Lost in the conversation about what the Sacramento Kings will do with their one final main roster spot is their remaining two-way contract. They have one left to hand out, meaning the invites to training camp will be a big deal for prospective players, not to mention firing up development.
It's hard to understate the importance of two-way contracts in the NBA. A franchise can have three in total, each one allowing an athlete to play for both the main roster and it's G League affiliate. This is an important part of the developmental system as new additions can get their feet wet with the team.
Even more important to a franchise with financial constraints like the Kings is the fact that two-way contracts don't count towards the salary cap. That's three players who aren't pushing them closer to a luxury tax. Sure, they can't play in the postseason, but the Kings aren't worried about that right now.
Right now, the Kings have two guys on these contracts, Jonathan Mogbo and Adam Flagler. There has been a push to get Mogbo on a full NBA contract, but the Kings literally cannot afford that right now. After Zach LaVine and De'Andre Hunter are gone at the end of the season, the mood will change.
The Kings have one more two-way to work with
Sacramento is left with two decisions to make going into training camp. One of those decisions will be what to do with their last remaining main roster spot. The most likely outcome is one more veteran minimum contract going to a player like Victor Oladipo or Cam Payne.
The second decision is what to do with that final two-way spot. That's where training camp will come in. It will start in late September as the Kings prepare for their first preseason game against the Lakers on October 5. Who they invite to the camp will tell about their intentions for the position.
Sacramento's front office should look at another point guard. Even if they use their last main roster spots on another veteran PG, they still need another young gun locked and loaded. Sacramento has a great one in Darius Acuff Jr. That doesn't mean you can't start developing another backup now.
That's how the Kings get that talent development pipeline flowing properly. Find a promising point guard, get him honing his skills in the G League, and give him minutes on the main roster to help get up to NBA speed. Three years from now, they have a brilliant secondary behind Acuff.
Add us as a preferred source on Google