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Sacramento Kings: Breaking down the signing of point guard Tyler Ulis

By Justin Fried

PHOENIX, AZ - APRIL 08: Tyler Ulis #8 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball under pressure from Quinn Cook #4 of the Golden State Warriors during the first half of the NBA game at Talking Stick Resort Arena on April 8, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ - APRIL 08: Tyler Ulis #8 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball under pressure from Quinn Cook #4 of the Golden State Warriors during the first half of the NBA game at Talking Stick Resort Arena on April 8, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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The Sacramento Kings have finalized their 20-man training camp roster with the addition of point guard Tyler Ulis. Here is a brief breakdown of the signing.

The Sacramento Kings will enter the 2019-20 season hosting a roster full of new faces. And following the recent signing of former Phoenix Suns point guard Tyler Ulis, it appears as though their training camp roster is officially finalized.

The Kings will kick off their preseason next Friday, October 10th, when they take on the Indiana Pacers. And with the addition of Ulis, the 20-man roster is ready to take the court.

Ulis was originally selected with the 34th pick in the second round of the 2016 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns after two standouts seasons at the University of Kentucky.

The young point guard played alongside the likes of Devin Booker, Jamal Murray, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Willie Cauley-Stein on what was a couple of years of stacked Wildcats teams.

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And he may have remained at Kentucky even longer if it wasn’t for the arrival of a certain young, speedy point guard by the name of De’Aaron Fox who took over the starting job.

Nonetheless, Ulis would enter the draft but see his stock fall after measuring in at 5-foot-9 and 149 pounds at the NBA Draft Combine — the lightest player in the history of the event.

That said, Ulis would see meaningful minutes with the Suns as a 21-year-old rookie and really come into his own during the tail end of the season once thrust into a starting role. He would receive plenty more playing time the following season while starting 43 games.

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However, injuries began to pile up for the undersized point guard and he was waived by the Suns in June of 2018 after two relatively successful seasons in Phoenix.

He would be signed to an Exhibit-10 contract by the Golden State Warriors after working out with the Kings that summer only to be released and picked up by the Chicago Bulls shortly after.

Unfortunately, Ulis would play in just one game with Chicago — playing primarily in the G-League — before undergoing the second hip surgery of his career and missing the remainder of the season.

Ulis is an intriguing signing who could be a great fit for the Kings up-tempo system. Despite his size, Ulis is an exciting playmaker who can act as a spark-plug coming off the bench given his energy.

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That said, his shot still needs a lot of work and it’s unlikely that he finds his way into the rotation, at least early on. In fact, he’ll have to fight his way on to the roster first.

Expect Ulis to compete for one of the final roster spots with players like Tyler Lydon, Caleb Swanigan, and Yogi Ferrell. Ferrell will likely be his biggest competition as the two will compete for the third-string point guard job behind Fox and free-agent addition Cory Joseph.

In all likelihood, Ulis will begin the season down in the G-League while he continues to recover from his hip injury.

A Stockton lineup of Ulis paired with the likes of Kyle Guy, Justin James, and Wenyen Gabriel could be exciting and serve as a great way to develop some of the organization’s young talent.

If anything, it’s great to see the Kings continue to add players who fit the organizational scheme even if they might not see playing time this season. Given that Ulis’ contract is partially-guaranteed, expect him to at the very least make the G-League roster initially.

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Kings basketball should be incredibly exciting to watch this season, whether we’re talking about Sacramento or Stockton.

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