A day after Ben Simmons was sidelined by a torn Achilles, the Sacramento Kings have waived Adam Flagler. Combined with other recent decisions, that leaves rookie point guard with only Malik Monk as backup. The question has to be what the Kings' plans are to support Acuff and build this team.
The league is still buzzing about Simmons' injury. He was getting ready to make his regular-season return after more than a year on the shelf. Instead, Simmons will be out of action for at least a year as he recovers from a torn Achilles, an injury that has felled several major stars in the last few years.
Naturally, this was an issue for the Kings as he factored heavily into their plans. Not only was he their starting power forward, but he was also a backup point guard. Losing Simmons followed the Kings waiving Tristen Newton and Elfrid Payton, two players who could have supported Acuff.
Waiving Flagler just exacerbates that issue. He and Monk had become Acuff's main backups, even though neither of them is a natural point guard. Getting rid of Flagler means that the Kings now only have Monk as Acuff's secondary, and that's it. Fans have to be wondering what the plan is.
Acuff needs more support from the Kings than he currently has
To be fair to the Kings, they had no control over the Simmons situation. But also waiving three other backups for Acuff around the same time seems like a major oversight. Now, the Kings have a main roster spot and a two-way contract available to hopefully fill with at least one more point guard.
Monk is a great player, but he functions best as a shooter off the bench. He's a shooting guard, not a playmaker. On top of that, the Kings have been experimenting with Nique Clifford as a PG, but he's a wing first. Clifford has a long way to go before he could be considered a functioning backup for Acuff.
As it stands right now, the Kings need to bump Jonathan Mogbo up to the main roster, then bring in two more point guards on two-way contracts. Mogbo played well for the Kings in both the Summer League and the preseason and has earned the spot. The team will need him this season.
Opening space for two developmental point guards fits the rebuild strategy, giving the Kings a chance to secure their future. There are more than a few solid point guards who have been waived or went undrafted and are looking for spots. Take this as an opportunity to build from here.
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