Inside The Spurs

BREAKING: San Antonio Spurs Trade for Jalen McDaniels, Have No Plans to Keep Him

Jalen McDaniels is expected to be immediately waived by the San Antonio Spurs after the Sacramento Kings sent him along with a second-round pick to essentially complete the DeMar DeRozan trade.

Matt Guzman

Apr 3, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Toronto Raptors forward Jalen McDaniels (2) looks on during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center.
Apr 3, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Toronto Raptors forward Jalen McDaniels (2) looks on during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
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Before playing a single regular season game for the Sacramento Kings, sixth-year power forward Jalen McDaniels is on the move once again.

Over the offseason, McDaniels was traded from the Toronto Raptors to the Kings in a deal that sent Davion Mitchell, Sasha Vezenkov, the draft rights to Jamal Shead and a 2025 second-round pick to Sacramento just one day after the 2024 NBA Draft.

Now, he's completely out of a job, at least for the time being.

Monday afternoon, the San Antonio Spurs agreed to a trade with the Kings — their second in the last three months — to absorb McDaniels' $4.7 million contract. They'll pay it, but are expected to immediately waive him, and were granted a future second-round pick from the Kings as compensation.

Sacramento's pick, per the San Antonio Express-News, will be unprotected. And because both teams in a trade have to attach an asset of some kind, the Spurs will also be sending the Kings a futher second-round pick, but that one is highly protected.

READ MORE: Spurs Land Harrison Barnes in 3-Team Trade

Last season, McDaniels averaged 3.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 50 appearances for the Raptors. He was moved to the Kings as part of a salary-saving deal since Vezenkov was looking to return to Europe, but Vezenkov ultimately agreed to return his guaranteed salary to the Raptors in exchange for a better contract with Greek Club Olympiacos.

As a result, Sacramento is out Mitchell and three second-round picks in addition to what it gave up for DeMar DeRozan, though for the kind of player it received, it seems to be worth it.

And the Spurs? They'll now stash yet another draft pick.

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Matt Guzman
MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.

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