JULY 10, 6:05pm: According to James Ham of NBC Sports California, James’ new contract with the Kings is a three-year, minimum-salary deal with the first two seasons guaranteed. The total value of James’s contract is $4,198,912.
JULY 10, 1:30pm: The Kings have officially signed another one of their second-round picks, announcing today in a press release that No. 40 overall selection Justin James is now under contract.
Terms of James’ first NBA deal aren’t yet known, but players selected in that range often sign contracts at or near the minimum that include at least a couple guaranteed seasons. Sacramento still had a little cap room left over after signing a handful of veteran free agents, so the team could go up to three or four years for James.
A 22-year-old guard out of Wyoming, James filled up the stat sheet during his senior season with the Cowboys, averaging 22.1 PPG, 8.5 RPG, and 4.4 APG in 32 games. However, he struggled with his efficiency, making just 40.9% of his attempts from the floor, including 29.6% from beyond the three-point line.
The Kings didn’t have a first-round pick in this year’s draft, but selected three players in the second round. The team has signed No. 55 pick Kyle Guy to a two-way contract and appears likely to stash No. 60 pick Vanja Marinkovic overseas.