In a sentence I did not expect to be writing in 2023, the Sacramento Kings have signed Skal Labissiere to a partially guaranteed contract. This report comes from The Athletic’s Shams Charania, who also specifies that this is a one-year deal.
Skal Labissiere has agreed to a partially guaranteed one-year deal with the Sacramento Kings, his agent Daniel Hazan of Hazan Sports Management told @TheAthletic @Stadium. Labissiere returns to franchise that selected him in first round in 2016 and where he played for 3 years.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 21, 2023
This is most likely a training camp deal, possibly even an Exhibit 10 contract, which would allow a path for Skal to join the Stockton Kings if he doesn’t make Sacramento’s roster.
The Kings have already signed both Nerlens Noel and Neemias Queta to minimally guaranteed deals, creating a series of camp battles to determine who makes the final roster. These are low cost deals, and as weird as it is to have Skal back, there’s no real harm to it.
As our friend Jill Adge reminds us, the Kings have a total of 21 roster spots for training camp, with spots still open.
Kings are currently at 18 spots of their 21 available for camp
— Jillian Adge (@JillAdge) August 21, 2023
We presume one of the 3 remaining spots will go to Jordan Ford, leaving two more spots to be filled before camp opens.
As for Skal, it would be an incredible turn of events if he made Sacramento’s opening day roster. He’s now 27 years old, and hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2019-20 season. In the meantime Skal has played in the G-League, followed by stints in Mexico and Puerto Rico.
If you had told me the Kings would sign a former Kings player to a training camp deal for a shot to get back to the NBA, I would’ve lost a lot of money betting it was Harry Giles or Tyreke Evans before I ever would have thought about Skal, but I’m still happy Skal is getting this shot. He always seemed like a good kid stuck in a bad situation, the victim of a bad front office who drafted him higher than he should have gone, and expecting Skal to live up to the expectations. There’s nothing better in sports than a story of a good person getting another chance. I’ll be rooting for Skal to make the most of this.
Skal rode the deep bench for one of the summer league teams- did not really impress.
I suspect his skills are about the same as when he last played in the NBA.. Doubt he makes it but he does have length and experience.
Thought they might bite on Ty Ty Washington.
OKC may cut Isiah Joe since he is one of the easier contracts to dump- he can shoot it.
I will be shocked if OKC cuts Joe. I’d bet money against that happening
Still a little shocked they just cut Garuba. Why not bring him to camp?
Positionally there’s no opportunity for him in OKC. Better to cut him loose now as a favor to the player and the agent, maintain relationships, and bring in a camp body at more of a position of need.
Would really love Garuba or Tyty. Garuba in particular has the chance to be the perfect complement to Sabonis and as a backup to him. He’d be great to stow away in Stockton for a year or two – is that last two way still available?
Greg- I doubt they cut him either due to skill set but his contract is the easiest to jettison. I only said that his contract is vulnerable- he is a good shooter.
I think they have cut Washington, Garuba and Robinson Earl.
from Hoops Rumors:
Theoretically, Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, and Jack White make sense as release candidates. They’re the only three of the Thunder’s 18 players on standard contracts who don’t have guaranteed salaries for 2023/24. Joe and Wiggins have non-guaranteed minimum-salary deals, while White’s minimum salary is partially guaranteed for $600K.
what about giving Harry Giles a shot?
If she signs Harry Giles too…. I’d buy season tickets to the Stockton Kings
Skal!
The Haitian Sensation!
We are reskalibrated!
I hope Skal practices & plays well throughout training camp, make it hard on the coaches to cut him. He’s definitely got some long odds at this point, but I’m pulling for him. Even if it’s not here, I hope Skal stays in the league.
Looks like it is confirmed for the Stockton Kings.
Ok, that makes sense. Playing in Stockton is much better path than the Mexican Pro League if he wants to get another shot at the NBA.
a solid move for Angeli
she should sign Harry Giles too. That’s serious.
not as serious but not a complete joke of a comment either… sign an old (but I’m sure he’s still got it) Jason Williams. Stockton would sell out every game.
I think this is great and all because it’s basically a camp invite for a Stockton Kings tryout. No harm, no foul. That being said, I’d still like an additional true PG to get an invite. It would be a shame if Jordan Ford doesn’t get a deal like this.
