Kings trim roster to 14, Doug McDermott makes most of first opportunity

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Cut down day is never easy. It’s the moment where NBA dreams are dashed or at least put on pause for a few players. It’s also the moment where you look around the room and acknowledge that this is the group that everyone is moving forward with, at least for the early portion of the season. 

The Sacramento Kings walked into Friday morning with 21 players on the roster. A little after noon, the team made their first batch of cuts, waiving veterans Brodric Thomas and Terry Taylor, as well as undrafted rookie Boogie Ellis.

Of this first group, Ellis may have been the biggest surprise. The 23-year-old guard shot the lights out in summer league (10-for-20, 50 percent) and again during the preseason (7-for-18, 38.9 percent). As an Exhibit 10 contract, there is a possibility that the Kings earmarked Ellis as an “affiliate player,” which allows the team to retain his G League rights and avoid the G League draft.

Whether Ellis wants to play in the G League or continue his basketball journey elsewhere is unknown at this time, but there is a chance that he stays in the Kings’ system. There is also the potential that he is either claimed by another team as a roster player, signs a two-way with another NBA franchise or heads overseas.

After the first group of players were waived and the Kings concluded practice, Sacramento added Skal Labissiere to the list of casualties. The 28-year-old big man is likely headed to Stockton for a second tour of duty with the Kings’ G League affiliate.

With roster spots opened up, the Kings did some house cleaning moves to bolster their G League squad when they signed Drew Timme, Shareef O’Neal and Antoine Davis to contracts. This trio of players will also be waived in the coming days and all three are expected to join the Stockton Kings. 

This is a standard move that NBA teams do near the end of camp that allows them to give bonus money to players to supplement their G League salary. The salary for G Leaguers is just $40,500 for the season, so these bonuses are necessary to keep talent from bolting to Europe for more lucrative contracts. 

Once the Kings officially waive Timme, O’Neal and Davis, the roster will stand at 14, plus three two-way players. The Kings value roster flexibility and keeping an open spot could pay dividends down the road. They can also assess the final cuts of other NBA teams over the next few days and make an addition if they feel like a player can help the team.