Gut Reaction: Kings Sign Doug McDermott to One-Year Deal

The Sacramento Kings hit the free agency market to fill their void on the perimeter.

Apr 3, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Doug McDermott (20) warms up before a game against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images / John Jones-Imagn Images

The Sacramento Kings have signed ten-year NBA veteran Doug McDermott to a one-year contract, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. 

Free agent F Doug McDermott has agreed to a one-year deal with the Sacramento Kings, sources told ESPN. McDermott is a career 41 percent 3-point shooter and joins the Western Conference playoff contender for his 11th NBA season. pic.twitter.com/qw9kCfBGvS

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 16, 2024

The 6-foot-6 wing, entering his age 32 season, is one of the best shooters in the league. He’s a career 41.0 percent shooter from beyond the arc and has topped 40 percent in six of the last seven seasons.

In 14.1 minutes per game last season, he averaged 5.5 points, 1.1 assists, and 0.9 rebounds on 43.4 percent from the field and 41.0 percent from beyond the arc with the San Antonio Spurs and Indiana Pacers.

For a Kings team currently struggling from three in the preseason, it’s a signing that brings in a proven threat from three-point range. Sacramento shot 36.6 percent from beyond the arc last year, good for 16th in the league.

Towards the end of the season, they showed defensive promise, but it was the offense that became hard to generate after Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter went down

McDermott shared time in Indiana with Domantas Sabonis and had a career year while sharing the court with the All-NBA center.

McDermott shot 43.5 percent in the 2019-20 season and should once again thrive working off of Sabonis’ screens and the open space in the Kings offense.

He leaves a lot to be desired on the defensive end, but when you can shoot the ball like Doug can, his offense should hopefully be enough to offset the defensive weaknesses.

You don’t get a nickname like Dougie McBuckets without being able to score the ball, and McDermott can do just that.

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