The Sacramento Kings will have a former teammate of Victor Wembanyama for the rest of the 2026-2027 NBA season.
The Kings have signed NBA veteran center Mason Plumlee, who was a teammate of San Antonio Spurs star Wembanyama last season.
Plumlee brings much-needed frontcourt depth and locker-room leadership in his 14th NBA season. The 36-year-old big man joins Sacramento after spending the 2025-2026 campaign with the Charlotte Hornets and the Spurs, where he served as a veteran mentor alongside Wembanyama during San Antonio’s run to the NBA Finals.
Kings Get Veteran Journeyman
Over 88 career regular-season games with eight previous franchises, the former Duke standout has averaged 7.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game on 59.6% shooting.
Plumlee averaged 1.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 8.6 minutes per game across 20 total regular-season appearances, including three starts split between the Hornets and Spurs.
He shot 78.6% from the field and 64.3% from the free-throw line. His limited playing time was largely due to a right groin surgery in late December while with Charlotte, before he eventually finished the campaign and made six brief postseason appearances with San Antonio.
Throughout his NBA career, veteran center Mason Plumlee has played for eight different franchises.
After winning a national championship at Duke, Plumlee began his professional career with the Brooklyn Nets (2013–2015), who selected him 22nd overall in the 2013 NBA Draft. He then moved west to join the Portland Trail Blazers (2015–2017) before being traded mid-season to the Denver Nuggets (2017–2020), where he spent three and a half seasons.
Plumlee then signed with the Detroit Pistons (2020–2021) for one campaign before spending a season and a half with the Charlotte Hornets (2021–2023). A 2023 trade deadline deal sent him to the Los Angeles Clippers (2023–2024), after which he signed a one-year contract with the Phoenix Suns (2024–2025).
Plumlee later returned for a second stint with the Hornets during the 2025-2026 season, and after being briefly acquired and waived by the Oklahoma City Thunder without appearing in a game. He finished the season with the Spurs (2026).
The Spurs overhauled their frontcourt over the summer, moving on from veteran bigs like Plumlee, Kelly Olynyk, and Bismack Biyombo.
How Plumlee Fits To The Kings
In Sacramento, Plumlee fits primarily as a veteran locker-room mentor and emergency frontcourt depth rather than an everyday rotation centerpiece.
Following their 1-10 start to the 2026–27 season and the trade of Nique Clifford, Sacramento needed to reach the 14-player roster threshold while stabilizing a young locker room where Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis are the only other players aged 30 or older.
The center brings championship-caliber professionalism to help a struggling, youth-heavy roster stay composed through a difficult rebuild.
Plumlee gives Sacramento reliable insurance behind Sabonis and backup Dylan Cardwell, while second-year big man Maxime Raynaud remains sidelined with a patellar injury.
Plumlee can execute dribble handoffs and keep the ball moving in short stints without disrupting the system when Sabonis rests. Moreover, his non-guaranteed contract gives the Kings low-risk frontcourt security ahead of the January guarantee deadline while keeping their 15th roster spot open for additional backcourt help.
Kings Sign Former Victor Wembanyama Teammate