Offseason Grades: Evaluating every free agency decision made by the Sacramento Kings
Last week I gave out grades for every Sacramento Kings draft pick. I gushed about Tyrese Haliburton, Robert Woodard II and Jahmi’us Ramsey. I enjoyed writing it. I enjoyed praising a franchise that has so rarely earned it.
I would have loved to do it again this week. I would have been thrilled to give high marks to the Kings for their moves in free agency. I hoped that new general manager Monte McNair would make an instant impact, or at least signaled a clear direction for the future of the franchise.
But that is not what happened. Sacramento’s approach to free agency was extremely conservative.
McNair may create a bold new version of the team. He might carve this roster with cutting-edge moves. He might forge an analytic-based path to long term success for Sacramento. But as of now, he’s done basically nothing.
NOT MATCHING BOGDAN BOGDANOVIC
Only one thing can be gained from not matching the Atlanta Hawks’ four-year, $72 million offer for Bogdan Bogdanovic: Money. Choosing the financial flexibility over proven talent is a risky proposition, especially for a team that has never been able to sign high-level free agents.
The Kings let a very good player go and got nothing in return. Good franchises don’t do that. They get assets in return for their departing talent. McNair almost managed that in the now-dead Milwaukee Bucks trade, but almost is not good enough.
Grade: D
OTHER DEPARTURES
The Kings also lost Kent Bazemore, Alex Len and Harry Giles without anything to show for it. However, the unrestricted status of this group made such moves far more understandable. Bazemore was great in his short time with Sacramento, but did not make much sense moving forward at 31 years old. Len also played well, but was replaceable.
Saying goodbye to Giles hurts on a number of levels, but it might be unfair to blame McNair. Former general manager Vlade Divac poisoned the well with Giles when he declined the 22-year-old big man’s player option and suggested to the press it was meant to teach him a lesson. Fans hoped McNair could somehow convince Giles to stay, but it was probably too much to ask.
Grade: C
SIGNING HASSAN WHITESIDE
ESPN’s Zach Lowe recently compared Hassan Whiteside to a can of Pringles. Empty calories that won’t help you in any way – that’s his reputation around the league. He isn’t going to improve the Kings and is only getting worse at 31 years old.
It seems harsh to give the Kings a failing grade for a minimum contract, but they deserve it here. Best-case scenario is that some other team makes an even bigger mistake and trades for him. It would have been better to sign a young player and give them a chance to grow.
Grade: F
SIGNING FRANK KAMINSKY
The signing of Frank Kaminsky has the same confusing logic as the Whiteside deal, though with significantly less downside. His contract is not guaranteed, which means Sacramento can cut ties at any time with no consequences. The only risk is him eating up minutes that could be given to players with a brighter future.
What confuses me is the lack of upside. What’s the hope here? That a 27-year-old center who has never been good before will be good now? That he will be a valued mentor? That the Kings can trade him for a second-round pick in 2025? Crazier things have happened, I suppose.
Grade: C
SIGNING GLENN ROBINSON III
Glenn Robinson III is another veteran that is not expected to have a huge impact. However, there are redeeming factors with Robinson. He plays small forward, which is truly a scarce position. He can shoot it when he’s open and play solid defense. It is not hard to imagine several teams offering a second-rounder for Robinson at the trade deadline.
One minor concern should be mentioned. While he has solid value, I can’t help but wonder why he chose Sacramento over the Los Angeles Lakers, the Los Angeles Clippers, and the Utah Jazz. My guess would be a promise of a larger role than those other destinations. If that is true, there is a minor risk of Robinson taking a few too many minutes from DaQuan Jeffries, Justin James and Woodard.
Grade: B
RE-SIGNING DAQUAN JEFFRIES
The Kings had a big opportunity in the bubble to make a name for themselves. As a team, they missed the mark in a big way. But Jeffries capitalized on an individual level. He proved that he can be an NBA role player, which is an impressive bar to clear for a rookie that went undrafted. At just 23 years old, further growth should be expected.
Keeping Jefferies was a bit of a no-brainer, so the best grade possible might be generous. But obvious moves aren’t always made by the Kings. Credit belongs where it is due, so getting Jeffries on a small and flexible deal deserves to be acknowledged as a pure win.
Grade: A
THE BIG PICTURE
It’s difficult to judge this free agency period for the Sacramento Kings. They willingly let a ton of talent go and didn’t attempt to replace it. But they also risked essentially nothing. These moves can’t result in something truly bad.
While almost every team in the league chose a direction and worked toward that goal, the Kings simply punted on first down. They’ll try next time – we hope.
McNair inherited a difficult situation and is more concerned with not making things worse than with actually making them better. It’s a cautious approach that begs for patience. I’m not sure fans have much more to give.
The Kings don’t deserve praise for their approach to free agency, but they don’t deserve condemnation either. McNair and the new front office scrape by with a passing grade.
Overall Grade: C-
This story was originally published December 3, 2020 at 5:00 AM.