With only eight games left in the regular season, the postseason is right around the corner. For the Sacramento Kings, this final stretch is incredibly important. With Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk both sidelined with serious injuries, Sacramento is fighting for its playoff lives.
The team was supposed to build on last season’s success and set the foundation for a deep playoff run in 2024-25. Failing to do so could have serious implications for the Kings’ future, and it will all be decided in the next couple of weeks.
So, let’s look at two things Kings fans should root for and two things they should root against to close the season.
Kings fans should root for Sacramento to make the playoffs
This seems like an obvious one. Everyone wants their team to make the playoffs, especially after they were stuck in basketball hell for 16 long seasons of losing. Missing the playoffs could have much bigger ripple effects than just that, however.
It is a lost chance of getting the core playoff experience, and, more importantly, the Kings still owe the Atlanta Hawks a top-fourteen protected first-round pick. If that doesn't convey this year, it will limit the team’s options to make moves in the offseason. That would be bad because the Kings cannot run back essentially the same roster for a third straight season, especially after not making the playoffs.
Furthermore, Malik Monk could be persuaded to sign with a more successful team in the summer if the Kings fail to make the playoffs. He has said before that what the Kings do in the postseason will factor into his decision. Ironically, his injury is the main thing squashing the Kings’ playoff chances.
Of course, there is no guarantee that he would have resigned if he hadn’t gotten hurt and the Kings had made the playoffs, but the team’s current situation definitely poses a lot more questions for Monk’s decision.