What should the free agency plan be for the Sacramento Kings?
The Sacramento Kings enter the next phase of the offseason with positive momentum gathered from the NBA Draft. We get to see these draft picks in action on July 7th when their Vegas Summer League schedule kicks off against the Suns. But Sacramento still has work to do with its roster and will have the opportunity to improve when free agency begins on July 1st.
The cap space created by the departures of Rudy Gay, Arron Aflalo, and Anthony Tolliver has given the Kings financial flexibility, now and for their future. With a young roster that needs time to develop, what should they do with their wealth of cap space?
We’ll begin by looking at their current roster needs. The point guard position was heavily improved in the draft with the selections of De’Aaron Fox and Frank Mason, but a veteran backup would be smart to mentor the rookies. The 2-guard spot is set with Buddy Hield, Malachi Richardson, and hopefully Bogdan Bogdanovic if he comes over from Fenerbache.
The frontcourt is full with Willie Cauley-Stein, Skal Labissiere, Kosta Koufos if we retain him, Georgios Papagiannis, and rookie Harry Giles. Drafting Justin Jackson improves the Kings needs with shooting and wing play overall, but that shouldn’t stop Sacramento from trying to find another small forward to the mix. Garrett Temple is the lone true three on the roster.
The Plan
The Kings’ strategy should be to bring in experienced players on short contracts that understand that young players will see the majority of floor time. These veterans may want to see if they can latch onto a contender before settling in Sactown. With so many players on rookie contracts, management must remain steadfast in keeping as much cap space open in the coming years. Overpaying is bound to happen in the NBA, but it is tolerable if the contract is in the 2-3 year range.
Possible Options?
As far as who to add in free agency, bringing back Ty Lawson would be a good place to start. Lawson underwent a successful first season in Sacramento and his instant offense is always an asset.
He would be an elder statesman for the second unit (with Garrett Temple) and already knows Coach Joerger’s system. The Kings gave Lawson a chance when his career was floundering, so working out a two-year deal should be feasible.
The market is top-heavy for wings, but there are attractive players available. Tony Snell played well in Milwaukee and you could never have enough 3-and-D guys, but he will likely command a long contract that the Kings should avoid.
The prospect of adding Otto Porter excites Kings fans based off him filling a direct need. However, I’d be hesitant to pay the max for a player that doesn’t dominate games and has been a spot-up shooter up to this point in his career.
Staying the course and adding a veteran like Thabo Sefolosha gives them another respected professional to mentor the young players. Sacramento could pay him handsomely the first year and waive him later in the season to a contender like Matt Barnes recently did with the team.
Besides adding new pieces, the Kings have to decide what to do with Ben McLemore. He hasn’t progressed as the organization hoped and it will be interesting to see what offers he receives as a restricted free agent. Sacramento could hold onto him and see how he fits in with the new team, but can’t overpay for him, especially with Buddy Hield impressing as a King.
Final Thoughts
The roster is building for the future and has significantly improved since the draft. The next step must be to avoid long contracts and maintain flexibility moving forward. There’s no reason to add players that will take developmental minutes away from the core, either. I’d like for the Kings to stay quiet during free agency and allow their youth to develop.