Kings' Marvin Bagley III Says He Feels Better After Pre-Camp COVID-19 Diagnosis

Sacramento Kings forward Marvin Bagley III told reporters Wednesday he contracted COVID-19 ahead of training camp and has since recovered.

The Duke product suffered an injury-plagued season in 2019-20, appearing in just 13 games during his sophomore year in the NBA. Those troubles, as well as any lingering effects from the coronavirus, appear to have passed. 

"I'm feeling great, man," Bagley said. "I'm feeling the best I've ever felt in a while. I took time this offseason to put more time into my body, just do everything in can control to make sure I'm on the court and available to my team."

Bagley isn't expected to participate in Friday's preseason opener against the Portland Trail Blazers after missing the first few days of individual workouts with the Kings. 

The 21-year-old said he contracted the virus while in Arizona "a few days" before he was supposed to report to training camp, but he was able to observe some of the earlier sessions. 

It's a make-or-break season for Bagley, who the Kings selected with the No. 2 overall pick in 2018 and recently exercised a contract option for the 2021-22 season. After proving he can consistently produce in the NBA with an average of 14.9 points and 7.6 rebounds per game off the bench in 2018-19, Sacramento had little chance to develop his skillset last year due to thumb and foot injuries that limited his availability. 

If he can stay healthy and increase his production moving forward, the sophomore season may look like a blip. If not, next year could be his last in Sacramento. 

The Kings open the regular season on Wednesday, December 23 at the Denver Nuggets.