If the Sacramento Kings' blowout loss to the Grizzlies proved one thing, it's that their defense is terrible. That's where Victor Oladipo could be helpful. The legendary defender is still looking for his way back into the league, and the Kings could put him to work. His guidance could be key.
After dealing with some exceedingly difficult injuries, Oladipo has been away from the NBA for a couple of seasons. During the 2026 offseason, he declared he was ready to return and started looking for a new spot. The Kings had him on their radar, but instead chose Ben Simmons.
Unfortunately, Simmons is out for the season with a torn Achilles. It was actually kind of tragic, as he was also trying to make his big comeback. The Kings haven't waived him or anything. They need to keep paying him regardless of what happens due to his injury and the requirements of the CBA.
Simmons' injury doesn't open up a spot for Oladipo. That being said, the Kings did go into the season one man short on their roster. In case you're wondering, they also have the salary space to sign a player to a veteran minimum contract to fill that spot. There's a good reason the Kings should do it.
Oladipo has the skillset the Kings need right now
Sacramento has solid defensive players on the team. De'Andre Hunter, Precious Achiuwa, Keegan Murray, Jonathan Mogbo, Emanuel Sharp, Maxime Raynaud, Alex Karaban, and Dylan Cardwell all have real strengths on defence. That being said, several of them being injured is a bit of an issue.
The problem is that this group has no defensive identity to speak of. They can put in great individual performances, but there's no sustained team effort. To be clear, that is not their fault. This is a leadership issue, plain and simple. The Kings' coaching staff just isn't getting the job done.
That's where Oladipo comes in. He's an experienced defender with a high basketball IQ. Even if he can't play quite at the level he used to, Oladipo could provide the veteran foundation for the Kings' defense to build off. Honestly, he might be a great defensive coach for Sacramento, if nothing else.
If the Kings aren't going to use that last spot for a backup point guard for Darius Acuff Jr., Oladipo is who they need to sign. Nothing is going to change for Sacramento until they get their defense under control. Oladipo has everything this team needs to make that happen.
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