JaVale McGee averaged 4.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in 42 games last season, and was waived Tuesday by the Mavericks.
Two days after the Dallas Mavericks waived center JaVale McGee, the veteran found a new home in Sacramento.
Welcome to Sacramento, @JaValeMcGee! 👑 pic.twitter.com/i0AEyYeC9B
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) September 3, 2023
Joining up with the Kings, who broke through with a playoff appearance as the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed following a league-record 16 seasons on the outside, will allow McGee to provide depth behind All-Star big Domantas Sabonis.
Just a year ago, the Mavericks signed the free agent to a three-year contract with plans for him to start.
McGee started seven of the first nine games, but fell out of the rotation about a month into the season and played sparingly the rest of the way.
The Mavericks missed the postseason a year after reaching the Western Conference Finals. A midseason trade to pair Kyrie Irving with fellow All-Star Luka Doncic didn’t provide a spark, although Dallas re-signed Irving in the offseason.
McGee averaged 4.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in 42 games last season. The 35-year-old has career averages of 7.8 points and 5.2 rebounds, and delivered a productive campaign for the Suns in 2021-22, averaging 16 minutes across 74 games (17 starts) as Phoenix reached the second round.
McGee is a three-time NBA champion, winning twice with Golden State as a backup before starting 68 regular-season games for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2019-20. He didn’t play in the NBA Finals when L.A. beat Miami in the playoff bubble.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
