The Kings will waive Okpala (knee) on Saturday, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
Okpala hasn't played since Jan. 28 due to bilateral knee soreness, and Wojnarowski reports that the fourth-year forward is scheduled to undergo a season-ending surgery to address at least one of the knees. Sacramento signed P.J. Dozier to a one-year contract to take Okpala's spot on the 15-man roster. Before missing time with the knee injury, Okpala made 35 appearances (three starts) for Sacramento and averaged 1.3 points, 1.0 rebounds and 0.4 assists in 7.1 minutes.
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Kings' KZ Okpala: Out again Friday
Rotowire
Okpala (knee) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Clippers.
Okpala hasn't played since Jan. 28 due to a knee injury. It's unclear when he'll be able to suit up again, but his next chance to do so will arrive Sunday in Oklahoma City.
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Kings' KZ Okpala: Remains out against Portland
Rotowire
Okpala (knee) won't play in Thursday's game versus the Trail Blazers.
Okpala hasn't played since Jan. 28 due to a knee injury. His next chance to suit up is Friday's matchup with the Clippers.
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Kings' KZ Okpala: Out Tuesday
Rotowire
Okpala (knee) won't play Tuesday against the Suns.
Okpala continues to nurse bilateral knee soreness, but even if he were available, he wouldn't be a significant part of the Sacramento rotation. He's safe to leave on the waiver wire in all formats.
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Kings' KZ Okpala: Out again Saturday
Rotowire
Okpala (knee) remains sidelined for Saturday's game versus the Mavericks
Okpala was recalled prior to Friday's game but ruled out due to bilateral knee soreness. Okpala is likely up with the parent organization receiving treatment from team doctors, but his absence from the mix shouldn't impact Sacramento's rotation.
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Kings' KZ Okpala: Recalled but won't play
Rotowire
Okpala has been recalled to the NBA club from the G League's Stockton Kings, but he won't play in Friday's matchup against the Mavericks due to bilateral knee soreness, Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 Sacramento reports.
Okpala continues to recover from a knee injury that's sidelined him for over a week. It's unclear when he'll be able to suit up again, but his next chance to do so will arrive Saturday in a rematch against Dallas.
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Kings' KZ Okpala: Recovers from injury
Rotowire
Okpala didn't play in Wednesday's game versus the Gold due to coach's decision.
While Okpala didn't see any action Wednesday, he appears to have recovered from his knee injury. He has played in 35 NBA games this season, so he will likely be recalled by Sacramento soon.
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Kings' KZ Okpala: Misses game with injury
Rotowire
Okpala didn't play in Monday's game versus the Cruise due to a knee injury.
Okpala has split time between Stockton and Sacramento this season. However, after suffering a knee injury, his return timetable is uncertain.
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Kings' KZ Okpala: Assigned to G League
Rotowire
Sacramento assigned Okpala to the G League's Stockton Kings on Friday, James Ham of ESPN 1320 Sacramento reports.
Okpala appeared in one of three games during his recent stint with the NBA club, but he was held scoreless across four minutes. He figures to see extended run while in the G League with Stockton.
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Kings' KZ Okpala: Recalled by Sacramento
Rotowire
Okpala was recalled from the G League's Stockton Kings on Friday, James Ham of ESPN 1320 Sacramento reports.
Okpala was sent to the G League on Thursday, and he compiled eight points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal in 25 minutes during Stockton's win over the Hustle. The brief G League return was likely to knock off some rust, as Okpala hasn't seen much playing time for Sacramento recently, averaging just 5.5 minutes per game over 11 appearances in January.
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Kings' KZ Okpala: Headed to G League
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Okpala was assigned to the G League's Stockton Kings on Thursday, James Ham of ESPN 1320 Sacramento reports.
Okpala has had a minimal role for Sacramento over the last several weeks, playing double-digit minutes in just two of his 11 appearances since the start of January. The 23-year-old will likely have a chance to see more playing time with the G League club.
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Kings' KZ Okpala: Minimal role continues Monday
Rotowire
Okpala ended Monday's 136-111 win over the Magic with five points (2-4 FG, 1-3 3Pt), one rebound and one assist across 11 minutes.
