Meet the new Kings: A look at Sacramento’s free agent signings, including a familiar face
Dewayne Dedmon
Position: Center
Height: 7-0
Weight: 245
Age: 29
Contract: 3 years/$40 million (partial guarantee in third year)
College: USC
Why him? Dedmon wasn’t the top free-agent center on the market, but the Kings were looking for a specific set of skills and Dedmon checked every box. He runs the floor, excels in the pick-and-roll, shoots 3s, rebounds and protects the paint. He’s everything the Kings wanted in a center to pair with Marvin Bagley III. Dedmon averaged 10.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 25.1 minutes per game for the Hawks last season. He comes to the Kings on a reasonable, team-friendly contract that is only partially guaranteed in the third year. That will give the Kings future roster and cap flexibility. Other centers could have done more to improve the team’s overall talent, but Dedmon looks like a very nice fit.
Trevor Ariza
Position: Forward
Height: 6-8
Weight: 215
Age: 34
Contract: 2 years/$25 million (partial guarantee in second year)
College: UCLA
Why him? Ariza is a 15-year NBA veteran who has appeared in 102 career playoff games and won a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009. He averaged 14.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 43 games for the Washington Wizards last season before he was traded to the Phoenix Suns, who had a logjam at the small forward position. Ariza is a 35.1-percent career 3-point shooter and a reputable defender. He has been a starter over most of the past 10 seasons with Houston, New Orleans, Washington and Phoenix, but the Kings will count on him to serve as a high-level backup to Harrison Barnes. The second year of Ariza’s contract is only partially guaranteed, which would allow the Kings to go another direction if they wish after the first year.
Cory Joseph
Position: Point guard
Height: 6-3
Weight: 193
Age: 27
Contract: 3 years/$37 million (partial guarantee in third year)
College: Texas
Why him? Joseph may not provide much offensively, but he gives the Kings a bigger backup point guard capable of locking in defensively and spelling hard-charging starter De’Aaron Fox. Joseph spent his first seven seasons with the San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors and Indiana Pacers. He has appeared in 82 career playoff games and won a championship with the Spurs in 2014. Joseph averaged 6.5 points, 3.9 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 25.2 minutes per game for the Pacers last season. He shot just 41.2 percent from the field and 32.2 percent from 3-point range, but he shot over 35 percent from beyond the arc the two previous seasons and hit 36.4 percent for the Spurs in 2014-15. The Kings gave Joseph a significant pay raise, but the final year is only partially guaranteed.
Harrison Barnes
Position: Small forward
Height: 6-8
Weight: 225
Age: 27
Contract: 4 years/$85 million
Why him? The Kings acquired Barnes from the Dallas Mavericks in February and made it clear they wanted to sign him to a long-term extension after he solidified the small forward position in Sacramento. Barnes has the requisite size, length and strength for the job, with enough versatility to move to power forward in small-ball lineups. He averaged 16.4 points and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 42 percent from the field and 39.5 percent from 3-point range in 77 games for the Kings and Mavericks last season. His new contract is frontloaded with declining pay in the second, third and fourth years, which should help the club as Buddy Hield, Bogdan Bogdanovic, De’Aaron Fox, Harry Giles III and Marvin Bagley III approach free agency.
This story was originally published July 1, 2019 at 12:22 PM.