30Q: Who are the top 40 Sacramento Kings of all time?

This season marks 40 years for the Kings in Sacramento.  The Drive Guys, Kevin “Whitey” Gleason and Kyle Draper decided to put together a panel of voters to vote on the Top 40 Sacramento Kings of all time.  I was one of the panel voters so I thought I’d share the final list and then my ballot with some thoughts.

First off, here’s some links to the final Top 40 as voted by the overall Panel:

40-31

30-21

20-11

10-1

On to my ballot:

40. Duane Causwell

I considered a few guys here, including Beno Udrih, John Salmons, Olden Polynice, Danny Ainge, and Otis Thorpe, but in the end I went with Causwell for his longevity and the fact that he’s still the team’s leader in blocks and 11th in Games Played and Offensive Rebounds.

39. Antoine Carr

Carr only played a year and a half for the Kings but was one of Sacramento’s best players during that time, averaging 20.1 points and 5.5 rebounds in his only full season.  He ended up getting traded after that season for Dwayne Schintzius and a 2nd round pick.

38. Kenny Smith

Many remember Kenny Smith for who he wasn’t, Kevin Johnson, as the Kings picked Smith one pick before the homegrown Johnson in the 1987 NBA Draft.  Smith ended up finishing 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting and in his second season with the Kings averaged 17.3 points, 7.7 assists and 1.3 steals.  The Kings traded him midway through his 3rd season to Atlanta as part of a deal for the aforementioned Antoine Carr after the draft pick of Pervis Ellison failed to shore up Sacramento’s front line.

37. Tyrese Haliburton

Haliburton didn’t make the Drive Guys’ Top 40 and I get why since he only played in Sacramento for a year and a half.  But he’s easily one of the best draft picks the Kings have ever made, and not only was he very fun to watch on the court, he was fun off the court and truly embraced the city while he was here. His talent level also allowed the Kings to acquire Domantas Sabonis.  Haliburton is now thriving as a star in Indiana, but I’ll always remember his time in Sacramento fondly.

36. Hedo Turkoglu

The young gun on the Glory-era Kings teams, Hedo had some big games in the playoffs for the Kings in his first three seasons.  He was eventually traded as part of a sign and trade for Brad Miller, so helped a lot on his way out as well.  Turkoglu would go on to become a key piece to another contender in the Orlando Magic.

35. Keegan Murray

Murray has a chance to shoot way up this list and I wouldn’t be upset if you thought he should be higher already.  Murray set the NBA rookie record for three pointers made in his rookie season, and in his second season increased his scoring average to 15.2 points a game while also becoming one of the team’s primary defenders.  He scored a career-high 47 points in a game against the Jazz, setting the NBA record for most consecutive three pointers made at 11 and going 12-15 overall from distance.  The “Keegan… MURRAY” chant should add a few point to his resumé as well.

34. Walt Williams

The Wizard, with his high socks and silky smooth jumper was an instant impact player for the Kings from Day One, averaging 17 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.1 steals in his rookie season.  Williams would play 3 and a half seasons for the Kings but eventually got traded as part of a move the brought Billy Owens (the player who never wanted to play in Sacramento and so was traded to Golden State for Mitch Richmond).

33. Brian Grant

Grant was another Kings draft pick that came in and made an immediate impact, finishing 5th in Rookie of the Year voting after averaging 13.2 points and 7.5 rebounds while helping the Kings to their best record in a long while at 39-43, narrowly missing out on the playoffs. Grant helped the team finally break through that barrier in his next season as the Kings again won 39 games and this time finished as the 8th seed, losing to the top seeded Seattle Supersonics 3-1.  A knee injury derailed Grant’s third season with the Kings and he ended up signing with Portland in free agency.

32. Isaiah Thomas

Mr. Irrelevant, the last pick in the 2011 NBA draft, came in and almost immediately proved he was better than the guy the Kings had just taken in the lottery.  By his third season, Thomas was averaging 20.3 points and 6.3 assists, and Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro refused to match a free agent offer from the Phoenix Suns to keep him.  Thomas would go on to have MVP caliber seasons for the Boston Celtics before injuries derailed his career and robbed him of his speed.  Thomas deserves extra praise for advocating for the Kings to stay in Sacramento by showing up to City council meetings during the relocation era, despite being a Seattle-area native himself.

