Eight remaining NBA free agents Sacramento could consider signing

Aug 20, 2024, 10:25 PM | Updated: Aug 21, 2024, 11:43 am

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - JANUARY 19: Cedi Osman #16 of the San Antonio Spurs brings the ball up ...

Cedi Osman #16 of the San Antonio Spurs brings the ball up court against the Charlotte Hornets during their game at Spectrum Center on January 19, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)

(Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)

BY BRENDEN NUNES

Sactown Sports writer

At their current stage of construction, the Sacramento Kings have fourteen main roster spots filled, all three two-ways, and one training camp deal. Most offseason, whether free agency and/or trades, often occur towards the beginning of the offseason, when the Kings added DeMar DeRozan, Jordan McLaughlin, Jalen McDaniels, and Orlando Robinson. While the pickings may be slim, there are remaining NBA free agents that could fill those final voids.

Head coach Mike Brown often states that the center is essentially the only noninterchangeable position for the Kings. It’s more about making sure you can match up with the opposing squad. So, I broke things down into three positional groups: guards, wings/forwards, and centers.

Guards are players capable of bringing the ball up the floor and guarding the opposing team’s shorter, shifty initiator. Wings/forwards can play anything two through four. Centers are self-explanatory.

Here’s how Sacramento currently stacks up:

Guards: De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk, Keon Ellis, Jordan McLaughlin, Colby Jones, Mason Jones*

Wings/Forwards: DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray, Kevin Huerter, Devin Carter, Trey Lyles, Jalen McDaniels, Isaiah Crawford*, Isaac Jones*

Centers: Domantas Sabonis, Alex Len, Orlando Robinson

* = two-way deals

Boogie Ellis has also been given a training camp spot. Sources confirmed with Sactown Sports 1140 that it is an Exhibit 10 deal.

Some players will fit into multiple categories (such as Keon Ellis), but this is simply a guideline for the roster layout. I know it can look crazy, but there were moments last year where Keegan Murray was the second smallest player on the floor and others where Kevin Huerter was the second tallest.

Size is where the lack of parity becomes a bit more obvious. The only non-center players taller than 6’7 are Murray, Lyles, McDaniels, and I. Jones. The latter two are not expected to have notable roles in Sacramento next season. Their smaller roster made them winless in six battles (including the final play-in game) against the lengthy New Orleans Pelicans.

Therefore, we will examine two guard NBA free agents, two centers, and four wings/forwards, including the four players recently reported to be in Sacramento for workouts.

Guards

Isaiah Thomas: 5’9| 35 years old

The original Pizza Guy, drafted to the Kings with the final (60th) pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, has been trying to find a consistent NBA home since his stellar 2016-17 campaign with the Boston Celtics. With hip injuries plaguing his career since then and an already natural height disadvantage, he’s played 40 games in a season one time in the seven years since.

After starting last season on a Phoenix Suns roster desperate for point guard help, he logged just nineteen minutes in six games. It’s hard to know what Thomas could bring to Sacramento at this point, but there’s always unseen value in veteran leadership at the end of the bench.

Dennis Smith Jr: 6’2 | 26 years old

It’s a bit surprising that no team has swiped up Smith Jr. up to this point. He’s dealt with a slew of injuries throughout his career but reinvented himself a bit in Brooklyn last season. In an average of 18.9 minutes through 56 games, he tallied 6.6 points, 3.6 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.2 steals on 43.5 percent from the field and 29.4 percent from three on 1.9 per game.

While the percentages are far from ideal, his transformation in the last couple of seasons has come on the defensive end of the floor. Sacramento probably does not need another guard, but it could be worth considering.

Wings/Forwards

Lonnie Walker IV: 6’4 | 25 years old

One of the players reported to have recently been working out with the Kings; Walker, is an intriguing player. His 6’10 wingspan allows him to play larger than his listed height, and there have been flashes of intriguing scoring potential since he was a lottery pick in 2018. The issue is, they’ve been flashes the entire time — and bringing some form of consistency is the name of the game to stick in the NBA.

Like Smith Jr, he played with the Nets last season (which should be taken into account because they were playing anybody and everybody notable minutes) and performed decently. In 58 games, he averaged 17.4 minutes, 9.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists on 42.3 percent from the field and 38.4 percent from three on 4.7 attempts per game — pretty solid numbers following a season where he had a sporadic role on the Lakers, which three double-digit showings throughout their postseason run.

In the context of Sacramento, I’d imagine the questions with him revolve around the ability to make quick decisions in order to maintain their nearly constant flow of ball and player movement.

