While there has been no new official news, Sacramento Kings big man Richaun Holmes’ return could be imminent. How will that affect current rotations?
The Sacramento Kings have had a gaping hole in their front court depth for the better part of the 2019-’20 season. Both Marvin Bagley and Richaun Holmes have missed extended periods of time, and there is speculation that the Kings could shut one, if not both, of them down for the remainder of the season.
The trade of Dewayne Dedmon certainly did not help with the immediate depth issue, though the Kings did receive big men Jabari Parker and Alex Len in the deal. Harry Giles, who had fallen out of the rotation completely during the first half of the season, has been thrust in to a starting role and has begun to flourish in it.
So what will the Kings do about their rotation if either Holmes or Bagley is to return this year? What would they do if both players come back?
A Convoluted Frontcourt
It is far more likely that the Kings integrate Holmes back in to the lineup than Bagley, as Holmes has shown that he has cohesion with this set of teammates and has a defined role. Bagley not so much. The last report that Sacramento released regarding a health update to Holmes came on February 11th when it was announced that he would be re-evaluated in 2-3 weeks.
While we know that “re-evaluted in” does not mean “will return in”, we can start to begin to think about the possibility of a Holmes return as we count down the final days of February. But bringing Holmes back in to the regular rotation would certainly affect the playing time for the rest of the front court, which could hinder any development the Kings hope to see to end the season.
They have off season decisions to make on both Len and Giles, whose contract situations are very different but could provide big bodies at an affordable price depending on how well both of them play down the stretch. A cut in to Giles’ minutes might actually play in to the Kings’ favor as they would be wise to keep his price tag down should they plan to keep him this summer.
As for Len, he had better make his mark on the team while he can, as a return from Holmes would likely knock him out of the rotation completely. It is possible that the Kings see Len as a better future fit than Parker, for both financial and basketball reasons, which is one way that he could get his minutes back.
What About Parker?
Parker may be the most interesting watch down the stretch. He is less than six years removed from being a second overall pick and still shows flashes of being a solid NBA starter. During a seven game stretch near the beginning of the season, Parker averaged 22.3 points and 8 rebounds. He had a game in late November in which he scored 33 points and pulled down 14 rebounds. You are not getting that type of production out of Giles or Len.
As with Giles, however, the Kings could be wise to keep Parker’s market value down as his player option is an affordable $6.5 million. It could be that Parker already has his decision made, and could already be eyeing free agency.
It is likely that we will be able to learn a lot about the Kings off season plans based on Luke Walton‘s rotations and minutes allocation. Throw in a slight chance of Sacramento making a late-season playoff push, and the situation could become even more convoluted.