Sacramento Kings’ biggest position battles and roster decisions as NBA training camp nears
The Kings will have some interesting position battles and roster decisions to make when NBA training camp begins Sept. 27.
General manager Monte McNair has assembled more talent and depth than Sacramento has seen in years, arguably going back to the last time the Kings made the playoffs in 2006. The Kings are widely expected to contend for a play-in spot and some national analysts believe they will finally end their NBA-record 16-year playoff drought, but first they have to finalize their roster and rotation.
First-year coach Mike Brown and his staff will work with the front office to make those evaluations as the Kings prepare for their preseason opener against the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 3. They will have to cut as many as three players before they open the regular season against the Portland Trail Blazers on Oct. 19 at Golden 1 Center.
The general consensus around Sacramento is Brown’s starting lineup will likely feature De’Aaron Fox, Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes, Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis. There’s little question about Fox, Barnes and Sabonis, but Huerter could be challenged by Malik Monk and Terence Davis, and Murray, a rookie first-round draft pick, must show he’s prepared to start over the likes of Trey Lyles and Chimezie Metu.
The most intense competition could center on Sacramento’s final roster spots. The Kings will look closely at Quinn Cook and Matthew Dellavedova for their third point guard spot behind Fox and Davion Mitchell, although Cook officially remains unsigned six weeks after agreeing to a one-year deal with Sacramento. Either Cook or Dellavedova could make the team, but probably not both.
The small forward and power forward positions will also have strong competition. Barnes will likely start at small forward with Huerter sliding over to log minutes there when Barnes goes to the bench. The Kings also expect to have Kent Bazemore, although he also remains officially unsigned, and in some situations, they might want a more defensive-minded player like KZ Okpala or Chima Moneke.
Murray, who came out of Iowa as the No. 4 pick in June’s NBA draft, appeared to be one of the league’s most NBA-ready rookies over the summer. He helped the Kings go undefeated at the California Classic before claiming the Las Vegas Summer League MVP award.
Multiple sources have indicated the Kings believe Murray is best suited for the power forward position at this point. Murray will likely start there on opening night, but he could be pushed by Lyles and Metu, each of whom will be highly motivated to win the backup role.
Sabonis, a two-time All-Star who was acquired in a February trade with the Indiana Pacers, figures to play about 35 minutes per game at the center spot. Richaun Holmes, who started 136 games for Sacramento over the past three seasons, is positioned as the primary backup with Alex Len and Neemias Queta there for additional size, depth and defense.
The Kings will have 20 players in training camp if they finalize the signings of Cook and Bazemore. They can keep a total of 17 for the regular season with 15 players under regular NBA contracts and two two-way players.
Fox, Mitchell, Huerter, Monk, Davis, Barnes, Murray, Lyles, Metu, Sabonis, Holmes and Len are virtual locks for NBA roster spots. Queta and guard Keon Ellis are under two-way contracts. That leaves Cook, Dellavedova, Sam Merrill, Bazemore, Okpala and Moneke to fight it out for three remaining roster spots.
This story was originally published September 21, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