Doug McDermott: 6’6 | 32 years old

When Huerter was first traded to the Kings, he connected with Doug McDermott (they share an agent) about what it would be like to play alongside Sabonis. McDermott told him he would love the open looks created for him, and that’s exactly what happened. Their movement shooting capabilities are similar, making the parallels unmistakable.

this combo 😎@Dsabonis11 ➡️ @dougmcdermott @Intel #TrueView

📺: Watch the replay of our 2/12/20 game vs. the Bucks right now on @FSIndiana pic.twitter.com/SoTEpC4pIh

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) April 3, 2020

Between his time in San Antonio and Indiana last season, McDermott played 64 games and averaged 5.5 points, 1.1 assists, and 0.9 rebounds on 43.3 percent from the field. But, honestly, the only number that matters is that he still managed to convert identically to his career average of 41.0 percent from three on 299 attempts. He shot 15 twos.

Who needs defense, rebounds, assists, or twos? It’s all about long-range McBuckets.

Juan Toscano-Anderson: 6’6 | 31 years old

A known favorite of Coach Brown, Toscano-Anderson was also on the list of recent Kings workouts. Given his two ten-day contracts with Sacramento last season, he should be familiar with moving around the facility. During that stint, the defensive player got a chance to play the role often given to Kessler Edwards (now with Dallas), playing one to two defensive possessions per game.

There’s something to be said about being willing to do that, as some players would be agitated to destroy their per-game statistics. For what would be the final roster spot, as even a training camp invite with a chance to compete for one, having any sort of role could be beneficial.

Cedi Osman: 6’7 | 29 years old

From my perspective, Osman has long been one of the more confusing players in the NBA. Early in his career, he was in Cleveland with LeBron James and worked out alongside him and other stars in the offseason. James spoke highly of the wing’s feel for the game at the time.

Cedi Osman, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James (2018) pic.twitter.com/7Ig1SMbybe

— Clutch Time (@ClutchPage) June 18, 2022

Since then, he seemed to have a rise but leveled out around his fourth season in the league and has fallen into the background since. Last year with the Spurs, he averaged 6.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists on 47.9 percent from the field, 38.9 percent from three, and 67.3 percent from the free-throw line. Osman scored 15 or more in four of his 72 games played, but fewer than five on 26 occasions.

It can seem to be pieced together on one night, then confusingly all missing another. But, again, we’re talking about the end of a bench spot on the Kings here.

Centers

Tony Bradley: 6’10 | 26 years old

Bradley (who is also reportedly working out with the Kings) was a late first-round pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. After spending most of his first two seasons developing in the G-League, he began to show promise as the backup to Rudy Gobert in 2019-20, only to be ultimately traded the following offseason so the Jazz could expand their options among NBA free agents at the time. Since then, he’s yet to stick anywhere. After splitting a season between Philadelphia and Oklahoma City, he landed with the Bulls.

He’s most well-known in Chicago for being the guy Steven Adams lifted off his feet away from an altercation. But, maybe his former teammate DeRozan has fonder memories of what he could provide on the floor as a rim protector with a 7’5 wingspan.

Most recently, Bradley played just four games in the G-League with the Texas Legends last season.

Damian Jones: 6’11 | 29 years old

Jones played for Sacramento from 2020-22, when many people within the organization referred to him as the nicest person they’ve ever met. Should that matter when it comes to the final roster spot? I don’t know.

Regarding his on-the-court capabilities, there were flashes of rim protection and his ability to be a lob threat, but just flashes at nearly 30 are a big reason he played for three teams in the two years since—even if he was traded on both occasions. Noticing a theme yet?

Damian Jones threw it down and the Kings’ bench was LOVING it 🔥 pic.twitter.com/BlmZRcMxQC

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 25, 2021

His time in Sacramento came before Coach Brown, but they shared time in Golden State. He could be someone to give a chance to compete with Orlando Robinson for the third-string center spot, similarly to how they did in the past with Nerlens Noel and JaVale McGee.

Remember, when looking at the names of the remaining NBA free agents, it’s the 15th spot. The two additional training camp deals, which B. Ellis is already on, would compete to take some of the already locked-in spots.

Any incoming NBA free agents could overtake someone like McDaniels or Robinson, or it could simplify the transition of bringing them to their G-League system in Stockton.

When is the next Sacramento Kings offseason date of interest?

Now that we know when the Kings will suit up for their season-opener, we can look forward to October 24th, when the Beam Team will face the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Training camps will begin at the end of September, meaning general manager Monte McNair could still make a move or two — potentially including signing some of the above NBA free agents — to round out Sacramento before players report to Golden 1 Center.

Be sure to stay locked into Sactown Sports for all of your Sacramento Kings news on player signings, trades, game recaps, and more for the upcoming season.