Sacramento Kings sign JaKarr Sampson to two-way deal
The Sacramento Kings have filled their second two-way contract slot with the signing of forward JaKarr Sampson.
Last weekend, news surfaced that the Sacramento Kings had filled their first two-way contract slot with big man Jack Cooley.
Now just a weekend later, the Kings have locked down their second two-way contact slot as they announced Saturday afternoon that they have signed swingman JaKarr Sampson to a two-way deal.
Like Cooley, the news comes after Sampson played as part of the team’s NBA Summer League squad, where the 24-year-old averaged 7.5 points and 5.2 rebounds in 17.4 minutes per game.
It’s just the latest chapter for the St. John’s product as Sampson has logged many stops in the first three years of his professional career, both at the NBA and G League level. Sampson is likely most known for his tenure with the Philadelphia 76ers, where he spent one and a half seasons after going undrafted in the 2014 NBA Draft.
With the 76ers, Sampson earned consistent playing time and numerous nods in the starting lineup to develop as part of their rebuild. In 121 appearances with the team, Sampson averaged 5.2 points and 2.4 rebounds in 15.1 minutes per game.
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Following his release by the 76ers during the All-Star break of the 2015-16 season, Sampson was quickly snatched up by the Denver Nuggets, where he would finish out the year.
After his stints with the 76ers and Nuggets in the first two seasons of his career, Sampson spent all of last season playing as part of the Memphis Grizzlies‘ affiliate, the then-Iowa Energy.
It proved to be an incredibly successful stop for Sampson, who averaged 15.7 points per game on 49 percent shooting from the field as well as 5.3 rebounds per game.
Sampson’s play for the Energy didn’t go unnoticed, as he was named a G League All-Star last year.
Standing at 6’9″ and weighing at 207 pounds, Sampson possesses the ideal size NBA teams are looking for in players at his position. On top of that, Sampson oozes an incredible amount of athleticism as he’s always capable of tearing the rim off with an eye-popping slam dunk.
However, the one area that has been Sampson’s biggest hang-up has been his inability to consistently hit from deep. Across all of his stops on either level, Sampson has routinely shot in the mid-20s in terms of three-point percentage.
Now that his signing with the Kings is official, Sampson will look to build on his strong season in the G League as part of the Reno Bighorns, the team’s affiliate. While players signed on two-way contracts will primarily log time on the G League level, players can spend up to 45 days during the regular season with their parent club.
With both two-way contract slots officially locked up, the Kings’ roster appears to be set way in advance of next season, barring an unforeseen trade coming to fruition later in the summer.
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While a domino has yet to fall in regards to their front office situation, an eventful and effective offseason is close to being set in stone for the Kings.