The Kings are creating a little more financial flexibility, trading forward Jalen McDaniels and a second-round draft pick to the Spurs, per NBA insider Shams Charania of ESPN.
Again, this is little more than a classic salary dump for the Kings, who are looking to create some financial wiggle room. That’s exactly what Sacramento is doing by shipping out McDaniels’ expiring $4.74 million expiring contract.
Meanwhile, the Spurs are only adding McDaniels to their roster temporarily. Reports indicate that San Antonio plans to waive him shortly after the trade becomes official — meaning his contract will count as dead money on their cap for the rest of the 2024-25 season.
It’s also a strategic play for the Spurs, who are likely focused on the second-round pick and acquiring another asset to work with as they continue to rebuild and repurpose.
Selected by the Hornets with the No. 52 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, McDaniels showed flashes of potential during his first four seasons. Standing at 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot wingspan, he has served as a versatile defender who’s of guarding multiple positions. He also hit 34.2% of his three-point attempts with the Hornets.
However, the tides turned last season when McDaniels found himself in Toronto after signing a two-year, $9.26 million contract with the Raptors.
But his production and playing time took a significant hit — and he became part of another salary dump, this time with the Kings. In a deal that sent Sasha Vezenkov and Davion Mitchell to the Raptors, the Kings aimed to clear over $8 million in salary.
Now, McDaniels is looking for a fresh start, likely as an NBA free agent.
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