Watch: Jalen McDaniels caught off guard as Raptors trade him to Kings with no heads-up
The Toronto Raptors traded wing player Jalen McDaniels to the Sacramento Kings in a move that even the five-year veteran was caught unaware of.
As per multiple reports, the Kings would send Davion Mitchell, Sasha Vezenkov, and the No. 45 pick in this year's NBA Draft Jamel Shead (Houston) to the Raptors for McDaniels.
In a now-viral video circulating on social media, former San Diego State star McDaniels can be seen surprised upon hearing of the news that he was traded.
When someone told him that he was traded to the Kings, a shocked Jalen McDaniels responded:
"Me?! Me?!"
Check out the video below:
Jalen McDaniels, older brother of Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels, played 50 games for the Raptors last season, averaging 3.4 points and 1.6 rebounds in 11 minutes of play.
Meanwhile, in Mitchell. Toronto will be getting a solid two-way player. He struggled in his last campaign with numbers of 5.3 points and 1.9 assists with a diminished role in Sacramento but has shown good potential when given more time to play.
The Raptors finished the 2023-24 campaign with a 25-27 record and missed the playoffs for the second straight season.
Jalen McDaniels looks to have a fresh start in Sacramento
While he was caught by surprise with the trade that sent him from Toronto to Sacramento, Jalen McDaniels said he is looking forward to having a fresh start with the Kings.
The 26-year-old wing player shared this in a separate video now circulating on social media after learning that his journey with the Raptors ended after just one season up North.
He said:
"Fresh start, man... I'm excited. New year, new team, new journey. We've been here before. Extra grind."
Watch the video below:
The Kings will be the fourth team of Jalen McDaniels since he was selected 52nd overall in the 2019 NBA Draft out of San Diego State by the Charlotte Hornets.
He spent three and half years with the Hornets, where he compiled averages of 7.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 21 minutes of play.
Midway into the 2022-23 campaign he was shipped to the Philadelphia 76ers, producing numbers of 6.7 points and 3.2 rebounds. He played in eight playoff games for the Sixers that year, averaging 2.4 points and two rebounds in 13 minutes.
McDaniels signed a two-year deal with the Raptors ahead of last season and produced 3.4 points and 1.6 rebounds in 50 games in his first year.
In Sacramento, McDaniels joins a team that narrowly missed the playoffs last season, losing in the play-in phase. It finished its campaign with a 46-36 record.
He is expected to shore up the team's frontcourt, which includes All-Star Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray, Harrison Barnes and Trey Lyles.