31. LaSalle Thompson

Tank Thompson was one of the few Kings on this list who had come with the franchise from Kansas City, and was the starting center for the Kings team that first played in Sacramento and made the playoffs in that first season back in 1986. Thompson played 3 and a half seasons in Sacramento and was eventually traded for Wayman Tisdale, who would become Sacramento’s next star.

30. Bonzi Wells

Bonzi is probably the biggest “one-hit wonder” in Sacramento-era history but boy was that one hit pretty damn fun.  Wells, along with Ron Artest, helped carry the Kings into the 2006 NBA Playoffs and in those playoffs gave the #1 seed San Antonio Spurs a fright.  Wells averaged a team-high 23.2 points and 12 rebounds during that series, shooting 60.9% from the field and 62.5% from three.  His agent also saved the Kings from themselves as he turned down a big contract offer to seek more money that never came.  Wells only ended up playing two more NBA seasons after that.

29. Spud Webb

At 5’6, Webb shouldn’t have been as good as he was, but for four seasons in Sacramento he was one of the Kings’ best players.  Webb was also famously the one who greeted Mitch Richmond to Sacramento with “Welcome to Hell”.  Webb may have not enjoyed his time with the Kings, who were one of the worst teams in the league during his stay, but he did have his best seasons in a Kings uniform.

28. Francisco Garcia

Cisco was ravaged by injuries during his tenure with the Kings but still managed to be an effective player when healthy.  More importantly he provided veteran leadership as a mentor for the young guys on the team.  Players like Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins often remarked that Francisco Garcia was their favorite teammate, and Evans even wore #32 in Garcia’s honor during his second stint with the Kings.  Garcia played 7 and a half seasons for Sacramento, unfortunately during some of our worst years, but he was the consummate professional the entire time.

27. Jason Thompson

The team’s franchise leader in Games Played, Jason Thompson was a surprise pick by the Kings in the 2008 NBA Draft. In fact, the Sactown Royalty draft thread of his selection was how I found the site since the reaction of the readers to the pick was aggregated to other sports sites.  Thompson never became the building block in the frontcourt that the Kings hoped he would be but he was also reliable, consistent and durable.  You knew what you were getting from Jason Thompson night in and night out.

26. Bogdan Bogdanovic

The Serbian dynamo who Vlade Divac acquired with a trade back in the 2016 NBA draft came in and made a name for himself as one of the most clutch Kings of all time.  Bogi only played three seasons for the Kings but during that time was probably Sacramento’s 2nd or 3rd best player, and the guy the Kings most reliably went to in the clutch.  The Kings had a glut of guards though and new Kings GM Monte McNair didn’t want to commit a large salary to retain him when Buddy Hield was already making a lot of money, so he went to Atlanta, where he’s been one of the league’s best 6th men since.

25. Scott Pollard

A fan favorite during his time in Sacramento, known for his flamboyant personality and hairstyles, Pollard was the hustle guy who did a little bit of everything.  He’d rim run, grab rebounds, stand toe to toe with Shaq, and have a ton of fun doing it.  His energy on both ends of the floor was a big part of the “Bench Mob”, and he could reliably fill in for either Vlade or Chris Webber depending on the need of the team.

24. Malik Monk

Malik Monk is already a top-25 King of all time despite only being here for two seasons.  Easily the second best free agent acquisitions the Kings have ever made (behind only Vlade Divac), Monk has thrived in Sacramento where he has been reunited with De’Aaron Fox.  Monk isn’t just a scorer but also a playmaker and electrifying athlete.  In the Kings first playoff series in almost 16 years, Monk averaged 19 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists against the defending champs. He should have become the second King to win the 6th Man of the Year award last season had injuries not ended his season early.  Many Kings fans (myself included), thought he’d be gone in free agency, but instead he re-signed for four years without even really testing free agency.  Monk’s one of my favorite players, and I think he’ll be much higher up on this list when all is said and done.

