Precious Achiuwa may have found a home in Sacramento after bouncing around the league since he was drafted in 2020.
The 20th overall pick that year, the 6’8’’ power forward has played on four teams. After being waived by the Miami Heat in October, the Kings signed him in early November. He ended this season averaging 10 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 23.9 minutes per game this season.
Speaking to the media this week after the Kings season wrapped up, Achiuwa expressed how much he enjoyed being in Sacramento and seems to hope to be back.
“My representation is going to be in constant communication with the organization and the front office and hopefully, I’m praying that we’re able to come to something that works for both sides,” he said.
This was the highest scoring season of his career and the most games started in his career (57).
He had some big games this season, including 29 points and 12 rebounds against the Mavericks on Feb. 26; 29 points and 12 rebounds on March 5 against the Pelicans; 25 points and 13 rebounds against the Clippers on March 14; 28 points and 19 rebounds against the Raptors on April 1; and 27 points and 11 rebounds against the Blazers in the last game of the season.
In some of these games, opponents seemed to have no answer for him.
On Wednesday, Kings general manager Scott Perry told media he is interested in bringing Achiuwa back.
“Not bad for a guy that came off the couch in November, right? Really enjoyed working with Precious this year. … I know he’d like to be back here. We’d like to have him back here so hopefully we will continue to do business together,” Perry said.
Perry said as the season wore on Achiuwa became more comfortable. He noted how the forward can guard multiple positions and plays with the “necessary athleticism, energy, and force I think that is very important in today’s game.”
As for Precious, not only did he get a chance to excel on the court and feels wanted on the Kings, he likes Sacramento’s lowkey vibe.
“The most important thing is being somewhere I’m wanted. An organization that wants me to be there and where I enjoy being. Sacramento is a place that I love being. I’ve played in a lot of big cities. I grew up in a big city as well. But I’ve always been the type of person to kind of like be lowkey, out the way, and Sacramento gives me that feeling where it’s not a lot going on, not too crazy, and that’s my pace,” he said.
Achiuwa was a nice surprise this season, and at 26 years old, would be a good option to bring back.
I’d like him to come back too. Decline that option Lavine, and let’s waive Deebo.
10PPG, 6.7 rebounds, and assist and nearly a block as a starter. That’s pretty impressive numbers for a 26 year old Jason Thompson…uhhh, I mean Prescious Thompson. No, that’s not it either. Prescious Achiuwa!
They are the same player at the same age. What are we even doing here?
If the Kings want him as a bench big at 15MPG, then fine, but at the moment they can’t even afford him. They are likely an apron team and can pretty much just offer him the vet-minimum deal.
Yup. No point having him except on bench. It’s so obvious they have to get rid of the vets and build with youngsters, so that’s what they won’t do.
Perry probably gonna bring back WB too.
Perry says the Kings WILL NOT be a luxury tax paying team next season and the luxury tax and apron breaching should only happen if you are a contender.
The Kings currently project to not only be a tax paying team, but over the first apron as well. To quote Chris Webber, “Good luck!”
I fear they might waive and stretch Lavine, or attach draft capital to move a bigger contract, or take back some crap deals in a Sabonis trade while trying to shave off a couple million to dip under aprons.
I have zero confidence that they will make any smart choices.
Or all of the above.
I don’t think they’ll stretch LaVIne. That’s typically a move a contender does in order to fill in other roster spots for a supporting cast. The Kings have no business taking a cap hit over 3 years just to get below the tax.
That being said, I don’t know what to expect from this owner and front office when it comes to pinching pennies. They are in a corner and will either need to sell embarrassingly low, pay the tax, or stretch LaVine
After all, Vivek is in bed with Fisher.
I’ll add, the best possible scenario should LaVine want out and there are not trade possibilities, is a buyout of say…$20-25M and then that allows him to sign with a contender for around $20-$25M per year. He loses little to no money, Kings get cap relief, take the hit for one year, and it closes the chapter.
It’s a rip the band-aid off move that’s better than stretching his contract.
A signing of his player option, followed by a buyout, seems most likely to me. LaVine wants to get money and play relevant basketball. He can take his PO and get $49 million, but then he cannot play relevant basketball. I imagine (and could be wrong, of course) he’d be willing to take fewer millions if it could have him get traded to a relevant team, but his contract is for $49 million. That’s where a buyout enters the chat. Sign the option for $49 million, then give back some of it in a buyout, and go sign for much less on a contender.
They should cut DDR as well. Saves them $15 million they don’t have and lowers the possible tax burden. I’m guessing this won’t get them any meaningful cap space, but it means fewer meaningless wins, which is a plus.
If Perry goes into next season without LaVine and DDR, without burning assets to do it, and without bringing in Westbrook or Chris Paul or Klay Thompson, there might be the faintest glimmer of hope that he’s serious about rebuilding.
That being said, all of this makes the Schroder signing and Hunter trade even more bafflingly awful.
One thing to keep in mind is that DeRozan’s contract does not fully guarantee until 1/10/27. His contract for the coming season is $25,740,000, but with the $10m buyout. This enables the Kings to be roughly $15m over the tax apron until that date, at which time they can waive him and still get under the tax. So it’s not as though the tax apron is a real issue during this off season, as they have a way to off $15,740,000 in early January. All of that said, I don’t think that Vivek will spend a penny over the apron.
