Precious Achiuwa: ‘Sacramento is a place that I love being’

“Sacramento is a place that I love being,” Precious Achiuwa said following the end of his first season with the Sacramento Kings.

The 26-year-old forward wasn’t on an NBA roster at the beginning of the regular season. Given his 20.5 minutes per game for the New York Knicks, who made the Eastern Conference Finals the year prior, his remaining availability was confusing

Less than 10 games into his first season running the show, Kings’ general manager Scott Perry elected to waive Isaac Jones to make room for Achiuwa on a one-year deal. Jones was a fan favorite — to his credit, he was named to the All-NBA G League First Team — but that’s proven to be the right decision.

Achiuwa had the best season of his career with Sacramento. Starting in 57 of 73 games played, Achiuwa recorded 10.1 points and 6.7 rebounds while shooting 52.8 percent from the field, all of which are career highs. That obviously should play into his favor when negotiating a new contract, but he didn’t hesitate to state his preference to stay put.

“For me, the most important thing is being somewhere where I’m wanted,” the 6’8 forward said at Monday’s exit interview. “A place (where) the organization wants me to be there and where I enjoy being. You know, Sacramento is a place that I love being.”

“I’ve played a lot of big cities,” Achiuwa continued, having played for Miami, Toronto, and New York. “I grew up in a big city as well, but I’ve always been the type of person to kind of be low key, out the way. Sacramento gives me that feeling, you know, where it’s not a lot going on, nothing too crazy, and that’s more so my pace.”

“But at the end of the day, you know, it’s business. You never know. It’s never black and white in this business. This is year six for me. I’ve kind of seen a lot of things in a short period of time, but it’s just taking it one day at a time. You know, see what happens, see what unfolds. My representation is going to be in constant communication with the organization and the front office, and hopefully, you know, I’m praying that we’re able to come to something that works for both sides.”

That’s about as blunt as you’ll hear an impending free agent be. Achiuwa previously spoke about how much he appreciates playing for a former player in Sacramento head coach Doug Christie. Penny Hardaway at Memphis was his only other instance where that was the case, another scenario where Achiuwa pointed out he thrived in.

With recent reporting that Christie is expected to remain in his role for the 2026-27 season, you would think that would increase the likelihood of Achiuwa being retained. But it will likely all come down to what salary he demands on the open market.

It’s great to keep players who want to be there, and at 26, he certainly has plenty of room for continued growth. The fact that he averaged 15.7 points and 9.2 rebounds in the final 25 games speaks to that.

That could also be intriguing to playoff-caliber teams searching for depth pieces. With great size, length, and mobility, Achiuwa is a valuable archetype in the modern NBA. A strong counter to that would be his 27.8 percent three-point shooting this year.

Precious Achiuwa #9 of the Sacramento Kings, Maxime Raynaud #42, Dylan Cardwell #32, and Nique Clifford #5 light the beam after the game against the Washington Wizards at Golden 1 Center on January 16, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

More on Precious Achiuwa

Beyond his obvious impact on the court, Achiuwa connected with the fanbase by adding some “flair” to the beam tradition. After home wins, of which there were 15 this season, he would join the rookie trio of Maxime Raynaud, Nique Clifford, and Dylan Cardwell in lighting the beam.

Deciding it could use a bit more, the forward brought sunglasses into the mix. That became part of the beam lighting early in the season, and could easily stick as time goes on. Many people forget that the Keegan Murray chant in the stadium originally was Yogi Ferrell. Funnily enough, the sunglasses could be a lasting addition that outlives his time with the team.

“It was just something, just add a little bit of flair, a little bit of spice to it,” Achiuwa said of the sunglasses.

“I like the whole beam idea. I’ve always watched it being on other teams and playing against Sacramento; I’ve always watched the beam. But coming in, I was like, you know, how can we spice it up a little bit? And sunglasses kind of came to mind. And I was like, ‘Hey, this is going to be something a little more exciting.’ Just added excitement.”

If he does return to the Kings, his versatility alongside Keegan Murray and DeAndre Hunter could provide them with the wing depth they’ve lacked for seemingly over a decade.

When is the next Sacramento Kings offseason date of interest?

The Sacramento Kings will now look ahead to the highly anticipated NBA Draft Lottery, which is set for Sunday, May 10th.

Sacramento hasn’t secured the top pick in the NBA Draft since 1989, when it selected center Pervis Ellison with the first overall selection.

Be sure to stay locked in to Sactown Sports 1140 all offseason for NBA Draft Lottery coverage, NBA Draft previews and analysis, NBA Summer League content, and MUCH more!

More Sacramento Kings content from Sactown Sports

• Russell Westbrook says he’s open to re-signing with the Kings
• NBA Draft Lottery Standings: Pencils Down
• Report: Doug Christie will return as Kings head coach next season
• Christensen: Tanking isn’t in Doug Christie’s DNA
• NBA salary cap expert advises against stretching Zach LaVine’s contract

Upcoming Sacramento Kings & NBA Offseason Schedule

• Tuesday, April 14th – NBA Play-In Tournament begins
• Saturday, April 18th – NBA Playoffs begin
• Sunday, May 10th – NBA Draft Lottery
• Thursday, June 4th– NBA Finals begin
• Thursday, June 25th – NBA Draft (Round 1)
• Friday, June 26th – NBA Draft (Round 2)
• Tuesday, June 30th – NBA Free Agency negotiation period begins (3 PM PT)
• Thursday, July 9th – NBA Las Vegas Summer League begins
• Monday, July 13th – Free Agency moratorium ends / signings can become official

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

Related

Sources: Zach LaVine will not be bought out by SacramentoWho will be Sacramento’s backup center: Raynaud or Cardwell?Why being counted out could help the Sacramento KingsJerry Reynolds on what the Kings should do with Sabonis & LaVineShould the Sacramento Kings have done more this offseason?NBA Insider believes Darius Acuff Jr. can change the Kings’ culture