23. Eddie Johnson

Johnson was another player who came with the Kings from Kansas City and one of the best sixth men in Kings history.  Johnson averaged 18.7 points a game in both of his two seasons in Sacramento, primarily coming off the bench.  He actually led the team in scoring in that debut season in Sacramento despite being a 6th man. And talk about consistent, not only did he average exactly 18.7 points in both season, he also averaged exactly 18.7 points in the playoff series against Houston.

22. Lionel Simmons

Oh what could have been. The L-Train was a bright light as a rookie, averaging 18 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists in his rookie season, finishing 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting to Derrick Coleman.  Simmons would remain one of the Kings best players over his first four seasons before injuries killed his career.  His last three seasons post-injury saw his averages dip drastically, averaging just 4.7 points those last three years.  Simmons only ever played for the Sacramento Kings before retiring from basketball.

21. Corliss Williamson

The Big Nasty had multiple stints with the Kings, first being drafted by the team and helping them get to the playoffs three times in his first six seasons and then eventually coming back in the deal that saw Chris Webber head out, where he served as a veteran leader and bench piece.  Corliss eventually became an assistant with the Kings as well, just like the person he was originally traded for, Doug Christie.

20. Rudy Gay

Rudy Gay had a bit of a reputation as an inefficient chucker when the Kings traded for him back in 2014, but he instantly became one of Sacramento’s best players.  In his three full seasons with the Kings, Gay averaged 19 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists, finally giving the Kings a reliable Small Forward and another option next to DeMarcus Cousins.

19. Buddy Hield

Buddy Hield’s reputation with Kings fans isn’t the best, mainly for his seeming disdain for the franchise since he left or his bad habits on the court during his final year or two with the team, but he’s undoubtedly one of the greatest shooters the Kings franchise has ever seen.  Buddy broke Peja Stojakovic’s franchise record for three pointers made and is 8th all time in points scored.

18. Harrison Barnes

The Black Falcon was another reliable player during his tenure in Sacramento. Much like Rudy Gay, Barnes’ reputation wasn’t the best when he came to Sacramento but he was able to rehabilitate it here and became a very efficient scorer and defender, playing first the three and later the four at times.  Barnes helped the team break the playoff drought despite facing trade rumors almost every summer.  He finished his Kings career at 9th in total points scored, 14th in total rebounds, 8th in Free Throws Made, 6th in 3 Pointers Made and 12th in Games Played.

17. Tyreke Evans

Tyreke Evans’ Rookie Year was one for the ages, averaging 20.1 points, 5.8 assists and 5.3 rebounds to go with 1.5 steals a game.  After looking for so long it truly seemed like the Kings had found their star of the future.  Alas it wasn’t meant to be, as Tyreke’s rookie year ended up being his best one overall.  Still, his first four years in Sacramento saw him average 17.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists, and he even came back for a later 14 game stint in 2017.

16. Ron Artest

The Kings have a history of trading for Small Forwards with a bad reputation, but Artest might have had the worst reputation of all.  A year after being suspended for an entire season due to the “Malice at the Palace”, Artest was traded to the Kings in a deal for Peja Stojakovic.  At the time the Kings traded for Artest, they were just 18-25, but Artest promised once he got here that the Kings would make the playoffs.  He lived up to that promise, and the Kings finished the season on a 26-13 tear to make the 8th seed with Artest being a two-way force.  Artest would go on to play two more seasons with the Kings, but none as successful as that first one as the Kings old guard was traded away.

15. Kevin Martin

Martin had the unenviable task of trying to carry the Kings franchise after the glory years. He made a bit of a name for himself in his sophomore season by hitting a wild game winning layup over Tim Duncan in the playoffs, but it was his third season that saw him truly become a star as he increased his scoring average from 10.8 to 20.2.  Over the next few seasons, Martin was one of the most efficient scorers in the entire league, and thanks in part to his funky from the hip shooting technique was able to get defenders to bite on his jump shot so much that he lived at the free throw line. Injuries hampered his time in Sacramento as well, and by the time the Kings had drafted Tyreke Evans he had enough of the losing and wanted out. I still would have liked to see how those two could have coexisted but it wasn’t meant to be.

