Veteran power forward Zach Randolph is moving to another team, agreeing to join the Sacramento Kings on a two-year deal worth $24 million. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com first reported the agreement that will move Randolph to Sacramento after eight years with the Memphis Grizzlies. The news of Randolph’s signing came after veteran point guard George Hill agreed to a three-year, $57 million deal with the Kings.
Randolph, a 16-year veteran, was a former starter with the Grizzlies but he agreed to a sixth man role under head coach David Fizdale. He did not miss a beat in his new role, averaging 14.1 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists last season. Fizdale praised Randolph for accepting his new role without any complaints, calling it a seamless transition as he continued to deliver consistently for the Grizzlies.
Randolph to continue sixth man role with Kings
With the Kings, the 35-year-old Randolph is expected to continue his role as sixth man, where he can provide additional scoring for a team that ranked 12th in scoring last year.
He can also provide the Kings with a veteran presence and leadership in the locker room and on the floor.
In his 16-year career, he played for the Portland Trail Blazers for six seasons before suiting up for the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Clippers for two years and one year, respectively. He signed with the Grizzlies in 2009 and became an essential part of the franchise’s frontline. In 1,057 career games, Randolph averaged 16.8 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 31.3 minutes of action.
Hill’s signing came as surprise
Shams Charania of The Vertical first reported that Hill reached an agreement on a three-year, $57 million contract with the Kings. Charania said the third year of Hill’s contract is partially guaranteed.
The signing came as a surprise since Hill was actively negotiating with the Los Angeles Lakers on a one-year deal that would have enabled him to play alongside No. 2 overall pick Lonzo Ball. The Lakers also planned to put Ball under Hill’s mentorship to hasten his development.
Despite being limited to just 49 games last season due to various injuries, the 31-year-old Hill still tallied 16.9 points and 4.2 assists per game. Hill became expendable after the Utah Jazz traded for playmaker Ricky Rubio. According to Tim McMahon of ESPN.com, the Jazz and Hill were discussing a contract extension worth $14 million per year in March but the talks did not progress.