Marvin Bagley, the agent representing the Sacramento Kings forward, issued a rare public rebuke Tuesday to the team's treatment on Tuesday as he approaches the final season of his contract.
Jeff Schwartz released a statement saying that Sacramento had informed Marvin Bagley that he was not going to be in the opening night rotation. It's clear that they don't have plans for him in future and yet passed on potential deals last year and this summer based upon 'value. They chose to bring him back, but not to play him, which was completely against their 'value" argument.
Although the statement did not demand a trade, it was likely to have drawn a penalty from the NBA. Schwartz tried to get Bagley, No. Sources say that Schwartz tried to trade Bagley, the No. 2 pick in 2018, for more than a full year with no success. Bagley broke his wrist last season just one month before the trade deadline. This could have had an impact on his trade value.
Sources say that the Kings are not actively seeking to trade Bagley as they protect their depth and monitor their smaller style of play to begin the season.
This is a rare statement for an agent, especially for Schwartz, who has three dozen NBA clients under contract for over $450 million. He is the most prolific agent in this league.
Luke Walton, Kings coach, has chosen to play smaller lineups in preseason. This is mainly to have three-guard lineups and has limited Bagley's playing time. Davion Mitchell, a first-round draft pick, has been given playing time along with Tyrese Hailiburton and De'Aaron Fox.
The preseason saw Sacramento go 4-0, opening the season Wednesday in Portland.
Bagley, who was plagued by injuries in his first three seasons in the league, didn't sign an extension with team before Monday's deadline to players on rookie scale contracts. Bagley averaged 14.1 points per game and 7.4 rebounds in 43 of his 43 games for the Kings last season.
Schwartz stated, "This is a case of mismanagement by Kings Organization."