14. Bobby Jackson

The best bench player in Kings history, Bobby Jackson was the spark that would come in and take over games when the Kings needed something extra.  Jackson was a dynamic scorer and defender, and won 6th Man of the Year in the 2002-03 season, becoming the only Sacramento King to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated by himself.  Bobby even got to end his career in Sacramento, still giving it his all at age 35 for a hapless team, playing through various injuries.  Eventually Bobby became an assistant coach for the Kings and even head coach of the Stockton Kings before heading to Philadelphia to become an Assistant over there.

13. Jason Williams

Williams doesn’t have the statistics of many others on this list, but he was the spirit behind the Kings when they were named the “Greatest Show on Court”.  Williams was must watch TV every night, and I bet he’s probably the most sold Kings jersey of all time.  It’s still popular to this day, 25 years later.  Williams’ flashiness was what turned me from a fan into a fanatic and probably the same for thousands of Kings fans.

12. Brad Miller

The Kings have a history of skilled playmaking centers and Brad Miller was no exception.  Brought in to help the Kings deal with Chris Webber’s injury and as the eventual successor to the aging Vlade Divac, Miller fit in from day one.  An All-Star in his first season with the Kings, Miller’s passing and soft touch kept the Kings going.  Miller enjoyed his time in Sacramento so much that he still lives here and is often seen at games rooting his former team on.

11. Doug Christie

The best defender in Kings history, Christie’s addition is what helped transform the Kings from pretender to contender.  The Kings were known for their flashy offensive game, but Christie brought perimeter defense while holding his own on offense as well, both as a playmaker and scorer.  Christie came back to Sacramento after his career ended to become a color commentator, but eventually graduated to assistant coach with the franchise where he remains this day.

10. Reggie Theus

The first star for the Sacramento Kings, Theus was an All-Star Caliber guard who could do it all.  He was the Kings leader in those early days, and helped lead the Kings to their first playoff series in 1985-86.  Rajon Rondo is the only Kings player who has managed to average more assists per game than Theus did all the way back in that first season (9.6). Despite only playing 234 games in Sacramento, Theus is still 5th in All-Time assists for the franchise. He was traded to Atlanta after his third season in Sacramento for the pick that would become Ricky Berry.

9. Wayman Tisdale

Master of the “Tizzy Flip”, Tisdale was the bridge between the old era and the Mitch Richmond era.  He was a score first big man and ranks 7th all time in point scored for the franchise and 8th in total rebounds as well.  He also loved smooth jazz and even recorded his own album.

8. Mike Bibby

The best Sacramento King to never make the All-Star team, Bibby nearly helped the Kings win a championship in his first season with the team, hitting the biggest shot in franchise history to win Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals and put the Kings one game away from the NBA finals.  Of course, the Kings would never get that close again, but Bibby only got better.  By his fifth season with the team, he was leading the team in scoring.  Currently he’s 6th all time in points, 2nd in assists, 4th in 3PM and 4th in games played.

7. DeMarcus Cousins

Cousins talent should put him higher on this list and if you were making a list of the most talented Kings players ever, there’s an argument that Cousins should be top three.  For a time, Cousins was arguably the best center in the entire NBA.  He could score, he could pass, he could shoot, and he could defend.  He also unfortunately could foul, pout and fail to get back on defense.  The Kings during Cousins’ tenure were among the dregs of the NBA.  Much of that wasn’t Cousins’ fault, as the team was mismanaged on and off the court.  But Cousins often didn’t help matters, fighting with both teammates and his coaches.  It’s unfortunate that Cousins wasn’t able to enter the organization at a time when it was more stable, as his talent level was of a type rarely seen and with better leadership in place from the start, might have blossomed into something truly special.

