Newest King Precious Achiuwa looks to bring ‘defending, rebounding, toughness’

Desperate for forward depth, the Sacramento Kings signed free agent Precious Achiuwa to a standard contract on Tuesday. To clear space, they waived the unguaranteed deal of second-year forward Isaac Jones.

Achiuwa (26) is expected to be available for Kings head coach, Doug Christie, during Wednesday’s action as Sacramento returns to Golden 1 Center to host the Golden State Warriors.

Following the shootaround that morning, the 6’8 forward spoke to the media for the first time since joining the organization.

“I’m just excited to get here and looking forward to getting going,” he said. “I’m excited to compete, play at a high level, and just do what the coaches ask me to do.”

In his five NBA seasons since being selected by the Miami Heat with the 20th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Achiuwa has only played in the Eastern Conference.

Beginning with the Heat for one season, he then spent two and a half years with the Toronto Raptors, where he played with both DeMar DeRozan and Dennis Schroder at separate times.

Then, having spent last season with the Knicks, Achiuwa acknowledged an adjustment that will come with living on the West Coast. In the meantime, the Kings need him to add to their unbalanced roster.

Without Keegan Murray (thumb) sidelined, Christie has turned to Russell Westbrook at the power forward spot, with DeRozan and Zach LaVine also contributing in that role for stretches.

While Achiuwa doesn’t help their spacing concerns as a career 30.4 percent shooter from deep, his size, length, and athleticism provide them a new look defensively. Having a 7’2 wingpsan certainly helps.

He could also help Domantas Sabonis on the glass. Despite having the league-leading rebounders from the past two seasons, Sacramento is currently 30th in rebounds per game (38.9).

The newest King said their messaging to him has been centered around those aspects.

“Defending, rebounding, toughness, competing at a high level,” Achiuwa said Tuesday morning. “Things that I do really, really well, so I’m just looking forward to just going out there and just doing those things.”

While doing his best to remain conditioned, he acknowledged the difference that comes with being in game shapes. As is often said, nothing can replicate that.

Wednesday night’s NorCal battle against the Warriors may or may not feature Achiuwa’s Sacramento debut, but his size, length, and athleticism provide another option for Christie that didn’t exist prior.

More Sacramento Kings coverage on Sactown Sports

One day removed from being linked to one another, the Sacramento Kings have reached an agreement with free agent center Precious Achiuwa, a veteran big man who most recently played for the New York Knicks during the 2024-25 season.

ESPN’s Shams Charania was the first to report the agreement between Sacramento and Achiuwa. To make room for Achiuwa on the roster, the Kings have waived second-year forward Isaac Jones.

Achiuwa, 26, has been a solid rebounder throughout his five-year career, which aligns with the Kings’ interests.

Sacramento enters play on Monday ranked dead last among all NBA teams in rebounds per game as it navigates the opening month without starting forward Keegan Murray (wrist surgery recovery).

Read More:

Sacramento Kings to sign free agent center Precious Achiuwa

Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season

• Wednesday, November 5th – vs. Golden State Warriors – 7:00 PM PT
• Friday, November 7th – vs. Oklahoma City Thunder – 7:00 PM PT
• Sunday, November 9th – vs. Minnesota Timberwolves – 6:00 PM PT
• Tuesday, November 11th – vs. Denver Nuggets – 8:00 PM PT
• Wednesday, November 12th – vs. Atlanta Hawks – 7:00 PM PT

Thank you for reading sactownsports.com. Follow us on Twitter and Google News, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Related

DeMar DeRozan Reportedly Agrees To Deal With DenverJerry Reynolds Names His Favorite Free Agent Linked To KingsZach LaVine has a chance to rebuild his value in SacramentoReport: Kings bringing veteran PGs in for workoutsPotential 2027 NBA Free Agent Targets for the Sacramento KingsMaxime Raynaud’s 3-Point shooting could be his ‘golden ticket’ with Kings