Coach Michael Malone told Grant Napear that Terry will be spending the rest of the season in Dallas rehabbing his knees. As of yet, the Kings have no plans to buy out the rest of his deal.
Coach Malone went on the Grant Napear show yesterday and announced that Jason Terry, recently acquired from Brooklyn along with Reggie Evans in a trade for Marcus Thornton, would not be joining the team this season. Instead, Terry will be rehabbing his left knee in Dallas.
Terry had offseason surgery on his knee and apparently has not felt right all season. Before this decision, Terry was having the worst season of his career by far, with career lows in most statistical categories.
Terry's absence this season doesn't mean much for the Kings, who are probably fine with this development. The trade for Terry was more about getting rid of Thornton's contract and freeing up time for Ben McLemore than anything. Malone has made it quite clear that the rest of the season will be about giving McLemore and Ray McCallum time on the court.
Terry's absence this season does not necessarily mean that he will never join the team. He is still under contract for next season, and should the team not buy him out or trade him, he'll likely rejoin the team next training camp.
Reggie Evans will be with the team this year although it's unlikely he'll see much playing time barring injury and/or foul trouble of our other big men.
UPDATE 10:04 AM: The Kings have sent out a press release on Terry:
The Sacramento Kings today announced that newly-acquired guard Jason Terry will spend the remainder of this season rehabilitating his left knee, according to Kings General Manager Pete D'Alessandro.
"Our focus remains on reinventing this franchise and building a foundation for future success," said D'Alessandro. "Affording Jason time to rehab during the balance of this season allows him to return at full strength next year while giving our younger players the minutes and experience needed to help us improve as a team going forward."
"I want to thank the Kings for their understanding during this process," said Terry. "Through my interactions with the front office and medical staff, it's clear that the organization cares about its players and has their best interest at heart. I'm confident that rehab presents the best opportunity to be ready for next season."
Terry, a 15-year NBA veteran, has accrued career averages of 15.4 points (.446 FG%, .379 3pt%, .846 FT%), 2.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.31 steals and 32.5 minutes per game in 1136 contests with the Atlanta Hawks (1999-2004), Dallas Mavericks (2004-2012), Boston Celtics (2012-13) and Brooklyn Nets (2013-14).