He’s Back: Eric Moreland Re-signs With The Sacramento Kings
By Rafe Wong
On July 29, the Sacramento Kings decided to part ways with Eric Moreland, but now it seems the organization has now had a change of heart. Reported today in an article written by Yahoo Sports writer Sham Charania, Moreland and the Kings front office have agreed to terms on a deal that will keep Moreland with the Kings for this upcoming season.
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Even though Charania reported in his article that there is a “significant partial guarantee” in Moreland’s new contract, it doesn’t necessarily mean he will be part of the final roster opening night.
With this addition of Moreland, it just adds another body this upcoming training camp to contend for a roster spot on the team.
I also think the Kings decided to go back to Moreland because of his potential as a shot blocker and rebounder. With his time with the Reno Bighorns in the D-League last season, Moreland averaged 12.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocks a contest.
Also throughout his Summer League career the last two years, Moreland averaged 8.5 rebounds and 2.4 blocks a game. So he has shown proof of what he could possibly become if given a legitimate shot at the professional level.
The Kings did address their interior defensive needs this offseason by adding Kosta Koufos (in free agency) and Willie Cauley-Stein (in the draft), but you never can have enough scrappers on the team that are willing to do the dirty work like these three.
If Moreland does make the team, I don’t expect a huge role from him. Expect players like Koufos, Cauley-Stein, and especially DeMarcus Cousins to receive significantly more minutes than the second year pro. Moreland is still raw, and it’s his potential that probably has Sacramento giving him another shot.
His main goal this upcoming season should be to make the team and to continue to improve as a player. Maybe in time when Moreland is polished enough, he can take on a bigger role for this team and give his teammates a run for their money battling for minutes.
Overall, Moreland resigning with Sacramento was a surprise to me, but a pleasant surprise. Since the 2014 NBA Summer League games, I became a fan of Moreland, and what he could possibly be as a shot blocker for this team going forward.
He may be a project now, but it’s a safe bet for the Kings in my opinion. Because he is not expected to contribute right away, he can just focus on improving on the practice floor, and hopefully during that time he can become a player the Kings could rely on night in and night out.
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