Recent photos suggest that Kevin Huerter is gearing up for a change of position

Kevin Huerter has been training hard this offseason to make sure that he is fully recovered from his shoulder injury (the one that ended his 2023-24 prematurely) by the time the Sacramento Kings tip off their 2024-25 season (and it seems like he is on track to do so).

However, it looks like Huerter has been doing more than making sure his left shoulder is functioning properly, at least according to these photographs of his training:

Listen, I am usually the first person to roll their eyes when a report comes out about X player putting on X pounds of "pure muscle" over the offseason (adding muscle mass isn't that easy!). But it is clear that Huerter has added some size – just compare the pictures in the tweet to the cover image.

But why is Huerter packing on the pounds?

Is Kevin Huerter moving to small forward?

Since joining the Kings, Huerter has spent 72% of his minutes at shooting guard (per Basketball Reference). But with the Kings re-signing Malik Monk, the emergence of Keon Ellis, and Devin Carter hoping to make his debut eventually, a logjam has been created at the two-guard spot.

The simplest solution to this would be to have one of those individuals switch to a different position. And since the Kings are lighter in the frontcourt, the most logical switch would be to small forward. Huerter (6'7) is the tallest of the group. So, it makes the most sense for him to be the one to do it.

Plus, Huerter has experience logging a large portion of his minutes at small forward. During his last season with the Atlanta Hawks (2021-22), Huerter spent 42% of his minutes at the three.

What changes if Kevin Huerter moves to small forward?

The short answer is: very little. In today's positionless game, a player's offensive role has very little to do with their position. Ideally, players should be able to play every role on offense.

Where things will really change for Huerter is on defense (that's where positions actually matter). Instead of guarding shooting guards, Huerter will be shadowing bigger/stronger small forwards. That is why he's upping his weight class. Now, let's see if it ends up paying off.