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.