With the last few games of the season underway, the Sacramento Kings are getting obliterated by injuries. They are handing out 10-day contracts like candy at Halloween. And to the credit of DaQuan Jeffries, he's taking full advantage of the opportunity by fighting hard in tough games.
Jefferies went undrafted in 2019 but was signed by Sacramento/Stockton. He would go on to spend the next several seasons bouncing between various NBA and G League franchises. Most recently, he played one season with the Hornets but was waived before the beginning of 2025-2026.
Late last week, the Kings brought Jeffries back to Sacramento, this time under a 10-day hardship contract. They've been dealing with so many injuries and absences that their roster numbers are dwindling. As such, they brought Jeffries in to help finish out the season.
So far, Jeffries has played in three games for Sacramento, and in true Kings' style, they've all been losses. That includes two days in a row to the Hawks and then the Nets. To be fair, Atlanta is on fire, but there's no excuse for losing to the Nets. They're basically a back-up JV squad.
Jeffries is playing for a place in the NBA
Like Killian Hayes before him, Jeffries is likely hoping to impress the Kings enough to get a permanent spot in the rebuild. To his credit, Jeffries has been putting the work in. He's picked up 29 points in the last two games, as well as a smattering of other stats. It's a good start.
Good performances are one thing, but Jeffries needs time to make an impression, and that doesn't just mean minutes. He's got six games left in the season to show Sacramento he has value. Even if the team keeps losing, like they just did in the back-to-back games, he can still play well.
On the downside for Jeffries, there might not be room. Hayes managed to collect himself a two-year deal with Sacramento and they're already trying to figure out what to do with Daeqwon Plowden, a two-way player who has made a huge impression this season.
That doesn't even account for the fact that the Kings have three draft picks coming up. There might not be a spot for Jeffries, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't keep playing his best. Even if Sacramento can't fit him in, he could land himself a spot somewhere else in the league.