The Sacramento Kings made a huge splash last year in the NBA, securing the 3rd seed in the west and turning a lot of heads with their dynamic offense and stellar play late in games. Domantas Sabonis and De’aaron Fox were the two players that consistently led the team to victories, both earning all-star appearances and finishing with All-NBA 3rd team honors.
Domantas Sabonis and De’aaron Fox, two players consistently leading their team to victories, both earned all-star appearances and finished with All-NBA 3rd team honors.
The additions of Kevin Huerter, Keegan Murray, and Malik Monk, made a much larger impact than anyone could have imagined, giving Sabonis and Fox the shooting and floor spacing they needed to perform at their best.
You also have to give huge kudos to the coach of the year award winner Mike Brown, who surrounded himself with a brilliant coaching staff and kept the young Kings team composed and focused all year long. Losing in the first round to the Warriors obviously left a sour taste in every fans mouth, because no one really knew just how much this team was capable of.But, when they took the Warriors to 7 games, it really did show that the Kings were capable of hanging around with almost any team in the west.
That being said, it was clear there was still work to be done in the off-season, and General Manager Monte Mcnair knew this. Monte did a brilliant job keeping the team together.
I’m sure overpaying for an above average wing to replace Harrison Barnes, like Kyle Kuzma or Jeremy Grant was tempting but signing Harrison Barnes to a 3 year, $54 million deal gave the Kings plenty of dinero to spend on other important team needs.
With that extra money, Sabonis landed a huge extension of 5 years, $217 million, keeping him under contract until 2028, a move that is huge for Sacramento.
Monte proceeded to draft Colby Jones at 34, a guard from Villinova, as well as trading for chris Duarte, the sharp shooter from the Indiana Pacers, both of who can help greatly on the defensive end for the kings and adds more fire power to their bench.
What I personally found to be the finest addition of the offseason was Sasha Vezenkov, who was the euroleague MVP last year who averaged 17 points and 6 rebounds for the Olympiacos in the 2022-2023 season. He is known for his quick and accurate jumpshot, and he looks like he will be the perfect fit for the kings fast tempo offense.
If you are a Kings fan, you have a lot to look forward to this season. The Kings were already a force to be reckoned with last year, and with these additions and the development of the young roster, the best days have yet to come.
