Kings to sign Royce White, assign him to D-League team
The Sacramento Kings are giving free-agent forward Royce White an NBA opportunity through their D-League affiliate, a source told Yahoo Sports.
The Kings expect to sign White to a 10-day contract on Thursday and immediately assign him to the Reno Big Horns, where he will be evaluated over four games. The former Iowa State star has battled an anxiety disorder and has a fear of flying. If White's D-League stint goes well, the Kings will likely sign him to a second 10-day contract and add him to their active roster.
White is expected to practice with the Big Horns on Thursday in Reno. He could make his Big Horns debut against the Idaho Stampede on Friday night. Kings executives are expected to be on hand during the four games that White is expected to play in Reno.
White was taken 16th overall by the Houston Rockets during the 2012 NBA draft. He was never able to reach a common ground with the Rockets because of his anxiety about flying. He missed training camp and thought the Rockets weren't treating his mental health issues effectively. He was eventually suspended for "refusal to provide services" stipulated by his contract.
White never played for the Rockets and was dealt to the Philadelphia 76ers with the rights to Turkish forward Furkan Aldemir and cash on July 13, 2013, for a conditional second-round draft pick. White played for the Sixers this preseason, but was waived before the season's start. The Sixers are paying White $1,719,480 this season.
The White move would be the latest in an aggressive season for the rebuilding Kings. Sacramento has made trades to acquire the likes of Rudy Gay, Derrick Williams and Reggie Evans this season. The only Kings remaining from last season's roster are DeMarcus Cousins, Isaiah Thomas, Jason Thompson and Travis Outlaw.
