Indiana’s all-time assist leader was delivered good news on Independence Day.
According to a report by James Ham of NBC Sports California, the Sacramento Kings have decided to keep Ferrell and waive former Kansas point guard Frank Mason.
After the Kings signed former Pacer Cory Joseph earlier in the week, it appeared likely that either Ferrell or Mason would be let go.
Sacramento had until Thursday to either guarantee Ferrell’s $3.2 million salary for the 2019-20 season or waive him. The team opted for the former, and will retain the 26-year-old point guard for a second season.
Now the challenge for the Indianapolis native will be to find a larger role.
After averaging double digit points per game in each of his first two seasons in the league, Ferrell saw his minutes drop-off significantly in Sacramento last year.
The 6-foot Ferrell played in 71 games for the Kings, but averaged just 5.9 points and 1.9 assists in 15 minutes per game. He averaged 27.8 minutes and 10.8 points per game during the 2017-18 season in Dallas.
Joseph and starting point guard De’Aaron Fox will serve as Ferrell’s primary competition for minutes in Sacramento for the upcoming season.
Ferrell went undrafted in 2016 and started his career in Brooklyn before securing a more permanent spot in Dallas later on in his rookie 2016-17 campaign.
At Indiana, Ferrell was first team All-Big Ten in both 2015 and 2016. He was also named a 2nd and 3rd team All-American by various organizations in 2016.
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