Shams Charania of ESPN said via X that the Sacramento Kings, needing to satisfy NBA roster rules, have signed veteran forward Terry Taylor to a 10-day contract.
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Taylor has 95 games of NBA experience since going undrafted out of Austin Peay in 2021. The 6-5 power forward played for Indiana and Chicago before signing a training camp contract with Sacramento in September. He saw 13 minutes of action in three preseason games with the Kings.
Following his release, Taylor joined Stockton, where he had been playing well. The athletic Taylor averaged 16.1 points, 8.1 rebounds (2.2 offensive), 3.4 assists, and 1.0 blocks in 44 G-League games. He has produced 11 double-doubles and knocked down 1.8 rebounds while shooting 44.7/36.6/70.4.
Sacramento had been carrying 13 players since Skal Labissierre‘s 10-day contract expired on March 13. According to Hooprumors Luke Adams, the Kings’ 28-day grace period of carrying less than the NBA minimum of 14 players expired today.
The Kings have carried fewer than the league’s minimum for multiple periods. With the Kings unable to go below 14 players on standard contracts in the future, they will either have to sign Taylor to another 10-day or a rest-season deal following the conclusion on March 28, which is when Taylor’s contract expires, or sign another player.
Taylor will earn $124,288 over the course of his 10-day deal, while the Kings have a cap hit of $119,972, meaning they are still over $2 million below the tax line.
Where Do The Kings Stand?
Sacramento (34-33) sits in ninth place in the West after ending a four-game skid with a 132-122 win over Memphis Monday night. With 15 games to go in the regular season, the Kings are two games in front of 10th-place Dallas and three clear of 11th-place Phoenix.
Sacramento has played well since Doug Christie took over control of the team on an interim basis. The Kings are 21-15 under Christie despite trading De’Aaron Fox at the trade deadline.
Sacramento is 9-8 in their 17 games since the NBA trade deadline. most significantgest difference between the Kings under Mike Brown and Christie is improved offensive efficiency. Since Christie took over the reigns, the Kings are averaging 118.1 points, which is four more than they did under Browm, as they are making 13.1 threes at a 36.1% clip — both of those numbers are better than they were when Brown was in control.
Sacramento has shot the ball particularly well of late. While the Kings are averaging 115.3 points since the all-star break—which is less than their season average as they are averaging four fewer possessions—they are shooting 49.5% from the field and 38.9% from deep. The Kings connected on 52.3% of their shots against Memphis and drained 20 triples at a 48.8% clip.
Malik Monk scored 28 points on 10 of 17 shooting and had seven assists to lead three Kings with 20-plus points against Memphis last night. Zach LaVine scored 23 points and six dimes, while DeMar DeRozan added 22 points and eight assists. Those three players have thrived under Christie’s tutelage.
However, Sacramento has struggled on the defensive end under Christie. Over the last 36 contests, Sacramento has permitted an average of 117.8 points, with opponents shooting 47.8% from the field and 39% from beyond the arc.
Domantas Sabonis Injury
It appears that the Kings will likely be without Domantas Sabonis for a while. Sabonis suffered two new injuries last night, causing him to play just 12 minutes.
“Less than three minutes into the game, Sabonis took an inadvertent shot to the face from Luke Kennard while the Grizzlies guard was battling for defensive position,” according to Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. Sabonis was left with a bloody gash over his left eye and received stitches before returning to the court in the second quarter.
While Sabonis returned to the court in the second half, it wasn’t for long.
“During the first minute of the second half, Sabonis badly turned his right ankle as he drove toward Memphis’ basket, falling to the floor in pain,” Jake Gadon of CBS Sacramento said. “He had to be helped to the locker room and was ruled out for the rest of the night.”
While it is unknown if Sabonis will miss any time, that is likely.
“It sucks,” Vine said following the Grizzlies game. “Obviously, getting hit in the head early on with the stitches. He gets bumped and bruised because he plays so damn hard. I haven’t been able to talk to him, but Domas wants to be out there as much as anybody.”
“It looked pretty bad,”Monk added. “But Domas (is) strong. He’ll probably be back sooner than we think.”
Any missed games will be problematic for the Kings. The Kings are 3-6 in the games that 6-10 big men have missed, as they have been outscored 115.3-113.3 in those contests.
Sacramento’s victory over Memphis was the first contest of a season-high seven-game homestand. The Kings will host Cleveland on Wednesday and Chicago on Thursday. They don’t hit the road again until March 29, when they begin a six-game trip in Orlando.
How Will Terry Taylor’s Addition and Sabonis’ Injury Affect Kings’ Rotation?
Sacramento isn’t the biggest team. Without Sabonis, the Kings have just one player taller than 6-10, Jonas Valanciunas. Valanciunas has played well since joining the Kings, averaging nearly 10 points and over eight boards a game in less than 20 minutes a contest.
Suppose Sabonis does have to miss any time. Trey Lyles will likely see increased minutes at the five, leaving rookie Isaac Jones as the Kings’ only other center. Jones has been highly efficient in limited minutes, but the 24-year-old is only 6-8.
With Lyles primed to play more minutes at center, Jake LaRavia will be the primary backup for Keegan Murray. LaRavia has struggled with the Kings, averaging 5.4 points and 2.8 rebounds with shooting splits of 41.1/36.6/50. Doug McDermott or Jae Crowder could also see more playing time. McDermott hasn’t seen regular minutes since early in the season, and Crowder last appeared in a game on January 14.
Taylor may see some minutes over McDermott and Crowder. While undersized—McDermott and Crowder are as well—Taylor has been productive in his short stints in the NBA. He has also shown the ability to rebound and defend at the top level.
Photo Credit: © D. Ross Cameron
The post Kings Sign Young Veteran Forward As Insurance Policy For Domantas Sabonis Injury appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.