The Sacramento Kings have not played up to their potential this season. They are coming off a win over the Golden State Warriors, improving their record to 3-5. The Kings will host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night, but they could be without a key player.
Domantas Sabonis missed Wednesday’s game with a ribcage injury, and it is still bothering him on Friday. This injury is a reason why Sacramento decided to sign Precious Achiuwa. They inked the deal on November 4th, but contract details have just emerged.
Per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Achiuwa signed a one-year non-guaranteed deal worth just under $2.5 million. This means the Kings can release Achiuwa at any time without having to honor the full salary of the contract.
Precious Achiuwa Provides Frontcourt Help
GettyPrecious Achiuwa scored four points in his Kings’ debut.
The Kings were in need of frontcourt help, especially considering the Sabonis injury. Sacramento’s next best big man was Drew Eubanks. In Achiuwa’s Kings’ debut, Eubanks got the start and played 32 minutes. He scored 12 points and grabbed six rebounds in the win.
In that same game, Achiuwa played nine minutes, scored four points, grabbed three rebounds, and blocked a shot. He has a presence in the paint on both ends of the court. He has never played more than 25 minutes per game in his career, but he will not have to on the Kings. Sabonis is not out long-term, so Achiuwa just has to be someone Doug Christie can turn to when the starter needs a break.
Achiuwa also allows the Kings to play a bigger lineup if needed. Standing 6-foot-8, he is an undersized center, but he plays much larger than his size. His defensive rating has been above average in each of his first five seasons. In his career, Achiuwa averages 14.1 rebounds per 100 possessions and 1.6 blocks.
Offensively, Achiuwa is not someone who will take many shots from three-point range. However, he has shot 52.9% from inside the arc in his career, including going 2-for-2 from the floor on Wednesday night.
His non-guaranteed contract does offer some uncertainty, but Achiuwa is a player Sacramento would be smart to keep for the entirety of the season.
Achiuwa’s Career at a Glance
GettyPrecious Achiuwa is on his fourth different team.
Achiuwa was drafted by the Miami Heat in the first round of the 2020 NBA draft. The Memphis standout averaged 5.0 points and 3.4 rebounds in 12.1 minutes played per game during his rookie year.
Following his rookie year, Achiuwa was traded to the Toronto Raptors. In his career north of the border, he averaged 8.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. He came off the bench for the Raptors, but provided valuable minutes when the team needed him to.
The Raptors traded Achiuwa to the New York Knicks in a blockbuster trade that involved R.J. Barrett. For New York, the big man averaged 7.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. He has never been one to score many points, but he does well in the minutes he is given.
His time with the Kings is not guaranteed, but he could give them a much-needed boost off the bench.
Kings Acquire Frontcourt Help With Latest Signing, Contract Details Revealed