6 Forwards that the Sacramento Kings can still sign in free agency

The biggest fish in free agency have already been caught, but that doesn't mean that there aren't still nice pieces available in the market.

For the Sacramento Kings, they have likely already made their biggest acquisitions (headlined by the sign-and-trade for DeMar DeRozan). However, they could still use some help at the two forward spots. Plus, they still have one available roster spots and multiple mechanisms (the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception, Bi-Annual Exception, and minimum contracts) for signing players.

So, in the spirit of the Kings' most glaring positional weakness, let's look at six potential forwards they can still add in free agency.

Gordon Hayward

This is the one that probably makes the least sense from a fit perspective. At this point in time, Gordon Hayward (age 34) is probably more of an offense-first player than a two-way forward. That is problematic because the Kings need defense more than they need offense. But still, Hayward is too much of a low-risk, high-reward guy to pass on if given the chance.

His recent stint with the Oklahoma City Thunder was not pretty. But before that (and calf injury), Hayward was putting up some solid numbers for the Charlotte Hornets – showcasing the ability to still shoot, pass, and drive.

Given the scarcity of teams jockeying for his services, Hayward could likely be had for a Bi-Annual Exception or veteran minimum. That means that you are paying back-end rotation player money for a guy who has the upside to be a high-level bench player/low-level starter.

If the Kings have a chance to land him, they should pounce on it.

Jae Crowder

For the record, I have been lower than consensus on Jae Crowder for the last couple of years. The "3-and-D" archetype has evolved past Crowder's skillset. You no longer can just be a guy who shoots open threes and defends well on-ball.

Now, great role players also need to be able to attack closeouts. Last season, Crowder was only in the 9th percentile in drives per 36 minutes and the 10th percentile in true shooting on drives (per Thinking Basketball).

Still, if you are getting a player to be your backup small/power forward, you are more than okay with them being a more traditional "3-and-D" player, and Crowder is still more than capable of that. Last season, he shot a solid 34.9% from three (48th percentile, per Dunks & Threes) on 5.2 threes per 75 possessions (52nd percentile).

But more importantly, Crowder can play big and give you positive defense. Take a look at his Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus (DEF EPM) over the last four years:

He also offers some positional rim protection. Of the 109 players who qualified as "starters" last year, Crowder was 11th in DIFF% (the difference between what a player normally shoots on those types of shots and what they shot against that specific defender) on shots contested within six feet of the rim (per NBA.com).

Precious Achiuwa

Precious Achiuwa isn't the offensive player that either Hayward or Crowder is. But he is younger (he will be 25 at the start of the season) and has more defensive upside.

A good deal of Achiuwa's value is tied to his secondary rim protection. Last year, he finished in the 87th percentile in block rate despite logging 63% of his minutes at power forward (per Basketball Reference).

(Sidebar #1: If you are not a center, you aren't expected to have a super high block rate. So, when you do, it gives you a huge leg up on the market.)

Unlike the other two gentlemen we've discussed, Achiuwa can also give you some minutes as a small-ball center (36% of his minutes). This gives the Kings some more depth at the five (the only players they currently have that play center are Domantas Sabonis and Alex Len).

Achiuwa also earned his postseason sea legs this year, logging 184 minutes for the New York Knicks in the playoffs – starting two games in the process.

For some reason, the market has been really quiet around the soon-to-be fifth-year unrestricted center. The Kings should seize this opportunity and offer Achiuwa a small contract (like the ones we've already discussed) to add more size to our defense's frontline.

Robert Covington

In a recent article, I mentioned how some people have compared our undrafted rookie Isaiah Crawford (who I am high on) to Robert Covington. If that's true, why try and sign Covington?

Well, it may take Crawford a year to get his druthers in the NBA. So, in the meantime, the Kings may as well have Covington to fill in minutes as a backup power forward and center (he can also masquerade as a small ball center in short spurts).

Injuries short-circuited Covington's 2023-24 campaign, and as a result, his value on the open market has torpedoed. However, in the 29 games he did play, Covington showed that he is still one of the best per-minute defensive playmakers and secondary rim protectors. During that stretch, the soon-to-be 12-year veteran was in the 99th percentile in steal rate (defensive playmaking) and the 86th percentile in block rate (86th percentile).

Covington's age is a concern (he'll turn 34 during the 2024-25 season), and he's not the spacer that his successor Crawford is (Covington was in the 36th percentile in 3-point attempts per 75). Still, for a fringe rotation player that you only want to play 10 to 15 minutes per night (who can probably be had at the veteran minimum), Covington is the perfect defense-first energy guy to add to this roster.

Isaac Okoro

I've written extensively about why defense-first wings/forwards like Isaac Okoro don't do well in high-minute roles in the playoffs because of their lack of spacing, drive game, and secondary rim protection. If you are familiar with that, you are probably thinking: why does he think the Kings should sign him then?

Read what I said carefully. Okoro isn't suited for a starting/prominent bench role in the playoffs (at least until he improves two of those three categories we mentioned above). But considering he's still available at this point in free agency, he likely won't be receiving that kind of money.

Okoro is smaller than most of the guys we've mentioned (he's 6'6 and doesn't necessarily play bigger than his stature). However, he's young (23), and he's one of the better perimeter defenders in the association (85th percentile in DEF EPM last season). On top of that, while Okoro's 3-point volume is still low (35th percentile in 3-point attempts per 75), he did improve his efficiency (he went from a 36.3% 3-point shooter in 2022-23 to a 39.1% shooter last year).  

Even if he doesn't start launching threes at a higher rate, Okoro is a nice bench wing to have on a playoff roster (at the right cost). The only major obstacle is that he's a restricted free agent. So, the Cleveland Cavaliers can match any offer that is made to him. This could end up driving up the price of his contract in a way that makes acquiring him no longer enticing.

Marcus Morris Sr.

Let's cap off this list with another former Cavalier. Marcus Morris Sr. is no longer the battle-tested postseason warrior he spent a good portion of his prime as, but last year showed us that he still has a little venom left in those fangs.

Morris appeared in nine of the Cavaliers' 12 playoff games (he even started one), logging 15.3 MPG and averaging 6.1 PPG while shooting 39.1% from three. Those numbers may not seem like much, but you don't need much from the ninth/tenth player in your rotation.

Even at 35 (which is what he will be at the start of the season), Morris gives you a guy with size (6'9), who can get a bucket (57th percentile midrange shooter), space the floor (85th percentile 3-point shooter), and offer you ~ some ~ positional rim protection (46th percentile in block rate). That says nothing about all the wisdom the decade-plus-long NBA career has graced him with.

Unlike Okoro, you don't need to get into a bidding war for Morris' services. According to HoopsHype, Morris has earned 108.5 million dollars over the course of his career (124.3 when you adjust for modern inflation). He will gladly take a veteran minimum if it means playing for a team with deep playoff aspirations.