Kings announcer exits
- Longtime Sacramento TV voice Kyle Draper said Sunday was his last game as the Kings' play‑by‑play announcer. - Draper tweeted his contract was not renewed after six seasons in the role. - The local broadcast change arrives just as playoff coverage and offseason narratives start to shift (ca.sports.yahoo.com).
Kyle Draper said Sunday’s season finale was his last game as the Sacramento Kings’ television play-by-play announcer after six seasons. (sports.yahoo.com) Draper posted the news on X on April 14, saying his contract “is not being renewed” and thanking Kings fans and Sacramento for making him feel welcome. (sports.yahoo.com) Draper joined the Kings’ NBC Sports California coverage in 2020 as a studio host and later moved into the lead play-by-play chair. Before Sacramento, he spent more than a decade with NBC Sports Boston. (barrettmedia.com) The timing lands at the start of a reshuffle in the Kings’ broadcast booth. Mark Jones, the team’s primary television play-by-play voice, said this month that he is leaving ESPN after 36 years. (sports.yahoo.com) Jones told The Sacramento Bee he plans to return next season as the Kings’ primary TV play-by-play announcer on NBC Sports California. That leaves Draper out just as Sacramento heads into an offseason after a 22-60 finish. (sports.yahoo.com; basketball-reference.com) Sacramento’s final game was a 122-110 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on April 12, which closed a season that ended 14th in the Western Conference. Draper said that game was his last on the call. (basketball-reference.com; sports.yahoo.com) In his post, Draper said Sacramento “became home for me” and said he was “100% invested” during his run with the team. He also said, “As far as what’s next?? Stay tuned.” (sports.yahoo.com) The Kings have not publicly announced a replacement because Jones has said he will be back. For now, the clearest change is the one Draper made public himself: his six-season run in Sacramento is over. (sports.yahoo.com; sports.yahoo.com)
