2 Fringe Kings roster players who deserve to return in 2024-25, 1 who doesn’t

Kessler Edwards deserves to return to the Kings

Kessler Edwards has not gotten many chances with the Kings this season, stuck in the forward rotation behind Keegan Murray, Harrison Barnes, Trey Lyles, and Sasha Vezenkov. Once the season is over, he will be a restricted free agent, but since he has barely played, he probably won’t garner much interest from other teams. 

The Kings still have a use for him, however. As a 6’7” defensive specialist he is exactly the kind of player the Kings could use on the wing once his offense comes along a little more. Edwards has shown promise as a 3-and-D prospect, playing great defense and hitting some shots almost every time he has gotten a chance to play this season and could be a valuable asset if developed correctly. 

Being only 23 years old, Edwards still has plenty of room to grow, and the Kings could help him get there. The growth we have seen from Keon Ellis, for example, speaks for their developmental staff. Kings analyst Kayte Christensen often highlights on the broadcast how the front office would love to develop Edwards in their own system because they believe he can become a serviceable 3-and-D player in the league. 

Edwards certainly deserves another chance to keep developing, and if no other team tries to snag him from Sacramento, the Kings should really consider bringing him back. It won’t be expensive, and there is almost no risk involved.