Contrarian Corner: Why Dylan Cardwell Might Be the Kings’ Second Most Important Player

I’ve always been a big Dylan Cardwell guy. Going back to last preseason and Summer League, this dude popped. Then the regular season hit, and everything lined up in his favor: the inevitable Domantas Sabonis injuries, the almost immediate and obvious reality that Drew Eubanks was washed, and the contrast with fellow rookie center standout Maxime Raynaud.

Both rookies got plenty of run last year. Cardwell earned so much of it, in fact, that the team upgraded his two-way deal into a four-year, $8,283,516 contract that already looks like a massive value play.

Let’s talk numbers. Across 44 games with the main club, Cardwell averaged 5.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and 0.7 steals in just 20 minutes a night. Stretch that out to per-36, and you get 9.4 points, 13.2 rebounds, 2.7 blocks, and 1.2 steals. Offensively, those numbers aren’t exactly eye-popping. But defensively? He’s flashed as a prototype rebounder and rim protector, with a real willingness to switch out and guard on the perimeter.

The Contrarian Take Setup

Now, this isn’t a Max Raynaud article, but I have to mention him. We all know what Max can do offensively. He’s developed a go-to floater in the mid-post, a jumper that’s starting to stretch to the three-point line, and he’s a solid rebounder. But the dude is slow of foot, to put it lightly. For what it’s worth, I think he can grow into a passable defender. He’s got a massive basketball IQ, he’s vocal on that end, and he’s still adjusting to the speed of the NBA.

I bring up Max because most fans will immediately think of him when they hear my Contrarian Corner take: Dylan Cardwell is the second most important player on the Kings roster today.

But Max isn’t the biggest hurdle to that argument. Setting aside the obvious center competition, and not even counting the two-time All-NBA big man still arguably in his prime in Sabonis, the player most people will point to, and objectively should, is Keegan Murray.

Keegan is one of the few remaining remnants of the Beam Team era. His rookie year saw him drain the most three-pointers by a rookie in NBA history (at the time), and he’s since blossomed into a very good all-around defender. That growth, though, has seemingly come at the cost of his outside shot, which has dipped each of the last three seasons.

Stats aside, the Kings made a massive bet on Keegan, inking him to a five-year, $140 million extension last year that officially kicks in this season. At just 26, he should be entering his prime. He’s shown he can knock down shots at a consistent clip, and he keeps improving defensively, especially as a playmaker. 

I know, I know. It sounds like I’m building the case against myself. But here’s where I lock into prime contrarian form and go to bat for my guy Dylan.

Six Reasons Cardwell Stands Out

Six reasons are particularly clear as to why Cardwell is so important to this team’s future, making him the second most important King of tomorrow behind Darius Acuff Jr.:

1. Cultural fit and relevance
2. Passion and fan engagement
3. Defense
4. Offensive role and balance
5. Contract value vs. the center market
6. The offensive rebounding premium

Let’s get into it.

1. Culture and Relevance

This Kings team doesn’t have much of a culture to speak of, and they’re leaning heavily on rookie Darius Acuff Jr. to help establish a new standard. There’s some carryover with the new leadership in coach Doug Christie and GM Scott Perry, who preaches six pillars for building a sustainable, long-term winner: competitive, tough, team-oriented, accountable, disciplined, and professional.

On paper, those pillars sound dope. In reality, there aren’t a whole lot of guys on this roster with track records that reflect them. Veterans like Domas and Zach LaVine have infamously been eyeing the exit from Sactown, so this season feels like a weigh station. A purgatory. The Silent Realm from Zelda: Skyward Sword. Pick your metaphor. Domas was once a great example of many of those tenets, but given all the public discourse and behind-the-scenes posturing, only a few guys truly fit the bill.

Enter Dylan Cardwell. Early in his lone season, alongside fellow rookies Max Raynaud and Nique Clifford, plus Kings newcomer Precious Achiuwa, he helped form “The Beam Boys.” After the team’s 15 wins at Golden 1, they started a new tradition of holding court after each home victory: sunglasses on, energy up, beam lit.

That leadership carried into Summer League, where Cardwell called his team “soft” and said they got “punked” while talking to reporters. The guy known for high vibes and positive energy showed another side of himself: severity and accountability. “We’re trying to build something for next year,” Cardwell said after that game. That’s the kind of standard-setting this team needs.

