Former Kings' First-Round Pick Lands Opportunity With New NBA Team

The Kings selected Labissière 28th in the 2016 NBA draft, and while he never panned out with the team, he's been around the Kings organization multiple times throughout his years in the NBA.

The Haitian big man played two and a half seasons in Sacramento before getting traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2018-19 season. He averaged 8.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game across his first two seasons with the Kings, but was on a rebuilding team that saw DeMarcus Cousins get traded and De'Aaron Fox drafted.

Labissière went on to play 42 games with the Trail Blazers across two seasons, but was never able to truly find his footing in the league.

Labissière has always had great touch around the rim, but is an in-between player when it comes to the front line. He's not quite big enough to play the center position, but doesn't have a three point shot or mobility to get out and be a power forward.

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He eventually made his way back to the Kings organization in the 2023-24 season when he signed with their G League affiliate, the Stockton Kings. In two years with Stockton, he averaged 16.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists on 61.2% shooting from the field and 32.0% from three, and was a huge part of the Kings G League success.

Stockton won the G League championship for the first time last season, with Labissière being a key to the rotation throughout the year, and being a veteran presence to the younger players on the developmental roster.

He also got another chance to get back on the NBA court for the first time in years last season, when the Kings signed him to a 10-day contract. He appeared in four games at the tail end of the season, which is key to getting a fifth year of NBA service.

He'll now get a chance to get back on the court with the Washington Wizards, who have gone through major overhauls this offseason. In a funny coincidence, he'll reunite with another former Kings pick in Marvin Bagley III, who is also currently on the Wizards. The two bigs were teammates briefly in Bagley's first year in the league (2018-19).

The Wizards brought in a lot of veteran talent this offseason, but don't have many established bigs on their roster, leaving an opening for Labissière to make an impact. He's still 29 years old, and a breakthrough at this stage in his career would make for a great success story with years of hard work and perseverance.