For this week’s Monday post, I thought I’d do a something a little different. There’s not really much interesting going on in terms of the actual basketball being played as of this moment, so I thought I’d take a look at the five current players who will likely have the biggest impact on the Sacramento Kings going forward.
5. Nique Clifford
This year’s first round pick has had an up-and-down rookie season. His last two games are the perfect example; Against the Nets, he scored 17 points to go with 7 rebounds and 2 assists in 37 minutes. Against the Hawks the night before, he scored just 3 points on 1 of 11 shooting. Nique’s definitely being asked to do a lot more than he is probably capable of, which hopefully will pay off in the future when he gets a more steady role. While his statistics aren’t eye-popping, I do think he has a lot of capabilities on both ends of the floor that just need polishing and in time he could be a very valuable roleplayer. A lot will depend on his development and his jump shot (which needs to be a lot more consistent), but I could see him being a solid player in the league for a while.
4. Zach LaVine
Zach LaVine makes this list solely because of the potential that his contract holds. When this season ends, LaVine will essentially be on a massive expiring deal worth nearly $49 million. If the Kings were to try to make any big moves, they’d likely be trying to use LaVine’s contract to do so. They could also use it to take back some longer term money and maybe get some assets back in return. I do think teams will be wary of making such a big move for a one dimensional player like LaVine in the offseason, so we might not see any movement on this front until next year’s deadline when most of that contract’s been paid out. I also wouldn’t put it past this organization to re-sign or extend LaVine on a more manageable deal, although I think that would be a big mistake (hence why it probably will happen).
3. Maxime Raynaud
Easily the bright spot of this season, Maxime Raynaud has proven to be one of the league’s best rookies this season, averaging 12.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.5 blocks in 26.1 minutes per game. He leads all rookies in double-doubles and rebounds per game, and is 11th in the entire league in field goal percentage at 56.5%. He’s even been showcasing his shooting range a little bit more of late, making 8 of his last 15 three point attempts. Max still has a way to go defensively, and he’ll need to continue to get stronger, but he’s already shown major skill in going against even some of the NBA’s best; His career-high 32 points a couple of weeks ago came against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs. Kings fans might not look back on this season all too fondly, but it might have been the start of the next great Kings big man if he develops even further.
2. Domantas Sabonis
Sabonis’ future with the Kings is murky to say the least. This season was an absolute disaster for him, marred with injuries as he played just 19 total games before getting meniscus surgery on his knee. His long term fit with the team now that Maxime Raynaud (and to a lesser extent, Dylan Cardwell) has emerged as a real contributor is in doubt. The Kings have abandoned the offense that made Sabonis a focal point in his first couple years with the team, and his play has suffered on the court as a result when he has managed to play. But Sabonis is still under contract for two more years, and I think finding any trade will be difficult, especially with him coming off a knee surgery. If I had to guess, Sabonis will be on this team for at least the entirety of next year. Perhaps he can rehabilitate his value a bit and the Kings can move him on to greener pastures. When and how the Kings move on from Sabonis will likely have lasting ramifications for this team.
1. Keegan Murray
I still think Keegan Murray is the most important player for this team going forward, even after this rough year where he’s only managed to play 23 games and hasn’t looked particularly sharp when he has managed to play. Still, this is a league where wings matter, and Murray has shown that he can operate at an extremely high level in this league, particularly on the defensive end. His offense has also evolved, although his three point shot has regressed each consecutive year. Thanks to the extension he got last summer, Murray’s under contract with the Kings through 2031, so basically all the way through his prime. That new contract doesn’t even start until next season. For better or for worse, Murray is likely going to be a Sacramento King for a long time and will probably be one of their most important players throughout. Hopefully he can return to form next season.
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Upcoming Schedule:
- Wednesday, April 1st at Toronto Raptors
- Friday, April 3rd vs. New Orleans Pelicans
- Sunday, April 5th vs. L.A. Clippers
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