Anjali is making moves!
It’s sort of interesting, given that Skal wasn’t a McNair pick, which suggests that this isn’t some kind of favor about sentimentality, or some attempt at good vibes.
It’s not remotely a large-impact move, but I’d imagine that there are a lot of other guys available who could fill a hole in the D-League, with a possibility of playing their way to the NBA. McNair went with Skal. Kind of interesting, or possibly, not the least bit interesting.
Skal or the 5,000 other players that can be considered D league players. Go with what you know or can verify with someone you know.
We’re putting the old crappy dysfunctional band that couldn’t win shit back together.
Yeah like I said the old band
“…the victim of a bad front office who drafted him higher than he should have gone.”
I don’t remember that being the case at all. I remember Skal being basically a throw in after getting what I thought at the time was a good move in trading Chriss for Bogdan Son of Bogdon, and then drafting a complete head scratcher in Papa G, considering I don’t think his name was mentioned once. Anywhere. In fact most of us were so completely stunned by the Papa G pick (and incensed about trading a future 1st) that Skal was kind of an afterthought, a bit of a stash & potential steal if he could develop.
Anyway, kinda hard to say being picked at 28th is ever “too high” IMO, there were some good picks after Skal but that list is pretty much Malcom Brogdan and Iva Zubac. Everyone else was pretty much Skal or worse.
On another note, that front office was absolutely atrocious. I didn’t mind the idea of trading a future 1st like everyone else. I hate that, instead of Papa G, it could’ve yielded someone like Siakam, Levert, or just been applied better in general, to net a higher pick, better player, or whatever.
Papa. Fkn. G.
Yeah that was sad. Sad sad sad. Pathetic even. I’ll be honest though, as confused and upset as I was about it I still managed to talk myself into “maybe Vlade knows something we don’t. Let’s see what he can do. In a couple of years he could develop into a BEAST!!”
then he debuted in the Cali classic or was it Las Vegas? Doesn’t matter. 1 summer league game in and those hopes of vlade knowing something we didn’t evaporated into a dark spiral that pushed the fan base to the brink of no return.
I honestly don’t think Vlade ever saw the “beast” play until that first summer league game. There is no way anyone that has stepped foot onto an NBA court would ever think that guy might belong in the NBA.
Probably a hot tip from a friend in Europe.
Papa G….one of the all time worst NBA picks in the history of the NBA.
That kANgZ front office was beyond atrocious. The actual success was somehow practically making that pick disappear. Someone in the media side of things did very well on that front. Like it never happened…….
That draft night open thread was truly one of the best STR meltdowns
within 3 seconds on him being on the court, we all knew he could not, play. 3 seconds.
His draft profile was questionable at best.
I don’t even remember him playing an entire summer league game?
Yes, I know. I can get hyped on the idea of almost anyone wearing a Kings uniform. Whoever it is, I always think “maybe he shocks the world and turns into a rotational player or even better!!
on that vibe, Skal’s skill set does complement Sabonis. Shot blocking, rebounding and deep shooting. There’s a papers thin chance if I turn the lights off and squint that can see Skal coming off the bench and playing along side Sabonis.
Sean Cunningham just posted an interview with Skal.
Yea Boi!
I actually own a labisserie jersey bought with some conviction/willful delusion that he was a very poor man’s LaMarcus Aldridge. I also thought his journey to hoops was interesting. Yeah I extracted way to much from the non representative garbage game end of season stretch. But hey some times you need to believe that the mirage is a genuine oasis beckoning a victim of severe playoff drought for a cold swallow of H20.
I was wearing it on holiday in Greece thinking well at I least I knew papa g was a dud. Then he dropped a double double in a FIBA WC warmup game. 😂
I’ll get a Murray jersey next year.
Welcome back Skal.
Yeah make an offer to Cuz. Think he’d play for Stockton?! Trifecta: Skal, H2O and Cuz. I’ll watch!!
Good for Skal. I hope he does well enough to get on an NBA roster somewhere. Seemed likeable enough you’d want to root for him.
Looks like Javale McGee is available. He would be a great bench add for rim protection and bodying larger centers.
Badge Legend