Kings sign veteran forward Crowder to free agent deal originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Help has arrived for the kings.

With an 8-10 start to the 2024-25 NBA season, the Kings have officially signed veteran forward Jae Crowder ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Kings did not disclose the terms of the contract.

ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported Tuesday, citing sources, that the Kings were close to signing Crowder.

Crowder, 34, reportedly trained with the Kings this summer after spending the 2023-24 season as a serviceable reserve with the Milwaukee Bucks, averaging 6.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 0 .8 steals over 23.1 minutes per game.

Crowder’s free-agent contract comes as the Kings are dealing with a number of injuries upfront. Sacramento announced Tuesday that forward Trey Lyles will be out for three to four weeks with a calf strain he suffered during the team’s 130-109 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday at the Golden 1 Center.

Additionally, guard/forward DeMar DeRozan, who missed three games due to lower back tightness before returning Friday against the Los Angeles Clippers, suffered lower back muscle inflammation after Monday’s game and will play on Wednesday against the Minnesota, according to the Kings Timberwolves out.

To make matters worse, the Kings are on a four-game losing streak in their matchup with the Timberwolves in Minnesota. Charania said Crowder is expected to be available for Wednesday’s game.

It remains to be seen whether Sacramento’s addition of Crowder will help the team overcome its recent rough patch – and its injuries.

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