The Sacramento Kings are adding another piece to their roster. The club is adding free agent point guard Jordan McLaughlin to the team, per ESPN. The guard is signing a one year deal to join the northern California franchise.
The move is the latest in several transactions this summer for the Kings. Sacramento recently added veteran forward DeMar DeRozan in a massive trade with the Chicago Bulls. The Kings moved Harrison Barnes and a future NBA Draft pick to get DeRozan for a three year deal.
McLaughlin will add some veteran depth to the Kings backcourt. The guard was used as a reserve this past season for the Minnesota Timberwolves, shooting 48 percent from the field. He averaged just under four points a game for the Wolves. He also averaged two assists and a little more than one rebound a contest.
McLaughlin saw his minutes diminish in the postseason. He was seldom used in the playoffs, scoring a total of only four points for Minnesota in its run to the Western Conference Finals. He appeared in just one of the Finals games, posting five minutes of action. The veteran will get an opportunity with Sacramento to see the floor more often, although he will have to work his way into that rotation. The Kings already have several young stars in their backcourt.
The guard spent his entire NBA career in Minnesota. He played for the team for five seasons, appearing in 242 total games. He averaged 4.4 points per game, while shooting a career 45 percent from the field. He went undrafted when joining the league, and has always been a supporting character in the NBA.
How the Kings are reloading this offseason
The Kings are trying to push forward to reach an NBA final. The team had a disappointing end to the 2023-24 season, losing in a Play-In playoff game to the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Kings have a nucleus of talent, with young players littering the roster. That includes De’Aaron Fox, Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis. Sacramento coach Mike Brown also signed an extension this offseason, keeping the coaching staff in place for a potential run next year. The addition of McLaughlin brings some veteran leadership to the squad, and another strong voice in the locker room.
The franchise seems to be searching for veteran leadership this offseason. The addition of McLaughlin and DeRozan immediately adds a lot of years and experience to the roster. DeRozan is a six-time NBA All-Star, who just turned 35. He averaged 24 points this past season for the Bulls.
Sacramento is one of several NBA franchises still searching for its first NBA championship while playing in its current city. The Kings organization hasn’t been the most successful since it joined the league. The franchise’s lone title came in 1951, when the team was known as the Rochester Royals. The franchise has been in Sacramento since 1985.
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