The Sacramento Kings suddenly have a hole to fill at point guard, and the latest chatter has them tied to a possible move with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Ben Simmons, who signed with the Kings in the offseason while trying to get his career back on track, suffered a season-ending Achilles tear and won’t be part of Sacramento’s rotation. That leaves the backcourt thin with the season opener looming, and league buzz says the front office may look outside the building to patch it up.
One name now floating into the mix is Walter Clayton Jr. NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported that Memphis is looking for a trade partner for the 23-year-old guard before the 5 p.m. EST roster cutdown deadline, with Sacramento emerging as a possible destination.
“The Grizzlies are actively trying to find a new home via trade for Walter Clayton Jr. before today's 5 PM ET roster cutdown deadline, league sources tell Jake Fischer and me,” Stein reported. “With Sacramento emerging as a possible destination.”
Clayton, a former first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, split last season between Utah and Memphis. He played in 69 games overall, logging 45 with the Jazz and 24 with the Grizzlies, and showed enough to keep his name in circulation. He averaged 7.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game while shooting 38.4% from the field and 30.7% from three.
For Sacramento, the need is obvious. Rookie Daris Acuff Jr. is positioned to start, but the other guards expected to factor into the rotation - Zach LaVine, Malik Monk and Nique Clifford - are more naturally shooting guards. That leaves the Kings short on true point guard options, and whether they make a move before the season begins remains the question.
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Grizzlies Just Made A Roster Cut That Could Cost Them A Rookie Guard
The Grizzlies are trimming down to the regular-season limit by waiving Walter Clayton Jr. and Micah Peavy, a procedural move that still carries some real roster intrigue. Clayton arrived in Memphis from the Utah Jazz in a trade, and even though both players have guaranteed contracts for this season, the decision reflects how quickly the back end of a roster can get crowded once the calendar turns toward opening night.
For Clayton, there is a little more suspense than usual around a standard cut. Sacramento recently created room on a two-way slot, and that gives another team a chance to take a look at the rookie guard before Memphis can settle in with its final group. The Grizzlies, meanwhile, are making their choices with an eye on flexibility beyond this season, since neither player has guaranteed money past 2026/27. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Suddenly Have A Backcourt Decision Worth Watching
Memphis is in the middle of a roster squeeze, and the deadline pressure is starting to create movement on the edges of the lineup. With the Grizzlies needing to get down to 15 players, they are reportedly looking to move second-year guard Walter Clayton Jr. before the cutoff, a familiar kind of late-cycle decision for a team trying to balance flexibility, depth and roster compliance.
Sacramento has surfaced as a possible landing spot, with the Kings exploring guard options after Ben Simmons injury changed their backcourt equation. They have also reached out to the Milwaukee Bucks about Kevin Porter Jr., which gives this search a broader feel than a single target, but it also leaves Memphis watching a market that could decide where Clayton ends up, and whether the Kings keep digging for help at the position. [Read more 🡒]
Memphis Rebuild Comes Down To One Question Fans Can't Ignore
The reset in Memphis has already changed the look of the roster, with the Grizzlies moving on from Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane and leaning into a younger foundation. Around that group, the front office has added some stabilizing veteran pieces in Jerami Grant and Isaiah Stewart, giving the team a blend of development and experience as it tries to sort out what the next version of the franchise actually looks like.
What makes the coming season so hard to pin down is how much of the outlook depends on growth and health happening at the right time. Analysts see a wide range of outcomes for Memphis, from a competitive run at the play-in picture to a step back that leaves the season without a postseason berth, and the difference may come down to how quickly the new core can take shape. [Read more 🡒]