Which probably means he’s going to be on the Kings until January no matter what. I don’t think you’re trading him anywhere without including an asset. Clearly he can still score, but he’s not meaningfully playing defense or making other players better, and I don’t see why anyone would want to take on $25 million to roster him all season unless a bad contract is coming back or an asset going the other way.
His contract could have incredible value to a tax paying team come next January, especially is said team is not contending. An apron or tax team could send out $25M in matching salary, only to cut him and lower their cap by $15M, which could be double that in tax. That would be worth a first round pick, IMO.
Which puts the Kings heavily into the luxury tax and/or apron correct? Guessing this is likely a non-starter absent some other heavy salary cuts.
And yet, this is exactly why they’ll do it.
Remember, Vivek has hinted that he sees this roster as “Super Team. Just Injured.” and he may instruct Perry to do only two things in the offseason:
Get under the taxDo #1 while keeping as much of the “Super Team” (lol) intact as possible
As this point, I’ll be shocked if it goes any other way.
As Rob mentioned, the tax won’t be an issue until the deadline. The bigger problem is being over the first apron to start free agency. The Kings wont’t have the BAE and will only have access to the Tax Payer MLE ($6M). They also won’t be able to complete any S&T and will have to match salary in trade.
They head into summer with roster spots to fill an only the TPMLE and vet minimums to spend.
This is one reason I fear, should the Kings drop in the lottery, that they may trade back to save on cash or even attach the pick to move off of bad contracts. FWIW, LaVine’s PO deadline is June 29th, which is between the draft and the start of free agency. Good times.
We’ll have plenty of cap space after LaVine opts out and re-signs with us for 4 years 140 mil.
Sell the Team!!!
Vivek may be great at owning/running a tech company, but it hasn’t translated well to owning/running a basketball team. This franchise is a train wreck and he’s the engineer.
Dumb question time, if they waive Lavine does that money count against the cap? I get that if they stretch his deal that cap hit is 16 mill or so for the next 3 years
Why wouldn’t a cap strapped team not trade for DDR, say the Cavs as they would get cap relief of $15 mill Are the Kings not capable of pulling his type of move off, or are the other factors at play that I/we are not aware of. Or will teams not make the Kings a fair offer as they don’t have to as the Kings will do the stupid thing soon enough?
Never forget –
This guy averaged a double-double for the Kings. Why isn’t his jersey in the rafters?
He just wasn’t quite Gooden-ough…
Will be just our luck if we fall out of the top 4 in the lottery and they jump…
11th worst and they have a 9% chance of jumping. Soooooo dumb. End the lottery. It does jack shit for its goal. It just looms, threatening to make parity even further out of reach.
Also, the Clippers #12 pick belongs to OKC, with a 7% chance to hop into the top 4.
Would be amazing to see the team likely in the Western conference championship or finals come away with, say, Peterson at 3.
It would be wild, but OKC is about to be a 2nd apron team next season (should they pick up the TOs on Hartenstein and Dort). Williams and Chet get massive extensions then SGA’s super max kick in the the season after that. Simply put, I don’t think OKC can afford a high lottery pick. Good problem for Presti to have as he can likely just kick that can down the road for some future draft capital.
Would a guy like a 19 year old Peterson make them better? Possibly, but they already have their three max stars and I have to imagine Presti is looking for key role playing guys and not more firepower. There is a point when you can have too many cooks in the kitchen.
I think if I have a top three pick in this draft in Presti’s position, I take it and rework the roster after.
yes, for a top 4.
They can get away with the11th pick this year but by next year, they have to adjust the roster
SGA success is hurting them. He will be MVP and take up significant parts of their cap.
Chet is worth it but JW? and for now they need Dort, Hartenstein and Caruso.
The role guys- Wallace, Joe and Mitchell will start asking for more.
Next year the Thunder will have $122M in salary in SGA, Chet, and Williams alone. Hypothetically add in just the #4 pick at another $10M and they will be at $132M with 4 player with a tax line at $165M. They also have another near $65M in guaranteed deals, and that doesn’t include the TO’s for Hartenstein and Dort for another $46M. All in all, they they well above the second apron, even if they traded away their two first round picks regarless of where they land. Next take into account that SGA will get a $20M per year raise beginning in 27-28.
Clay Bennet may be willing to go into the apron for the short term, but he has proven not to be a big spender long term. Something will have to give at some point, especially if OKC stumbles.
The apron rules, sadly IMO, keep good teams from keeping their bands together, but I guess that is the goal for parity.
yes Don’t over pay. Kings “lost” LaRavia-last year, Is PA better?
I compared Keon and Daequan. Same minutes. Keon better % on FG and 3’s/ DP better PPG.
DP more versatile on Offense and better straight up defender. Keon higher percent, better on deflections and team defense.
Keon is great if the other 4 can score. DP better if the others cannot score since he can.
Interesting watching Kangz castoffs Fox, Keon, Heurter, Queta and Brown play significant roles on playoff teams this weekend.
Don’t forget about Sam Merril!!!
If you are Perry and you win the lottery land the top pick; who do you draft and why?
You trade back with Dallas for #8 (pick Acuff Jr.), #30 (pick senior Joshua Jefferson), and Klay Thompson, because Vivek told me to in a “win now” move.
Utah won the coin toss with the Kings.
Boo. At least the Mavs and Lakers lost too.
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