The Sacramento Kings have had loads of young talent on the roster for years, but they have failed to develop all of the talent that comes in. While there were many dark years of forgotten young talent in Sacramento, recent draft success and prospect development have led to the franchise’s upswing.
The Kings are filled with young talent now, highlighted by their All-NBA duo, De’Aaron Fox, 25, and Domantas Sabonis, 27. Surrounding those two are Kevin Huerter, 24, Malik Monk, 25, and Keegan Murray, 22. Sacramento has a stacked young core.
The Sacramento Kings are set for the next few years due to the development of their new young talent, giving fans hope for the franchise’s direction. While they have a ton of young talent on the roster, they cannot develop everyone. They need to focus on which players will make a difference and set aside the ones they can afford to lose.
3 Young players the Sacramento Kings should develop, and 2 they shouldn’t:
Develop: Keegan Murray
The obvious choice of who the Kings need to focus on developing is second-year forward Keegan Murray. The 22-year-old broke the record for most three-pointers made in a rookie season and is looking to take on a more prominent role heading into his sophomore year.
With incredible performances in the 2023 NBA California Classic Summer League, highlighted by a 41-point outburst, Murray has shown Kings fans and the NBA world that he is ready to become the third star in Sacramento.
With the recent news that Murray will be playing among the league’s best young stars representing the USA, Keegan will further show off the improvements he has made this off-season.
Keegan Murray is ready to take a serious sophomore leap.
While playing in the Summer League, Murray was getting praise from coaches and scouts, receiving comparisons to NBA superstar Kawhi Leonard for his development.
Keegan Murray is on pace to become, not only a third star for the Kings, but an NBA All-Star. Sacramento needs to make sure they keep Murray around and continue to develop him.
Don’t Develop: Kessler Edwards
Kessler Edwards is an interesting player for the Sacramento Kings, as they acquired him via trade from the Brooklyn Nets in February of 2023. Even though the Kings went out of their way to get Edwards to Sacramento, he has struggled to find his role there.
After playing 22 games and starting in three of them, the Kings picked up Edward’s team option rather than letting him walk. When Sacramento did this, we assumed they envisioned him having a more consistent role on the team next season, but it looks like he will be pushed to the bottom of the bench.
The 22-year-old forward started six 2023 NBA Summer League games for the Kings but struggled to find consistency. With an impressive outing in his final appearance, Edwards had 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists, but this was by far his best performance.
Edwards has struggled to develop in his first two NBA seasons while taking a step back following a solid rookie year. He would be better off on a team where he could get consistent playing time, but that team is not the Sacramento Kings. With a loaded wing rotation heading into next season, Edwards finds himself at the bottom of the depth chart.
Develop: Davion Mitchell
Davion Mitchell has found himself to be a valuable piece for the Sacramento Kings. The 24-year-old point guard is coming off his sophomore season, continuing to prove to be one of the best defensive guards in the league.
Earning the nickname “Off-Night,” Mitchell is possibly the most underlooked defender in the NBA. Standing at just 6’0″, Mitchell never backs down from a matchup. Kings coach Mike Brown has praised the lockdown guard (via SidelineSources):
"“[Davion Mitchell] is a special talent, especially on the ball defensively… He’s got some dog in him.”"
While Mitchell has earned the respect of Mike Brown and the Kings, he saw a decrease in playing time in his sophomore season following an impressive rookie year. His minutes per game went from 27.7 to 18.1, mainly due to De’Aaron Fox being healthy and Mitchell getting moved to the bench.
Although his playing time decreased, his efficiency skyrocketed with 45/32/80 shooting splits. Davion Mitchell has spent this off-season working on his jump shot, as he talked about on the “#thisleague UNCUT” podcast:
"“This whole summer, that’s been my main focus, working on my jump shot so they have no reason for me not to be on the floor.”"
Davion Mitchell has shown the Sacramento Kings how valuable he can be on the defensive end, and if he continues to develop on offense, he will be one of the top backup point guards in the league.
Don’t Develop: Neemias Queta
Neemias Queta, 24, is likely done in Sacramento. After the signing of veteran center Nerlens Noel, fans speculate that the Kings have found their Queta replacement.
The 7’0″, 245-pound big man is a physical specimen but has struggled to develop into an NBA-ready center. After spending the majority of his first two NBA seasons on the Stockton Kings, Queta is a restricted free agent. Before the Noel signing, Queta was expected to return to Sacramento, but now his future is in the air.
Neemias Queta had strong performances in the 2023 NBA Summer League before suffering a foot injury. Queta showed glimpses of being an elite shot blocker and impressive rebounder, but he will still likely find his way to a different team.
While Queta can still develop into an impactful backup big man, his development timeframe does not match the timeframe of the Kings, as they need big men who can come in and contribute. This reflects in the Noel signing, as they can not wait two or three years for Queta to be ready.
Neemias Queta could still earn a two-way contract, where he could continue to develop in the G League, but Sacramento might be better off heading in a different direction.
Develop: Keon Ellis
Keon Ellis is coming off a rookie season primarily spent in the G League, but his impressive play gives us hope for his future in Sacramento. The 23-year-old guard appeared in just 16 games for Sacramento but signed a new two-way contract to stay with the Kings.
In 23 games last season for the Stockton Kings, Ellis averaged 16.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.6 steals with impressive 51/44/78 shooting splits.
The 6’3″ guard could easily translate to NBA play if he was needed and has the potential to be a valuable backup guard for Sacramento. Keon Ellis was impressive in the NBA Summer League, showing off his scoring ability and defensive prowess.
In the 2024 off-season, the Kings’ backup backcourt, Davion Mitchell and Malik Monk, could potentially be free agents, and Keon Ellis could step up in a more prominent role if needed. While he will likely spend most of next season in Stockton, Ellis’ development could be the best thing to happen to the Kings since De’Aaron Fox’s uprising.
The undrafted guard out of Alabama has a high upside, and the Sacramento Kings need to hold onto him for as long as possible.
Former King’s veteran waiving could lead to reunion in Sacramento
After a long career that saw this former King spend four years in Sacramento, his recent waiving could see him make a return to Sacramento.