Okpala continues to play very few minutes, having eclipsed 10 minutes only twice in the past six weeks. Remember when he was starting to open the season? Fair enough, neither do we. The Kings are primed to make their first playoff appearance in what feels like forever, meaning Okpala is likely to remain a fringe rotation guy moving forward.
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Kings' KZ Okpala: Re-appears in rotation
Rotowire
Okpala recorded seven points (3-5 FG, 1-2 3Pt), four rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal across 21 minutes during Friday's 122-104 loss to Boston.
Okpala's playing time marked a season high. Prior to Friday, he had combined for just 14 minutes across two appearances throughout November. The 23-year-old racked up four fouls in his limited run and remains a fringe rotation piece in Sacramento at the moment.
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Kings' KZ Okpala: Moving to bench
Rotowire
Okpala will move to the bench for Thursday's game against the Grizzlies, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee reports.
While Okpala has started all three games to open the season, the wind of change seemed in the air when he logged only four minutes Sunday against the Warriors. Rookie Keegan Murray will replace him in the starting unit.
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Kings' KZ Okpala: Set to start Wednesday
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Okpala will start Wednesday's regular-season opener against the Trail Blazers, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee reports.
With Keegan Murray (COVID-19 protocols) unavailable for Wednesday's contest, Okpala will get the start at power forward in his absence. In 21 appearances with the Heat last season, Okpala averaged 3.7 points and 2.0 rebounds in 11.6 minutes per game. He figures to shift back to a reserve role once Murray is cleared to return.
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Kings' KZ Okpala: Gets the nod Friday
Rotowire
Okpala will start in Friday's preseason matchup with the Lakers, James Ham of ESPN 1320 Sacramento reports.
Okpala will get the start Friday with Keegan Murray (illness) out. The fourth-year forward out of Stanford will look to get more playing time with the Kings than he did with the Heat, as he only appeared in 63 games over three seasons. Okpala will be one of the Kings' primary backup forwards this season.
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KZ Okpala: Agrees to deal with Kings
Rotowire
Okpala signed a two-year deal with the Kings on Friday, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reports.
The 23-year-old was traded to the Thunder last year but was waived without appearing in a single game for the team. Now Okpala reunites with Nigerian National Team head coach Mike Brown in Sacramento. The 6-foot-8 forward is set to compete amongst Keegan Murray, Trey Lyles and Chimezie Metu for playing time next season.
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Thunder's KZ Okpala: Waived by OKC
Rotowire
Okpala (wrist) was waived by the Thunder on Friday, Andrew Schlecht of The Athletic reports.
This news clears up the surprising reports of Okpala not being on Friday's injury report -- it turns out he wasn't on the team anymore. It's possible Okpala's wrist issue is, in fact, too much of a hindrance for the Thunder to hang onto him for the remainder of the season. More information regarding the confusing situation -- the Thunder gave up a second-round pick in the trade -- may arrive eventually.
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Thunder's KZ Okpala: Not listed on injury report
Rotowire
Okpala (wrist) is not listed on the Thunder's injury report ahead of Friday's contest against the 76ers, Rylan Stiles of BricktownBuckets.com reports.
Okpala hasn't taken the court since Dec. 28 due to a wrist injury, but in a surprising turn of events, the third-year forward appears to be trending towards being available Friday. If he does suit up, Okpala would be making his Thunder debut after being traded by the Heat in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick. However, even if he is available, it's unlikely he garners a big enough role to crack fantasy relevancy.
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Thunder's KZ Okpala: Traded to Oklahoma City
Rotowire
Okpala (wrist) was traded from the Heat to the Thunder on Wednesday in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick.
Okpala hasn't taken the court since Dec. 28 due to a wrist injury, and it's not yet clear when he'll be able to return in spite of his day-to-day designation from the Heat. However, he'll presumably be unavailable for Oklahoma City's game against the Raptors on Wednesday. It's not yet clear whether the Thunder will keep Okpala, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman reports. If he remains with the organization, he should provide an additional option off the bench once healthy after he averaged 3.7 points and 2.0 rebounds in 11.6 minutes per game across 21 appearances to begin the season.
