Former Timberwolves point guard Jordan McLaughlin signs free-agent contract with Kings

The Sacramento Kings picked up a backup point guard late Saturday night hours after making a splashy move to acquire six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan.

A league source told The Sacramento Bee the Kings reached an agreement with free agent Jordan McLaughlin, a 6-foot guard who spent the past five seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

McLaughlin, 28, starred at Etiwanda High School in Rancho Cucamonga. He went on to play at USC, where he was a first-team All-Pac-12 Conference selection in 2018.

McLaughlin went undrafted out of USC in 2018. He spent a year with the G League Long Island Nets before signing a two-way contract with the Timberwolves in July 2019. The Timberwolves signed him to a standard contract in September 2021.

McLaughlin has appeared in 242 NBA games with seven starts, averaging 4.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists while shooting 44.6% from the field and 36.9% from 3-point range. His numbers have gradually declined since his rookie year, when he posted career-best averages of 7.6 points, 4.2 assists and 1.1 steals.

McLaughlin gives Sacramento another option behind point guard De’Aaron Fox. The Kings recently traded Davion Mitchell to the Toronto Raptors. Devin Carter, a rookie combo guard who came out of Providence as the No. 13 pick in the NBA draft, is suffering from a shoulder injury that will prevent him from competing in summer league.