Kings Release Aaron Brooks

In a slightly surprising but not totally unexpected move, the Sacramento Kings today released Aaron Brooks. Details are scarce and all we have at the moment is this tweet from Grant Napear reporting the release.

Brooks was signed to a two year deal this summer with a player option for his second year. Like all the Kings' Point Guards, he has seen his minutes juggled from backup, to starter, to DNP-CDs. It didn't help matters that the Kings acquired yet another Point Guard in Toney Douglas as part of the Thomas Robinson-Patrick Patterson trade. Douglas made his debut in Sacramento's victory over Orlando on Wednesday while Brooks did not play.

In probably very related news, today is the deadline for players to be released from their contracts in order to sign with other teams and be eligible for the playoffs. When Brooks signed this summer, he was reported as having left bigger money on the table because he felt the Kings were closer to competing. Currently at 20-39, Sacramento is closer to the bottom of the league than the middle, let alone the top.

Brooks ended up playing 46 games for Sacramento, averaging 8.0 PPG, .459 FG%, .378 3P%, 2.3 APG, and 1.7 RPG in 20.8 MPG.

We'll update this story with more information as it comes in.

UPDATE 2:24 P.M.:

The release seems to be mutual, as I expected.

Not official yet but Kings are working on a buyout w/ guard Aaron Brooks

— JasonJones (@mr_jasonjones) March 1, 2013

Brooks also released a statement from his Twitter account:

I'd like to thank the great city of Sacramento, the Sacramento Kings Organization, coaching staff and most of all...

— Aaron Brooks (@Thirty2zero) March 1, 2013

the fans that supported this leg of my journey. I enjoyed my time with the Kings and wish them success in the future.

— Aaron Brooks (@Thirty2zero) March 1, 2013