If Sacramento Kings' fans are wondering about the future of the franchise, look no further than Rico Hines' recent sessions with the teams' young guns. The rookies and sophomores look great together, and have to give the Kings' front office a strong sense of what the next few years will be like.
Not knowing the name Rico Hines is a sin that can certainly be forgiven. After finishing up his college career as a player, Hines became a coach in 2006. That includes two seasons with the Kings as an assistant coach focused on player development. These days, he's with the 76ers under Nick Nurse.
It's what he does during the offseason that's important here. He heads to UCLA, and hosts pick-up games called Rico Hines Runs. Players from across the league and beyond show up for a chance to play. These games are the end of vacation time and a signal that training camps are coming up.
A young crew of Kings that includes Maxime Raynaud, Darius Acuff Jr., Dylan Cardwell, Alex Karaban, Nique Clifford, Emanuel Sharp, Adam Flagler, and Jonathan Mogbo have all been playing together. What should scare the rest of the league is that they look really, really good as a unit.
The future of the Kings is brighter than some think
Right off the bat, it should be noted that Raynaud was not there for the entirety of the Rico Hines Runs. He missed a portion of them due to commitments to the French national team. They spent a chunk of August participating in the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup European Qualifiers.
Regardless, the connection and the rhythm between these young playes was obvious. Seeing them on the court together proved that there is a future to this franchise involving them. More than that, any fans of the Sacramento Kings paying attention likely got a look at their future starting five.
Some combination of these players will end up leading this franchise. Smart money puts Acuff at point guard, Cardwell at center, Raynaud at power forward, Karaban at small forward, and Clifford at shooting guard. Having guys like Sharp, Mogbo, and Flagler in your secondary is no joke.
Regardless of what happens with the current starters, the young guys are what the Kings are building around. Do not be surprised to this line get serious minutes this season as the Kings slowly phase out players like Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis while their contracts tick closer to the end.
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