Sacramento 's G-League affiliate, the Stockton Kings, acquired the rights to 2024 second-round draft pick Tristen Newton in a three-team deal involving the Philadelphia 76ers and Minnesota Timberwolves minor league squads last night.
According to the Stockton Kings, they acquired Newton and Teddy Allen in the transaction. The Delaware Blue Coats — the 76ers affiliate — received the rights to Jameer Nelson Jr. while the Iowa Wolves received Jaylin Williams and two 2027 draft picks — a first-rounder from the Blue Coats and a second-round selection from the Kings.
Newton, selected with the No. 47 pick by the Indiana Pacers in 2024, was waived by the Houston Rockets from his two-way contract last week to make room for rookie Rafael Castro . A 2025-26 All-NBA G League first-team selection, Newton spent most of the season with Rio Grande Valley and the Iowa Wolves. The 25-year-old was with Iowa before getting picked up by Houston in January, which is why he was allocated back to them following his release from the Rockets.
Allen is an experienced wing, known for his scoring ability, who spent last season with Rio Grande Valley and Delaware. Allen is coming off a strong season where the 28-year-old stepped up his production after landing with the Blue Coats. He averaged 19.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists with shooting splits of 45.8/38.7/79.1 in 39 games.
Nelson is the son of 76ers executive vice president of basketball operations Jameer Nelson and a Philadelphia area native. Nelson had a solid season with Stockton while also spending time in Puerto Rico and China. In 25 contests with the Stockton Kings, the 6-foot point guard averaged 18.9 points, 3.4 assists and 1.2 steals with shooting splits of 47.5/37.5/74.7.
Williams went undrafted in 2024 out of Auburn. The 6-8 forward spent last season with Stockton, averaging 12.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists with shooting splits of 51.2/36.3/85.0.
While the three-team trade was officially a G-League transaction, the move does have potential NBA implications.
Sacramento will likely sign Newton to an Exhibit 10 contract, which will allow the 6-5 guard to earn a $91,000 bonus and potentially compete for an NBA contract — whether standard or 2-way. The Kings have 13 players on standard deals and have been looking for a backup ballhandler all summer long. They also have an open two-way spot with Adam Flagler and Jonathan Mogbo occupying the other slots.
Houston Rockets guard Tristen Newton (00) shoots the ball as Memphis Grizzlies guard Lucas Williamson (55) defends during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Photo Credit: Troy Taormina, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
Newton has nine NBA games of experience, including 1 appearance with the Rockets this past season. The 6-5 combo guard excels in pick-and-roll creation and is a high-volume scorer. He has a nice pull-up game and long-range shooting ability. He has shown that he can run G-League offenses and is a good facilitator and ball handler.
Newton is a 4-Aish prospect. In other words, Newton has shown that he is too good for the G-League but has yet to carve out a regular spot in the NBA. The 2026 NBA All-Star Rising Star participant has been in training camp with the Indiana Pacers and the Minnesota Timberwolves. But he has struggled mightily to shoot the ball during training camp and Summer League, and his defense is also an issue.
While Newton will almost surely get an NBA training camp invite, it would be a surprise if Allen does. However, it all depends on how the Kings fill out the rest of their roster. His only NBA Experience is with the Denver Nuggets Summer League squad in 2022, where he appeared in two contests. So, expect him to spend all season in Stockton.
Nelson is a candidate to earn a training camp deal with Philadelphia for somewhat the same reason as Newton. However, Nelson isn't a candidate for a standard deal and would likely have an outside shot at a two-way deal. The 76ers have two of their minor league slots spoken for by Rayan Rupert and Caleb Love . So, it is possible that Nelson would have to beat out Rupert and Love for one of the spots.
That said, Nelson is still seen as an NBA-ish prospect due to his point-of-attack defense. Nelson has also shown the ability to get downhill in the Summer League and G-League, but has struggled with his shooting during the Summer League. He has never been invited to an NBA training camp. Expect him to spend most of the season in Delaware even if he was able to earn a two-way spot.
Williams is in an ideal spot with the Timberwolves. Williams spent the summer with the Timberwolves and played well. In five Las Vegas appearances, seeing just 13 minutes a game, Williams averaged 7.6 points on 63.4% shooting from the field, including 6 of 12 (50%) from deep, and three rebounds.
The reason Williams is a good fit for the Timberwolves, is due to their lack of depth of front. The Wolves did add Jonathan Kuminga and Cody Williams recently, but they are still a tad thin especially at the 5, if there is an injury. Bigs Enrique Freeman and Rocco Zikarksky occupy two of the Wolves three spots.
There is a very good chance that Williams earns an Exhibit 10 and camp invite. The Wolves traded for him, so they do have some interest in the 26-year-old. However, unless there are injuries, expect him to spend the whole season in Iowa.
Photo Credit: Troy Taormina, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
