Sacramento Kings waive P.J. Dozier – Reaction and Analysis
By Logan Struck
The Sacramento Kings still have some work to do in this 2023 off-season as they continue to make moves. As they neared their 15-man roster, the Kings announced they were waiving guard P.J. Dozier.
P.J. Dozier, 26, spent just one season with the Sacramento Kings, appearing in 16 games. Dozier averaged 1.4 points, 0.9 rebounds, and 0.6 assists per game in just 4.6 minutes during his short Sacramento tenure.
Coming off his sixth NBA season, Dozier will likely get picked up by another team, as he has proven to be a valuable rotational player. On the Denver Nuggets in 2020-21, Dozier averaged 7.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists. Dozier was an impressive perimeter defender before tearing his ACL in November of 2021.
Why is this significant for the Sacramento Kings?
While the waiving of P.J. Dozier might be insignificant to many Kings fans, this move sets up more opportunities for Sacramento. Before the Kings waived Dozier, they had just one roster spot and one two-way spot available. Now, they have an extra roster spot, giving the Kings options on who to sign.
The Sacramento Kings had until July 10th to waive Dozier before his $2.4 million contract became guaranteed, giving them room to sign a replacement.
Who will the Kings sign to fill the remaining roster spots?
The first name to come to mind for most Sacramento fans is Summer League breakout, Jordan Ford. The Kings have been searching for a third-string point guard, and they should look no further than the Sacramento native to fill that role.
Through three Summer League games with the Kings, Ford averaged 13.3 points, 3.7 assists, and 1.3 steals, including a 20-point outing in his most recent appearance.
In last year’s G League season, Ford averaged 16.5 points and 4.9 assists per game on 49/40/80 shooting splits. His impressive play in both G League and Summer League has proven why he deserves a spot on the Sacramento Kings roster, even if it is the two-way spot.
Another play that will certainly fill a roster spot is restricted free agent Neemias Queta, who has been improving his game in the Summer League. Through three games, Queta has averaged 11.0 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game, including two double-doubles.
Neemias Queta, a 23-year-old seven-footer, has struggled to crack the Sacramento Kings’ regular season rotation, but the Kings should keep him on the roster as he continues to improve.
The Kings have issued a qualifying offer to Neemias Queta as we await their decision to sign him to a two-way deal or possibly a standard contract. Regardless, Queta is expected to fill one of the empty roster spots.