2. Passion and Fan Engagement

Passion is the one thing even NBA casuals would know Cardwell for, if they knew him at all. I’ve never seen a player celebrate as loudly, consistently, creatively, and often as Dylan. It has this vibrant, electric effect on the crowd.

Even when the Kings are down double digits, you can count on Dylan to give it everything. After a simple defensive stop, you might catch a voracious roar, both hands to the ceiling, and, in some cases, Spider-Man webs that go viral on TikTok and ESPN. It might sound small to some, and annoying to others, but for most Kings fans, it’s endearing and uplifting in a way we really need in these dark times.

3. Defense

I covered the numbers at a high level, so let’s briefly dig deeper. When Cardwell was on the floor, the Kings’ defensive rating notably improved, dropping by about 5.6 points to 115.9. He’s shown mobility, switching out onto perimeter players, but he’s most valuable as a high-contest-rate defender and effective rim protector, posting 1.5 blocks in just 20 minutes a night.

4. Offensive Role and Balance

Here’s what really has me hopeful about a bigger role this season: his fit within the current roster. This team is full of guys looking to jack up shots.

Think LaVine, Sabonis, and De’Andre Hunter. All veterans, two on expiring contracts, looking to showcase their talents for new deals, or in Domas’s case, for his next destination. Outside of those three, you’ve got up-and-comers from Dylan’s class like Nique and Max trying to cement their roles, Malik Monk (a former Sixth Man of the Year contender), Keegan Murray needing to justify his big new deal, and rookie Darius Acuff. None of these guys are exactly known for deferring, save Nique, who honestly should be looking for his shot more (a story for another time).

Dylan, though, is a rim-runner archetype. For the most part, he’s looking for lobs, put-backs, and the occasional post touch. We’d love to see that touch around the rim improve, and there’s plenty of room to grow there. But regardless, he’s perfectly content as the fifth option in nearly any lineup.

He loves being the glue guy, the muscle, the enforcer. He takes pride in rebounds and deflections. That mindset is essential on a roster full of chuckers and guys hunting their own shots. He also flashed an intriguing pick-and-roll game with Acuff in Summer League. He can set impactful screens and cash in on great playmaking. That connection could be big.

5. Contract Value vs. the Center Market

Here’s where the value really pops. The center position is at a premium right now, thanks to the league leaning into double-big lineups. As bigs become more versatile, guys like Dylan get the chance to play alongside floor-stretching bigs, as long as one or both can hold up defensively.

Look at what centers got paid this past offseason. Mitchell Robinson landed a three-year, $47.4 million deal. Mark Williams got three years, $38 million. Sandro Mamukelashvili signed for four years, $52 million. Heck, Jock Landale got one year, $14 million.

I point out these comps to show what a borderline starter, and in some cases a straight-up backup like Sandro or Landale, is making these days. Now compare that to Cardwell’s four-year, $8,283,516 deal. Mitch alone is making more than seven times what Dylan is.

Point being: at absolute worst, Cardwell nets out as a solid backup center. He’s on a massive value contract. A Hinkie special, as many still call it. Personally, I think he has a real shot at being our center of the future, and at worst, a valuable backup and impact defender for many years to come.

6. The Offensive Rebounding Premium

One other crucial component of the analysis: Dylan can flat-out crash the offensive glass. This has become an en vogue talent as the league leans double-big. So much has been made of Houston’s success with Steven Adams on the floor and the impact Mitchell Robinson had on the Knicks, with Mitch’s offensive rebounding being one of the league’s best.

Well, Cardwell ranked 8th overall in offensive rebounding among players who appeared in at least 20 games, despite logging fewer minutes than everyone above him except Mitch Robinson, who finished 3rd. Dude is a beast. That production, at a fraction of the price, is exactly why this contract is such a steal.

The Long-Term Bet

I’m not saying this season, or even next. But long term, Cardwell complements the next great Kings team.

Yes, the guy has only played 44 games. But this is all about projecting forward, being bold, and finding optimism in a roster that’s clearly in flux, skewing toward aging vets and unproven youngsters. Give him a little more polish around the rim, more NBA reps, better foul discipline, and imagine a world where he plays 26 minutes a night.

In that world, we could very well be talking about a guy who averages double-figure boards, ranks among the league leaders in blocks, and makes up for others’ defensive shortcomings while fitting seamlessly next to hungry offensive talent.

What say you, Kings fans?

Sincerely,
Contrarian Corner