Sacramento Kings: 1 Free Agent to steal from each division rival
By Logan Struck
This season, the Sacramento Kings finished atop the Pacific Division for the first time in 20 years. After 16 playoffless years, the Kings took control of the toughest division in the NBA, where all five teams made the playoffs. The Kings are on the rise so this season could be the start of Pacific Division domination.
The Sacramento Kings are trending upwards, while the rest of the division is trending downward. The Los Angeles Lakers star, LeBron James, is contemplating retirement. The Los Angeles Clippers two stars, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, can not stay healthy. The Golden State Warriors dynasty seems to be coming to an end. Lastly, the Phoenix Suns fired their Coach of the Year winner and made a questionable decision to hire Frank Vogel. Now is the perfect time for the Kings to capitalize on other teams’ downfalls.
One great way for the Kings to stay atop the division is to keep improving the roster. An even better way is to improve the roster by stealing players from the division rivals. While the Kings have some impactful players entering free agency, so do the rest of the division.
Here is one free agent from each division rival that the Sacramento Kings can realistically sign:
Phoenix Suns: Damion Lee, SG/SF
With the hiring of a new head coach, role players like Damion Lee might not be coming back to the Phoenix Suns. Lee averaged 8.2 points per game on impressive 44/44/90 shooting splits. In his first season in Phoenix, Lee was a big part of a Suns team that featured stars Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Chris Paul.
The 30-year-old is entering his 7th NBA season and already won a championship with the 2022 Warriors. Damion Lee is a fantastic three-point shooter and would boost the offense off the bench.
Damion Lee will be inclined to come to Sacramento due to his experience under Kings head coach Mike Brown. While Brown was on the Warriors staff, Damion Lee would praise his defensive coaching and constantly call him a great coach. Damion Lee has struggled on defense, so reuniting with Mike Brown could spark his defensive intensity.
Damion Lee has had to step up big for the Warriors and Suns, showing he can close games when needed. Lee would be a great bench piece in Sacramento, and his shooting ability would help him fit right in on a team looking for wing depth.