National Basketball Association

Sacramento Kings: Best Move They Did, Didn't Make

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The Sacramento Kings reshuffled their roster yet again this offseason searching for a successful combination. What was their best move this summer, and where did they fall short?

For teams mired in mediocrity, each season dawns anew balanced on a razor’s edge between optimism and cynicism.

Each offseason affords a chance for fortunes to change, and years of failure to transform into something better and new. As training camps open, teams are asking themselves whether this is the year things finally turn.

The Sacramento Kings are such a team, ready to shake off the shackles of subpar performance. With a half dozen new rotation pieces and a new coach, there is hope in Sacramento that a new offseason will result in a playoff berth.

What was their best move this offseason? And which move was left unmade?

May 10, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings head coach Dave Joerger smiles during a press conference at the Sacramento Kings XC (Experience Center). Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Best Move: Hiring Dave Joerger

By the All-Star break last season, it was clear that George Karl and the Sacramento Kings needed to part ways. When the trigger was officially pulled at season’s end, the league’s active wins leader had guided the Kings to only 44 wins over 112 games, a .390 win percentage.

The Kings are currently riding a 10-game streak of missing the playoffs, a stretch where they cleared last season’s 33 wins only once. Joerger marks the ninth coach over that span to sit on their bench, the most of any other NBA team. The question has to be asked whether he is simply the latest to ride the Sacramento carnival ride.

Sacramento was faced with a decision this offseason, a fork in the road. Did they hang onto their All-NBA center DeMarcus Cousins and seek another coach who could reach him (the last and only NBA coach who has done so, Michael Malone, was fired 24 games into the 2014-15 season)? Or was it finally time to cut ties with Cousins and start afresh with the rich return he would bring?

Trading Cousins would have meant starting completely over, again, and hoping to strike gold with a draft pick as they did with Cousins. He is the league’s best offensive center, able to score all over the court and absolutely dominate inside. Defensive metrics show his positive impact as a rim protector despite the occasional gaffe, and he gobbles up rebounds like few others.

Other teams around the league have shown the risk in trading a star for picks and young players and hoping to snare another one. Minnesota is currently a team on the rise after trading Kevin Love, but that is after nine seasons of missing the playoffs in the wake of trading Kevin Garnett.

Stars stand out because they are unique – the league is filled with athletic marvels, but only a handful can be considered stars. Giving one up means rolling the dice that you will be able to find a replacement. Orlando has yet to find one since trading Dwight Howard, finding a handful of good-not-great players to fill their rotation in the draft and free agency.

By not trading Cousins, the Kings are taking one last shot at getting through to him, at finding the combination of coach and roster to put together a winning season. Dave Joerger displayed basketball savvy, the ability to manage personalities, and a deep emotional connection to his players in Memphis. Those same traits will serve him well in Sacramento.

There is no book on whether Joerger will be the kind of coach who can make a bad team good. He took a good team in Memphis and stayed the course, competing with the Warriors in the playoffs during their first record-breaking season. Can he build success from a toxic culture? Can he reach DeMarcus Cousins and get the troubled star to buy in?

He deserves the chance to answer those questions, and Sacramento wisely is giving him that opportunity. If he doesn’t see success, they can always fire him later. They have no qualms about that move.

Apr 1, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Darren Collison (7) dribbles against the Miami Heat in the fourth quarter at Sleep Train Arena. Miami won 112-106. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports

Best Move They Didn’t Make: Securing the Point Guard Position

Last offseason the Sacramento Kings faced a similar problem to this summer. Darren Collison was not enough to be the team’s starting point guard, and therefore, they addressed the problem by bringing in Rajon Rondo on a one-year contract.

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Rondo wasn’t the same player as during his Boston heyday, but he put up numbers for the Kings. He then flipped those on-court numbers into contract numbers, signing with the Chicago Bulls. The Kings found themselves in the same position this offseason as last, but this time around they did little to solve the problem.

Their first move was to rescind the qualifying offer on last year’s third point guard, brother-to-greatness Seth Curry. The combo guard showed flashes on both ends of the court last season, and his effort and shooting would have been valuable in Sacramento’s backcourt. Instead they allowed him to freely walk out and sign with the Dallas Mavericks.

Their moves to replace Rondo and Curry were tepid and low-ceilinged. Garrett Temple is a journeyman 2-guard who signed a contract as if the Kings want him to run the point. His ballhandling skills are below average for a guard, and his shooting is inconsistent In short, Temple is a fifth guard being cast as the top backup guard and potentially the starter if Collison misses time.

Collision could miss time after pleading guilty to domestic violence charges — from the NBA if not the U.S. legal system. While an exact suspension is unclear, the Kings should expect Collison to be unavailable for a significant portion of the season. Their shaky point guard situation thus will be even more tremulous.

The Kings’ “high upside” play was signing Ty Lawson, this year’s version of signing Rajon Rondo last summer. Lawson has completely fallen apart since multiple DUIs in Denver. He bounced from Houston to Indiana last season, unable to contribute at a high level. Theoretically he could regain his 2014 form, but that’s a slim chance for the Kings to lean on.

Collison, Temple, Lawson and late second-round rookie Isaiah Cousins form a point guard rotation with the illusion of depth. But four nickels do not make a dollar, and that’s what Sacramento is relying on this year. With high hopes and a deep frontcourt rotation, the players running the point for the Kings may derail their playoff season before it begins.

In a conference surrounded by elite point guard play, the Kings have neglected to put resources where it matters. Every year the Kings hope for greener pastures, and every year they handicap themselves before it begins. Barring the unexpected, Sacramento is heading for another mediocre season after yet another mediocre offseason.

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