6 Players who might play their last game in a Kings’ uniform soon

2. Kevin Huerter

When the Kings were winning games by simply outscoring opponents, Kevin Huerter was an integral part of the team’s success. Shooting 40 percent from three, he was lethal in the dribble handoff with Domantas Sabonis. 

Without Huerter, the Kings probably wouldn’t have gotten to the playoffs. Once there, his shooting percentage plummeted, however, and took a little too long for comfort to recover. 

Huerter is having his worst shooting season since 2020-21 and has struggled to meet Mike Brown’s expectations defensively. Too often, he does not finish games because his shot isn’t falling or gets pulled early because he gets blown by on the perimeter. If you have a strong rim protector to clean up those mistakes, you can deal with that. The Kings do not have that. If they don’t stop players on the perimeter, they will be getting to the rim. 

Huerter has good size and has shown a knack for getting deflections, but he does not play the style of physical defense Brown would like to see. Changes have to be made over the summer. Better defenders have to come to Sacramento, and Kevin Huerter is one of the Kings’ most valuable trade assets. 

Many teams in the league would love a capable movement shooter like Huerter. The Kings, meanwhile, desperately need a defensive upgrade.