Sacramento Kings Officially Sign Former 2019 Draft Pick

Agreeing to a contract with the Sacramento Kings on July 15, former 2019 second-round pick KZ Okpala has officially signed his new deal, the team announced on Wednesday.

Okpala, 23, was drafted 32nd overall by the Miami Heat in the 2019 NBA Draft and he ended up playing a total of 63 regular season games in a Heat uniform, averaging 11.4 minutes, 2.8 points and 1.8 rebounds per game.

On February 9 ahead of this past season’s trade deadline, the Heat dealt Okpala to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a 2026 second-round pick. The young forward was then waived by the Thunder two days later.

A lengthy combo-forward that has shown flashes of his potential on the defensive end of the floor, KZ Okpala will now likely be fighting for an actual roster spot on Sacramento’s roster. The terms of his contract have not been released, but the Kings do have 13 players signed to guaranteed contracts for next season and they also have the likes of Matthew Dellavedova, Chima Moneke, Sam Merrill, Kent Bazemore and Quinn Cook fighting for roster spots.

The Kings finished the 2021-22 season 30-52, their fourth consecutive season with at least 30 wins, but their 16th consecutive season without making the playoffs.

After hiring former Golden State Warriors assistant coach Mike Brown as their new head coach and after adding some key talents in Kevin Huerter, Malik Monk and rookie Keegan Murray this offseason, Sacramento is hopeful that they will be able to put their postseason drought behind them this upcoming 2022-23 season.

Whether or not KZ Okpala figures to be a part of this roster at the start of the year is yet to be determined.

Comments are closed.