THE Sacramento Kings made a few moves this offseason that shed key players. Sacramento’s most notable move was the acquisition of DeMar DeRozan from the The Chicago Bulls in a three-team signing trade that sent Harrison Barnes to the San Antonio Spurs.
Barnes spent five seasons in Sacramento after the Kings traded him in the 2018-19 season. In 399 regular-season games played with the Kings, Barnes averaged 14.7 points and 4.9 rebounds, but his biggest accomplishment was playing in back-to-back 82-game seasons.
As funny as the DeMar DeRozan-Kings news is, Harrison Barnes deserves some love after six seasons in Sacramento.
Barnes was a consummate pro during his time here. Excellent with the media, always positive and respected by players, coaches and staff.
At the Black Falcon π«‘ pic.twitter.com/rnhSRLHOtz
β Frankie Cartoscelli (@FCartoscelli3) July 7, 2024
Barnes’ availability was greatly appreciated during the Kings’ two best seasons of the last two decades. Yet as he heads to San Antonio, he’ll serve as a veteran presence alongside Chris Paul, Victor Wembanyama and a core of talented youngsters.
Barnes will return to Sacramento on Dec. 1, where Kings fans will also be able to see the 20-year-old French phenom at the Golden 1 Center.
As part of the three-team blockbuster, the Kings sent backup winger Chris Duarte to Chicago, just one season after acquiring him in a trade with the Indiana Pacers.
In one season with the Kings, Duarte averaged 3.9 points per game but struggled to find a stable spot in the rotation. Duarte will return to Sacramento on March 20.
Another big move for the Kings this offseason came on day two of the draft, when they sent Davion Mitchell and Sasha Vezenkov to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Jalen McDaniels.
With Vezenkov pivoting his career to the Euroleague before getting a chance to suit up for the Raptors, Mitchell should be a valuable piece for the struggling North team.
Davion Mitchell on why he’s good at defense: ‘Because I love doing it.’ pic.twitter.com/jkwFplsKib
β π°πΆπ»π΄π»π΄ (@ogchabzo) July 11, 2024
The Kings selected Mitchell with the ninth overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft. Over three seasons, Mitchell averaged 7.4 points and 2.8 assists per game, serving as a viable backup and defensive point guard.
Mitchell will return to Sacramento on Nov. 6, ready for his first career appearance as a Golden 1 center without a Kings uniform.
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