Source: Kings will sign Damian Jones to 10-day contract, adding size and athleticism

After waiving DaQuan Jeffries on Saturday, the Kings are planning to sign free-agent Damian Jones to a 10-day contract, a league source told The Sacramento Bee.

The Kings believe Jones will add size and athleticism to their frontcourt. It is still unclear when Jones’ signing will become official as he must clear all NBA COVID-19 testing protocols before he can sign a contract, the source said.

Jones, 25, is a 6-foot-11, 245-pound center who spent three seasons with the Golden State Warriors before bouncing around with the Atlanta Hawks, Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers. Jones signed two 10-day contracts with the Lakers in February and March, averaging 5.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in eight games.

The Warriors selected Jones out of Vanberbilt as the 30th pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. He was a member of back-to-back NBA championship teams with the Warriors in 2017-18.

Statistically, Jones had his best season with the Hawks in 2019-20. He appeared in 55 games, including 27 starts, averaging 5.6 points and 3.7 rebounds in 16.1 minutes per contest.

The Kings have an open roster spot after waiving Jeffries, a 23-year-old swingman who averaged 3.6 points and 1.5 rebounds in 18 games for the Kings this season.

“I really enjoyed coaching DaQuan and it was unfortunate,” Kings coach Luke Walton said. “He spent a lot of this season hurt early on and, with the way the season is playing out this year, there’s not a ton of practice time to get back into things. So I had a good talk with him last night and I wish him nothing but the best.”