6. Domantas Sabonis

Domantas Sabonis has only been in Sacramento for two and a half seasons but I already believe he’s a top-10 King of all time, even going so far as to put him at 6th.  The term “walking double-double” gets thrown around too often, but in Sabonis’ case it’s true.  In both his full seasons in Sacramento, he’s led the entire league in rebounding.  He’s also averaged 19 points a game and almost 8 assists a game.  Chris Webber, the #1 player on this list (spoiler alert), had 21 triple-doubles in his entire career. Last season alone, Sabonis had 26.  Sabonis is the engine that runs the Kings offense, the cog around which everything turns.

5. Vlade Divac

Vlade Divac was the glue guy for the Sacramento Kings franchise during the period when they came closest to winning a championship.  The greatest free agent signing in Kings history, Vlade paired with Chris Webber to become one of the best passing frontcourts of all time.   Divac was a center ahead of his time, with a soft outside touch and ballhandling/playmaking skills of a guard.  When you see a guy like Nikola Jokic nowadays, know that it started with guys like Divac.

4. Peja Stojakovic

The best shooter in Sacramento Kings history (I don’t care if Buddy has more makes, he played in a different era), Peja was another player ahead of his time, an outside sharpshooter in a time where the midrange game dominated.  His 2003-04 season saw him averaged 24.2 points while shooting a ridiculously efficient 43.3% from three.  Peja lived in an era where he never shot more than 6.8 threes a game, in today’s era he’d be shooting more like 10 a game.  But shooting wasn’t all Peja was good at. He was a multi-dimensional player, skilled at attacking the basket and making plays for others.  Had back injuries not slowed him down, he likely would have made several more All-Star teams.

3. De’Aaron Fox

De’Aaron Fox has a chance to become #1 on this list when all is said and done. A Sacramento King from Day one, Fox has become the franchise centerpiece.  His game continues to evolve; First known for his speed, he then became a mid-range menace and then started taking over games in the clutch.  His expanding arsenal includes and ever more reliable three point shot and he’s also stepped it up defensively in recent years.  He’s led the Kings in scoring for the last five seasons, and that doesn’t look like it’s going to change any time soon. He’s already 1st in the franchise for assists, 2nd in points, and 3rd in steals.  The only thing left for him is winning.  Fox has been to the playoffs just once, and while his debut was incredible (arguably the best player in a series featuring Steph Curry until he broke his finger), the Kings didn’t win, and the following season they failed to make the playoffs. If Fox can have consistent playoff success or even better, win a championship with the Kings, he’s #1 without hesitation.

2. Mitch Richmond

Mitch would probably be remarked upon as the greatest Sacramento King ever had the Kings ever managed to put a winning team around him.  Stuck on some of the worst teams in franchise history, Richmond still managed to excel.  One of the fiercest defenders in the league (Michael Jordan once called him his toughest defender), he was also one of the premier scorers.  The only Sacramento King to ever score more than 10,000 career points (until Fox catches him), it’s hard to begrudge Richmond for feeling his time here was wasted.  On any other team, he might have gone down as one of the best at his position ever and more national recognition, but in Sacramento, despite being named to six straight All-Star games, he was left to wallow in mediocrity.  The Kings only ever went to the playoffs once during his tenure, and might have given the Sonics a stiffer fight if Richmond hadn’t gone down with an ankle injury. Richmond deserved better, but he’s still always going to be remembered as one of the very best Sacramento Kings, and also the piece that ended up giving us the best Sacramento King:

1. Chris Webber

The best player on the best teams in the franchise history. Webber didn’t want to come here at first, but the city embraced him and he embraced the city back to put together some of the most beautiful basketball ever played.  Webber nearly led this team to a championship against some all time great opposition and probably would have gone down as one of the all time greats at his position had knee injuries not derailed his career.  Webber could do it all, and often times did.  In perhaps the best Power Forward era of all time, featuring greats like Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Karl Malone and Dirk Nowitzki, Webber could go toe to toe with any of them and come out on top.  When the time came for Webber to make a decision to come back to Sacramento or not, it was no decision at all.  Sacramento had become home for Webber, and his name and number will live on in the rafters as one of the best, if not the best, to ever play in the purple and black.

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The Drive Guys are giving fans the chance to vote for their own Top 40 so if you want to participate, just click here and submit your own ballot!