Drew Timme is doing everything he can to scratch his way onto the Kings’ regular season roster, although it hasn’t been easy at all.
The three-time All-American and two-time West Coast Conference Player of the Year who holds the career scoring record at Gonzaga, Timme has benefited from the Summer League as much, if not more, than any other player that Sacramento has.
Two days after grilling the Utah Jazz for 19 points in 22 minutes, Timme put together a solid stat line in Wednesday’s 106-105 loss to the New York Knicks in Las Vegas. Timme had nine points with three assists, a steal and a block but picked up four fouls and was responsible for three of Sacramento’s 18 turnovers.
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“It’s just easy being on a team where guys like to move the ball,” Timme said after Monday’s game against the Jazz. “Sometimes it’s my night, sometimes it’s another guy’s night. It doesn’t matter. We just try to make the best play every time.”
As big as he is, Timme is pretty adept at moving the ball and creating space for open shots by his teammates.
But the 6-foot-10 power forward didn’t get drafted out of college in 2023. He spent time with the Milwaukee Bucks’ G-League team last season when he also suffered a foot injury.
Now healthy, Timme is once again trying to latch on with an NBA team. This time it’s in Sacramento, where the Kings’ don’t exactly have a pressing need for the big man.
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Sacramento already has Domantis Sabonis and Alex Len ahead of him on the depth chart. Timme is a more versatile scorer and has a bigger body mass than Len, although many scouts see Timme as a one-dimensional type of scorer.
In a league that has been transitioning away from the traditional big man role, Timme’s battle continues to be an uphill one.
He flashed some of the upside in his game against the Knicks, scoring five points early – including a rare 3-pointer – and he also made a pivotal steal from behind in the fourth quarter.
There’s still time left in the Summer League for Timme to improve his value to the Kings, and he believes he can be a benefit to Sacramento if he’s kept around.
“Just a smart guy that tries to make the smart play,” Timme said when asked to evaluate himself. “Don’t have the best, maybe, physical attributes or vertical but I’m going to find ways to be impactful.”