The Sacramento Kings proved they were serious about contending in the Western Conference with their sign and trade acquisition of DeMar DeRozan this offseason. Continuing to build a real contending roster requires quality depth and hitting on the margins. The Kings latest roster signing of reserve guard Terry Taylor, as per NBA Insider Chris Haynes, could be one of those margin additions.
The contract signed by Taylor with the Kings is a camp deal, meaning he will have to make the team’s roster out of training camp. As it stands, the Kings have 13 guaranteed contracts on their roster and all three of their two-way contract slots filled.
That leaves the Kings with potentially two open roster spots coming into training camp early next month. Reserve center Orlando Robinson, who spent the past couple of seasons with the Miami Heat, appears to be competing for an open roster spot. Should the Kings opt to carry a full 15-man roster into the regular season, Taylor and Robinson could be the final two players.
With Taylor having only three years of NBA experience, he would be eligible for a two-way contract. The Kings would have to release one of Mason Jones, Isaac Jones or Isaiah Crawford to open a two-way spot. Two-way contracts do not count against the cap and teams have often rotated players between those spots.
Terry Taylor could help Kings depth, defense
After going undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft, Taylor was scooped up by the Indiana Pacers on a camp deal. He was cut before the start of the 2021-22 season, but brought back on a two-way contract a couple of months into the season.
Taylor had his deal converted to a standard contract by the Pacers ahead of the 2022-23 season, but he was cut by the team about halfway through the year.
Taylor didn’t stay a free agent for long though as he was picked up by the Bulls on a two-way contract shortly after. He signed a standard contract with the Bulls coming into the 2023-24 season. But he was cut by the Bulls towards the very end of the year.
Taylor has appeared in 95 total NBA games across three seasons. He holds career averages of 4.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.6 assists. His best season came during his rookie year with the Pacers when he put up 9.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists.
Taylor is a bit of a tweener between a guard and a forward. He’s a wing with capable defensive abilities. If he makes the Kings final roster, he could be a quality depth signing.