The Sacramento Kings Are In Desperate Need For A Change
After Wednesday’s loss, the Kings are now looking for answers
The Sacramento Kings struggled to recapture their playoff days for over a decade. In 2023, their hopes came alive as they punched a ticket to the NBA playoffs for the first time since 2006. Although they lost to the Golden State Warriors in the first round, the future looked bright.
However, things are foggy once again. On Wednesday, they lost to the Dallas Mavericks in a must-win Play-In game, eliminating them from playoff contention for a second straight year.
The Kings are missing an important piece
In a season filled with surprising trades, the Kings orchestrated their own.
On Feb. 3, they sent De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs in a three-team trade involving the Chicago Bulls. In return, the Kings received shooting guard Zach LaVine, three first-round picks, and three second-round picks.
Although they acquired an electrifying player in LaVine, losing Fox took a toll on the Kings. Along with winning just 15 of their last 33 games, the roster was off-balance.
After trading Fox, the Kings were left without their primary playmaker and had to rely on shooting guards Malik Monk and Keon Ellis to take over the point guard position. Due to this, they averaged only 25.8 assists to finish the season, placing them 20th in the league.
During Wednesday’s loss, the Kings recorded only 23 assists while Ellis had just one. In the postgame interview, center Domantas Sabonis discussed the urgency to acquire a floor general.
"The biggest thing is that we need a point guard,” Sabonis said.
The Kings are already preparing for the future
Just hours following Wednesday’s loss, the Kings began making changes in the front office.
General manager Monte McNair was fired after five years in Sacramento, allowing NBA executive Scott Perry to take his spot. The move could pay dividends, considering the history between Perry and the Kings.
On Apr. 21, 2017, the Kings hired Perry to become their vice president of basketball operations. Although he was only there for three months, he still understands how the Kings’ organization is operated.
The Kings’ season didn’t end as expected, leaving many fans uncertain about the future. However, it seems that the organization is ready to compete again and “light the beam”.
Cory Nelson is a contributor to The Lead. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson, Instagram @ckenzynelson, and Threads @ckenzynelson