Report: Kings send Mitchell, Vezenkov, pick to Raptors for McDaniels originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Kings are parting ways with two players in preparation for the 2024-25 NBA season.
Sacramento has traded guard Davion Mitchell and forward Sasha Vezenkov to the Toronto Raptors for sixth-year wing Jalen McDaniels, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Thursday afternoon, citing sources.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported, citing sources, that the Kings will also add the No. 45 pick in Thursday’s NBA draft as part of the trade.
Sources: Toronto sends Jalen McDaniels to the Kings for Davion Mitchell and Sasha Vezenkov.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 27, 2024
Mitchell, 25, was drafted No. 9 overall by Sacramento in 2021. The Baylor product has been praised primarily for his defense and has shown glimpses of his shooting and playmaking ability.
As a rookie, he averaged 11.5 points on 41.8 percent shooting, with 2.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 27.7 minutes. He started 19 games that season — the most of his career — mainly filling in for an injured De’Aaron Fox. He made the most of the opportunity, but things changed in his second season.
The Kings added guards Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter to the roster and Mitchell saw his playing time decrease significantly, by nearly 10 minutes and even more during the 2023-24 season.
In just 15.3 minutes off the bench last season, Mitchell averaged 5.3 points on 45.2 percent shooting from the field and 36.1 percent from 3-point range to go with 1.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 72 games.
According to reports, Sacramento has retained Monk. He wants to sign a four-year contract to stay with the Kings. With Colby Jones, the Kings’ 2023 draft pick, 2024 draft pick Devin Carter and the inspiring arrival of Keon Ellis, Sacramento had to part ways with its guard players and find a new home for Mitchell.
Meanwhile, conflicting rumors surrounded Vezenkov and the Kings this offseason.
Vezenkov was frustrated by the lack of playing time in his first NBA season with the Kings, but multiple sources told FOX40’s Sean Cunningham that there was “no truth” to the report about his desire to leave the NBA. One source even called the report “inaccurate.”
That appears to be true for Vezenkov, who instead of leaving the league, will instead leave the place he called home for just one year.
Vezenkov averaged 5.4 points on 44 percent shooting from the field and 37.5 percent from 3-point range in 12.2 minutes, with 2.3 rebounds, 0.5 assists and 0.5 steals.
McDaniels has had an inconsistent career thus far, playing for three teams in six years.
His best season came with the Charlotte Hornets during the 2022-23 season, when he averaged 10.6 points on 44.7 percent shooting, added 4.8 rebounds, two assists and 1.2 steals in 56 games before being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.
He hasn’t had as much NBA success as his brother, Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels, but at 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, he could be exactly what Sacramento has been looking for in a wing.
