Kings fan favorite Harry Giles III leaves Sacramento to sign with Portland Trail Blazers

Jason Anderson
·2 min read

Harry Giles III is gone, but he won’t be forgotten in Sacramento.

The 22-year-old free agent center signed a one-year contract with the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, ending his three-season stay in Sacramento. Giles became a free agent after former general manager Vlade Divac declined to pick up his $3.97 million option for the 2020-21 season.

The Kings selected Giles with the 20th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. He sat out his first season while rehabilitating knee injuries that nearly crippled his career before making his long-awaited debut in Sacramento in 2018-19.

Giles averaged 7.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 104 games over two seasons with the Kings. His fire, passion and love for the Sacramento community sparked a love affair between the team’s fan base and the young center from Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Before playing his final game for the Kings in August, Giles spoke of his love for Sacramento and the possibility of leaving during an interview on Sports 1140 KHTK.

“It’s like, wow, this is where I started it,” Giles said. “This is where I watched myself grow in this city and I grew. I grew every year and it was just amazing how many people I’ve met in this city. Like I told you earlier, it’s like home, so you know how it is being comfortable at home, how it is going home, that’s how I feel. Every time I got out in the city, it’s love. My friends, when they go, there’s love. It’s different when they accept your people, too, just with open arms, even all my boys. They can go anywhere without me. They feel like they’re at home, too, and my mom as well, so that’s what makes me feel like, wow, it’s incredible.

“It’s tough. I always think about it. Even during the games you think about it. That’s why I was so crazy about how the season (was postponed), too, but at the same time it’s like, man, I just want to focus on these eight games first because if you start thinking about that too much it might throw you off, especially when you love something so much you don’t want to lose it.”