After several games on the bench with an injury, one of the Sacramento Kings' breakout rookie stars, Dylan Cardwell, is back on the court. So far, he's playing limited minutes, which is absolutely the right call. Cardwell factors heavily into the Kings' plans, so there's no sense in taking chances now.
At this point in the season, anyone who pays attention to the NBA has to know Cardwell's story. If not, he went undrafted in 2025 but was picked up by the Kings. He was on a two-way contract, but all the injuries to the team gave Cardwell the chance to get some major minutes on the main roster.
That's when Cardwell kicked it into high gear. He quickly proved himself to be an impressive defender, not to mention a rather dangerous lob-threat. Even after being on the bench for a few weeks, he's still a leader among rookies for both blocks and rebounds. It's been incredible to watch.
Shortly after the trade deadline, the Kings made the correct decision to sign Cardwell to a four-year contract. Alongside Nique Clifford and Maxime Raynaud, a seemingly permanent resident of the Kia Rookie Ladder, Cardwell is a key part of the rookie core that will turn the Kings' fortunes around.
Dylan Cardwell makes a graduated comeback
Cardwell's last game was against the Utah Jazz on February 11, making his comeback a month later against the LA Clippers on March 14. With a month on the shelf, there was definitely a little rust to shake off. Plus, the Kings don't want to aggravate anything and cause him to sit out longer.
In his two games back, Cardwell played 13 minutes in the first and 16 in the second. That's definitely a decrease from before the injury, as he was averaging 26.8 minutes per game during his pre-injury appearances in February.
That's not a shock in the least. The Kings are making the correct choice to ease Cardwell back into the mix. He's a high-energy player, and the longer he's on the court during his continuing rehab, the bigger the chance of him messing that same rehab process up.
Sacramento needs Cardwell at full steam for training during the offseason. There's a good chance they'll want him, Raynaud, and Clifford in the Summer League to continue their development. Right now, the long-term health of Cardwell is important to the Kings, so this strategy is the smart one.