After signing Ben Simmons to a one-year contract, the Sacramento Kings still have a single main roster spot to fill and very little money to do it with. That means another veteran minimum contract, hopefully for a player capable of being a mentor to the Kings' rookie point guard this season.
Darius Acuff Jr. has the entire weight of a rebuilding NBA franchise on his shoulders this season. Sacramento has managed to mitigate that somewhat by signing Simmons, mainly as a backup to Acuff. Assuming Simmons stays healthy and his head is in the game, that should work out well.
Unfortunately, Simmons is not the best choice to be a mentor for the rookie. He will be focused on his game, getting back to NBA speed, and likely continuing to work through a certain amount of back issues. Those kinds of injuries just don't go away and are something Simmons will deal with forever.
Sure, Acuff will learn about the game by simply being around Simmons, even if he isn't actively mentoring the kid. That doesn't mean that Acuff still doesn't need someone focused on guiding him. That's why the Kings need to use that last roster spot on a player like Cam Payne.
Sacramento needs at least one more point guard on the roster
As it stands right now, the Kings have enough payroll to sign one more veteran minimum contract before crossing the line into the luxury tax. It helps that the league will subsidize a percentage of that contract. Signing Victor Oladipo would have been nice, but that may not happen now.
The Simmons signing means Sacramento should still be looking for someone to mentor Acuff. That could be Oladipo to an extent, but he's not a true point guard. That being said, he could do a lot for the rookie's defense. At his peak, Oladipo was one of the most respected defenders in the game.
If the Kings are looking for a dedicated point guard to mentor Acuff and put in the rotation, Payne remains the best choice out there that they can afford. He's a solid, well-rounded player who knows how to play off the bench. Plus, he can help turn Acuff's raw talent into mature professionalism.
Really, it depends on what the Kings are hoping to get out of this situation. Both Oladipo and Payne could help Acuff realize his potential and would be overall good for the locker room. Really, all that matters is that they sign one of them and don't overburden their rookie point guard.
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