The Sacramento Kings have agreed to a one-year contract with Kent Bazemore, reports Shams Charania The Athletic. The 33-year-old played for the Los Angeles Lakers last season.
It is not yet clear whether the deal is a guaranteed contract or whether Bazemore still has to earn his place in the squad in training camp. The exact terms of the working paper are still unknown.
The forward was last under contract with the Lakers, but only made 39 appearances in the 2021/22 season. He averaged 3.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in 14 minutes and had a better three-point rate (36.3 percent) than a field shot rate (32.4 percent).
The Lakers missed the playoffs at the end of a disappointing season, followed by a minor upheaval over the summer. Many of the veteran role players had to go, including Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Avery Bradley, Wayne Ellington and, of course, Bazemore. Most of the ex-Lakers stars are still out of contract.
Even if his contract in Sacramento is not fully guaranteed, Bazemore should have a good chance of a permanent place in the squad. The Kings currently only have 12 guaranteed contracts, most recently former NBA champion Matthew Dellavedova also received an unguaranteed contract. After a 16-year playoff drought, the Kings, centered around De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, are finally looking to get back into the postseason.
–
