodwin, notably, is eligible to converted). Otherwise, we should just expect minor Exhibit 10 signings and cuts in the coming weeks.

Phoenix Suns

This is the first time in a few years that the Suns have had a G League team of their own, so we’ll see just how many affiliate and returning-rights players they sign to Exhibit 10 contracts prior to the season. If they complete their reported deals with Buie, Diakite, and Samuel, they’ll be at the 21-man roster limit, but more transactions are certainly a possibility.

The Suns, who had been carrying 16 players on guaranteed contracts, opened up a spot on their projected 15-man regular season roster by waiving both Nassir Little and E.J. Liddell last month. Given that they stretched both players’ salaries in an effort to reduce their projected tax bill, I imagine they aren’t all that eager to fill that 15th spot with a new addition right away — that may not happen until later in the season.

Sacramento Kings

The Kings are in a similar spot to the Warriors. With just 12 players on fully guaranteed contracts, plus two more without full guarantees, Sacramento theoretically has some room to make changes at the back of its roster. But adding a 15th man would push the team’s salary into luxury tax territory. Plus, Keon Ellis should have a rotation role and Robinson has a $500K partial guarantee, so neither looks like a great candidate to be cut before opening night.

While Sacramento could carry a 15th man into the season and worry down the road about ducking out of the tax, I don’t expect that to be the plan unless the club is hit hard by injuries in the preseason. For what it’s worth, the Kings are already dealing with one injury — Carter is expected to be sidelined until at least January as he recovers from shoulder surgery.

Even if they were to finalize the Labissiere and Taylor signings today, the Kings would still have an open spot on their 21-man preseason roster, so more Exhibit 10 signings (and cuts) are likely coming. We’ll see if any of those players, including Boogie Ellis, get a shot to unseat Crawford or the Joneses for a two-way spot or whether Sacramento is content to carry its current two-way players into the season.


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