Jonathan Mogbo explains why he wanted to come to Sacramento
Jonathan Mogbo discusses signing with the Sacramento Kings, his defensive mentality, NBA journey, and why he's ready to earn a role in Sac.
Watch: Jonathan Mogbo Explains Why He WANTED To Join The Sacramento Kings | 11 mins
The Sacramento Kings are hoping Jonathan Mogbo can become their latest two-way success story.
After signing a two-way contract for the 2026-27 season, the 24-year-old forward arrives in Sacramento looking to carve out a role with the NBA club while continuing his development with the Stockton Kings.
The former 31st overall pick spent last season with the Toronto Raptors, but believes he’s found an ideal fit with a Kings organization emphasizing defense and versatility under general manager Scott Perry.
Speaking with Sactown Sports’ Jason Ross, Mogbo said the environment in Sacramento immediately stood out.
“I feel like everyone was on the same page. Coaching staff, players, everybody was locked in. It was welcoming, and that’s what I felt like I wanted to come to.”
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Mogbo’s path to the NBA has been anything but conventional. He wasn’t heavily recruited out of high school, bounced between multiple colleges before starring at the University of San Francisco, and nearly questioned whether basketball was still the right path.
“There was a time my senior year of high school where I had a deep conversation with my mom,” Mogbo recalled. “She just told me to keep going. I told myself two years from then I was going to be in the NBA. I still have it on my phone.”
That perseverance eventually paid off when Toronto selected him in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Now entering his third professional season, Mogbo believes his biggest value comes on the defensive end. The 6-foot-9 forward says defense has been part of his identity since childhood, long before his offensive game developed.
“Defense has always been a major priority. Offense came later throughout the years, but defense has always been a major priority.”
That mentality aligns perfectly with Sacramento’s current roster-building philosophy. Mogbo said the organization has already made it clear what they expect from him.
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ā Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) July 5, 2026
“Basically just being versatile, guarding the best guy, rebounding, switching one through five.”
While scoring isn’t his primary focus, Mogbo believes creating energy through hustle plays can change games.
“Defense always shows; that’s offense for me. I’m not really worried about scoring first. I want a steal, a stop, blocks, deflectionsāsomething like that.”
Mogbo also came away impressed by Sacramento’s fan base after playing in the California Classic earlier this summer.
“It’s a great fan base. They’re very passionate, and they want us to win.”
With training camp still months away, the newest Kings forward isn’t planning much downtime.
“I haven’t done anything yet, so I’m still trying to work.. It’s another opportunity, new determination, motivation for me to keep going.”
Listen toĀ The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason RossĀ from 6 ā 10 a.m. PDT, Monday through Friday, onĀ Sactown Sports 1140.
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- NBA Free Agency intel with Sam Amick: LeBron, Kuminga, Duren & more
- NBA salary cap expert believes the Kings can still land Jonathan Kuminga
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- Kings GM Scott Perry: Why Darius Acuff Jr. was Sacramento’s main target
What is the next Sacramento Kings Offseason Event?
The Sacramento Kings will continue their Las Vegas Summer League slate on Tuesday afternoon at UNLV when they play the first game of a back-to-back.
Sacramento is set to face the sixth-overall pick, Mikel Brown Jr., and the Brooklyn Nets at 3 p.m. on Tuesday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Sactown Sports will be ON SITE in Las Vegas ALL WEEK LONG from July 12-19th! Be sure to remain locked into Sactown Sports for your Sacramento Kings Summer League news, analysis, and much more!
Upcoming Sacramento Kings Offseason Schedule
- Thursday, July 9th – Sunday, July 19th ā NBA Las Vegas Summer League
- August TBD – 2026-27 NBA Schedule release
- Late September – NBA training camps begin
2026 Sacramento Kings Las Vegas Summer League Schedule
- Tuesday, July 14: vs. Brooklyn Nets – 3 p.m. PT (Prime Video)
- Wednesday, July 15: vs. Boston Celtics – 5 p.m. PT (ESPN 2)
- Final game TBD
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Comments
1 Comments
Good interview Jason, really appreciate it! Mogbo is the man, that combo of height/length & athleticism plus being a hard worker is hard to find. Figure the rest out later, haha. Still pretty skilled too, good passer and ball handler for a big, just has to get the shot going a bit more.