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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Walter Clayton Jr. is at the center of the chatter, with Memphis reportedly trying to move the second-year guard before the deadline passes. For the Kings, the appeal is simple: add another ballhandler and give the rotation some insurance while the front office weighs how aggressive it wants to be with a move that could reshape the groups guard depth. [Read more 🡒]