The Sacramento Kings have picked up Davion Mitchell’s $5,063,640 team option for the 2023-24 season. Mitchell was selected ninth overall by the Kings in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Last August, the Baylor product signed a four-year, $20.9 million rookie scale contract with Sacramento. Of course, the guard’s multi-year deal is fully guaranteed.
Mitchell also has a $6,451,077 team option for the 2024-25 season. Leading into the 2022-23 season, the 24-year-old will earn $4,833,600.
According to multiple NBA betting sites, the Kings have the ninth-lowest odds of winning a championship in 2023. However, check out which sportsbooks are expecting them to end their 16-year playoff drought.
The Sacramento Kings have excercised their team option on guard Davion Mitchell for the 2023-24 season.
— Jason Anderson (@JandersonSacBee) October 5, 2022
During his rookie 2021-22 season, in 75 appearances and 19 starts, Mitchell averaged 11.5 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. He also shot 41.8% from the floor and 31.6% from 3-point range.
On February 3, 2022, in the Kings’ 126-114 loss against the Golden State Warriors, the guard scored a then career-high 26 points in 38 minutes of action. He finished 11-of-17 (64.7%) shooting from the field and 3-of-5 (60%) from downtown.
Then, in the Kings’ 127-124 overtime loss versus the Phoenix Suns on March 20, Mitchell recorded a career-high 28 points in 46 minutes played. He shot 9-of-22 (40.9%) from the floor and 4-of-7 (57.1%) from beyond the arc.
Sacramento Kings exercise Davion Mitchell’s $5,063,640 team option for the 2023-24 season
As for his college career, in 94 appearances, Mitchell averaged 9 points, 2.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. In his freshman 2017-18 season with Auburn, the guard logged 3.7 points, 1.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists per contest in 34 appearances off the bench.
Due to NCAA transfer rules, after redshirting, the Georgia native sat out the 2018-19 season. In his sophomore 2019-20 season, Mitchell averaged 9.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per contest in 30 starts.
He was selected to the All-Big 12 Third Team and Big-12 All-Defensive Team. Plus, the guard won Big 12 Newcomer of the Year. The Kings are in good hands with this young star.
During his junior 2020-21 season, Mitchell posted career-high numbers. He averaged 14 points, 2.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. Not to mention, he shot career-highs of 51.1% from the field and 44.7% from long range.
In addition to winning an NCAA championship with Baylor, Mitchell won Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, NABC Defensive Player of the Year, and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.
In the championship matchup, the young star finished with 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. Baylor defeated Gonzaga 86-70.
Furthermore, the guard was selected to the All-Big 12 First Team, and he received his second Big 12 All-Defensive Team selection.
So, expectations are high for the first-round draft pick. If his previous accomplishments are any indication, Mitchell should have a memorable playing career with the Kings.
Per Basketball-Reference, the site is projecting the guard to average 15.3 points per game in the 2022-23 season. This calculation is based on 36 minutes played per contest. Last season, Mitchell recorded 27.7 MPG.
