The Olympics are in the rearview mirror and NBA teams are beginning to prepare for the season tip-off. For our next preview, we take a look at a Kings team looking make a climb back up the standings after crashing back to reality in 2023-24. In these previews, we will take a look at each team’s key acquisitions, fantasy stars, and predicted finish.
Key Acquisitions
The Kings pulled off a sign-and-trade which saw DeMar DeRozan land in the Californian capital for his 16th NBA season.
The 35-year-old is fresh off a year in which he averaged 24.0 ppg and 5.3 apg on 58.4 TS% whilst playing a league-high 37.8 mpg in 79 starts.
One of the league’s elite closers, DeRozan will add a unique element to Sacramento’s already high-powered offence with the six-time All-Star having averaged 20+ ppg and 4+ apg for each of the past seven seasons.
They also drafted Providence’s Devin Carter with the 13th pick in the draft however the 22-year-old is set to spend a chunk of the season sidelined after undergoing shoulder surgery over the summer.
Considered one of the draft’s best glue guys, Carter defends, rebounds, and scores at high level and is fresh off a junior year in which he averaged 19.7 ppg and 8.7 rpg as a 6-foot-2-inch point guard.
Fantasy Stars
Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox round out a star trio alongside DeRozan.
Sabonis is coming off a season in which he averaged 19.4 ppg, a league-leading 13.7 rpg, and 8.2 apg whilst starting all 82 games.
He joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only other player to put up those number for an entire season.
Fox meanwhile averaged 26.6 ppg and 5.6 apg on 56.7 TS%.
Projected Finish
The Kings won 46 games last year but fell short of the playoffs after being eliminated by New Orleans in the play-in.
Sacramento again managed to stay largely healthy throughout the season but were a clear tier below the conference’s contenders.
Inserting DeRozan into the starting five in place of Harrison Barnes improves the team even if the spacing and defence becomes a little wonkier.
With a trio of All-Star level talents coupled with valuable depth in the form of Malik Monk, Keegan Murray, and Kevin Huerter, Sacramento will hope to push for a postseason berth however odds are they fall in a similar spot to last year.
