Kings sign superstar guard Davis to one-year deal

The Sydney Kings are thrilled to announce that superstar guard Kendric Davis has signed a one-year deal with the club.

Davis, who finished second in NBL25's MVP voting after a strong season with the Adelaide 36ers, becomes the 11th player signed to Brian Goorjian's squad for the 2025-26 campaign.

The Memphis college alum joins Matthew Dellavedova, Xavier Cooks, Bul Kuol, Kouat Noi, Jaylin Galloway, Keli Leaupepe, Tyler Robertson, Shaun Bruce, Jason Spurgin and Klairus Amir on the purple and gold squad for NBL26.

“At my age [25], I’ve been able to achieve some incredible things, and I just felt I needed that platform that Sydney can provide, to give me the best chance of reaching the NBA - which is my ultimate goal,” said Davis, who was voted onto the All-NBL First Team in NBL25.

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“The Kings have a legendary coach, strong roster, wonderful culture and amazing front office, and it just felt like the right move for me, especially once Delly signed.

“Delly and I, along with coach Goorj and CP [Chris Pongrass], talked a lot during free agency, and we all thought a backcourt featuring us two guards, along with the pieces already on the roster, meshed really well.

“Not to mention, Delly has played in the NBA, so learning from him and being part of the platform the Kings provide [sending seven players to the NBA over the past seven years], just made sense, and I’m really excited to get to work and hopefully bring another championship back to Sydney.”

Born in Houston, Texas, Davis went to high school at Sam Houston Math, Science, and Technology Centre, where, as a senior, he averaged 22.6 points and 6.6 assists per game.

He graduated as a two-time Class 6A All-State selection and a three-time 20-6A District MVP, which led to him playing college hoops at TCU during the 2018-19 season.

After his freshman campaign, Davis joined SMU for two seasons, where he was named the 2022 AAC Player of the Year, as well as being selected to the First-Team All-ACC (2021 and 2022) and Third-Team All-ACC (2020).

This success led to have transferring to Memphis for the final year of his eligibility in 2023, where he was again named to the First-Team All-ACC squad and selected to the Third-Team All-American (Sporting News) - while also being the ACC Tournament MVP.

Following his college career, Davis spent the 2023-24 campaign in the G-League with the Santa Cruz Warriors, averaging 18.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game, seeing him selected for the NBA G-League Next Up Game and named to the NBA G-League All-Rookie Team.

His success in the United States led to him signing with the Adelaide 36ers for the NBL25 season, going on to produce 25.6 points and eight assists per game.

Since the conclusion of the NBL season, Davis enjoyed a stint in the Chinese Basketball Association with the Nanjing Monkey Kings.

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With this incredible resume to his name, Davis knows he can be a valuable asset to Goorjian's squad in NBL26 - especially alongside backcourt partner Dellavedova and former TCU college teammate Noi.

“Teams these days play with multiple ball-handlers, so playing with an unselfish winner like Delly is only going to create more opportunities for not just me but all our teammates,” Davis said, who learnt a lot from his first season in the NBL, which he intends to build on in NBL26.

“Not only that, he will teach me how to be a great professional, on and off the court, a better point guard, moving without the ball, playing with toughness on defense and becoming a better leader - all traits that will help me achieve what I want to during my career, which I know everyone at the Kings fully supports.

“That includes Kouat, who’s been trying to get me to the NBL for a number of years, as he knew how successful I could be.

“Kouat and I were very close at college, sharing plenty of fond memories, and we can’t wait to make more next season.

“Honestly, from top to bottom, the whole decision just made sense and excited for my next chapter.”

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Coach Goorjian is excited to add a player with the firepower and playmaking abilities of Davis to his backcourt and roster.

“Upon addressing how to take this team forward, after last season, we knew we needed to bolster our backcourt, so to be able to add someone of Kendric’s quality, alongside Delly, is massive for our club,” the six-time NBL championship-winning coach said.

“Honestly, with the roster we had in place after Delly signed, I don’t know if there is anyone better suited to our team than Kendric.

“I’m pumped that two players of their calibre wanted to come to our franchise, which shows just how highly respected the Kings brand is, how highly our fans are thought of and the respect they have for the players on our roster.”

Goorjian also outlined how big a role Dellavedova played in recruiting Davis to the harbour city.

“Through the whole process, both Kendric and Delly wanted to play alongside each other and were openly talking about how they could benefit each other’s game,” said Goorjian, who won an Olympic bronze medal with the Boomers in Tokyo.

“They both have the ability to play both backcourt spots, and it ensures we have elite guard-play for the full 40 minutes each game, which really balances our roster.”

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