The Sacramento Kings have officially struck a deal with free agent forward/center Precious Achiuwa, agreeing to a one-year, minimum-salary contract as reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania. To accommodate Achiuwa on the roster, the Kings are expected to waive second-year forward Isaac Jones.
Jake Fischer, an NBA insider, first alerted fans on Monday about Sacramento’s interest in Achiuwa, while Clutch Points’ Brett Siegel indicated that Jones would likely be the player to be released if a roster adjustment were to occur.
The Kings have been facing challenges in their frontcourt after losing starting power forward Keegan Murray to a thumb injury last month. This unfortunate injury has compelled the team to adopt smaller lineups, relying more heavily on rookies Nique Clifford and Dylan Cardwell, who have had to step up significantly during the early part of the season.
Achiuwa, who is 26 years old, entered the league as the 20th overall pick by the Miami Heat in 2020. He transitioned to the Toronto Raptors as part of a trade for Kyle Lowry during the 2021 offseason, where he spent over two seasons. Most recently, Achiuwa was traded to the New York Knicks along with OG Anunoby in December 2023. After a season-and-a-half in New York, he signed a non-guaranteed contract with the Heat this fall but was not included in Miami’s regular season roster due to luxury tax implications.
Despite being slightly undersized for a center and lacking as an outside shooting threat, Achiuwa is recognized for his athleticism, high energy, and strong rebounding skills. In the 2024/25 season, he played 57 games, averaging 6.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.0 assists over 20.5 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .502/.278/.594.
As for Jones, who previously played for Washington State, he joined the Kings as an undrafted free agent in 2024 and participated in 40 games last season. His initial two-way deal was upgraded to a standard contract in March due to his strong performance. Although he made an impression with the Kings, Jones had a limited role last season, averaging just 7.6 minutes per game, and he has only appeared for 17 minutes across three games this season, even with Murray out.
While there was some ambiguity regarding Jones’ contract details when the Kings exercised his ’25/26 team option in June, ESPN’s Bobby Marks confirmed that his minimum salary was non-guaranteed. If Jones is released, Sacramento would incur a minimal dead-money cap hit of $191,043, though it would be more due to tax variance.
Assuming Achiuwa’s signing is finalized on Tuesday, his prorated minimum contract would total approximately $2,453,285, with a cap charge of $2,111,516 for the Kings. It is also expected that his contract will include non-guaranteed conditions, although this has yet to be verified. This move reflects the Kings’ efforts to bolster their roster and navigate current obstacles while maintaining financial flexibility.