Davion Mitchell isn’t officially part of Sacramento’s summer league squad, but the second-year guard has been highly involved since the team was assembled for the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer League.
Mitchell can be found at practice and games, even sitting on the Sacramento bench between Kings owner Vivek Ranadive and the coaching staff. He’s in the locker room, in the huddle and in the hallways at Chase Center in San Francisco, where the unbeaten Kings will face the Los Angeles Lakers in the final game of the California Classic on Tuesday before heading to Las Vegas.
Mitchell approves of the moves general manager Monte McNair has made through the NBA draft, trades and free agency, saying he believes the Kings will be a better team. They selected Keegan Murray with the No. 4 pick in the draft, signed Malik Monk as a free agent and traded for Kevin Huerter.
The acquisitions of Huerter and Monk create a logjam in the backcourt with De’Aaron Fox, Mitchell and Terence Davis, but Mitchell said he is happy to have his new teammates.
“I think it’s really good,” Mitchell told The Sacramento Bee. “We got people who have played in the league, people who are really good shooters and really good people. I’ve heard a lot of good things about both of them, so I’m looking forward to it.”
Huerter and Monk both shot nearly 40% from 3-point range while attempting almost six 3-pointers per game last season. Murray put up similar numbers as a sophomore at Iowa, shooting 39.8% on 4.7 3-point attempts per game.
Shooting was identified as an area of need after the Kings finished 24th in the NBA in 3-point shooting last season at 34.4%. Mitchell was asked if these personnel moves will make the Kings a better team after missing the playoffs for an NBA-record 16th consecutive season.
“One hundred percent,” Mitchell said. “Because, knowing our shooting just wasn’t good last year, making these moves is going to make us a really good team offensively.”
Mitchell also likes what he has seen from Murray, a 21-year-old rookie from Iowa. The 6-foot-8, 215-pound forward had 26 points and eight rebounds in his summer debut, making 10 of 14 field-goal attempts and 4 of 5 from 3-point range in an 86-68 win over the Golden State Warriors.
“Man, he’s efficient,” Mitchell said. “He plays the right way. That’s all you can ask for. He tries on defense. That’s all you can ask for. He makes shots. He’s coming along really well.”
Murray said Mitchell’s presence has been good for Sacramento’s summer league team. The Kings are 2-0 at the California Classic with a chance to finish undefeated with a win over the Lakers.
Mitchell led the Kings to a Las Vegas Summer League championship last year. He is helping to lead the team this year, too, even if he isn’t on the roster.
“He’s been really key,” Murray said. “I think for me, personally, he’s just taught me different ways to see the game, on the defensive side, specifically. I try to nitpick things that I’m doing on the court and what he sees on the court, so I think, just all around, him being here with our team has brought liveliness to our team, and I think it has really sparked us.”
