At this point in the offseason, there are no big names left in free agency (although there are still some nice role players). On top of that, the Sacramento Kings don't have any more spots on their roster without releasing anyone.
With that said, they can still sign free agents to camp deals and then, if they like what they see, clear a roster spot for them. And for the Kings, one player they could have added was Cedi Osman.
Notice how I said: "was." That's because, on Saturday, it was reported that Osman would not be playing in the NBA next season, choosing to play in Greece with Panathinaikos B.C.
💥☘️ BREAKING: Panathinaikos owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos announced via IG a deal with Turkish forward Cedi Osman! pic.twitter.com/SKDRQhEMqH
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) September 7, 2024
How Big Of A Loss Was This For The Kings?
For Kings fans, the question now becomes: how big of a missed opportunity was this for us? Funny enough, I actually did a write-up for A Royal Pain examining whether or not the Kings should pursue Osman. Be sure to check that out if you haven't done so already.
If you don't feel like reading that, my stance is this: Osman is a rotation-level player in the NBA, but I don't think signing him would be a good use of the Kings' resources.
Osman is an offensively slanted player. The Kings, with DeMar DeRozan, De'Aaron Fox, and Domantas Sabonis, have an offensively-slanted core. So, to balance that out, you want more defense-first (or, preferably, two-way players) to balance that out. Adding Osman would not accomplish that initiative.
Why Would Osman Leave The NBA?
As I said, Osman is a rotation-level player in the NBA, as evidenced by his finishing in the 40th percentile or higher in Estimated Plus-Minus (EPM) in five of seven NBA seasons (per Dunks & Threes). So, my guess is that he wanted a larger role than any NBA team was willing to give him. With Panathinaikos, Osman is sure to command a much higher volume than he would here.
I could also see a world where there wasn't much of a market for him. NBA free agency has been kind of weird this offseason, with many teams limiting their spending because they are so worried about the new CBA. For instance, Lonnie Walker IV (a player I think could play playoff minutes for a team) only got a camp deal from the Boston Celtics, and there is a lot of speculation that he may not even end up making the team.
Last season, Osman appeared in 72 games for the San Antonio Spurs, averaging 6.8 PPG, 2.5 RPG, and 1.7 APG in 17.6 minutes per contest.