Kings Conclude 2021-22 Season With Win, Head Into Another Offseason Full Of Uncertainty
Apr 10, 2022, 9:02 PM | Updated: Apr 13, 2022, 9:17 am
(Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
(Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
At long last, it’s over.
The Sacramento Kings have concluded their 2021-22 season following Sunday’s 116-109 win over the powerhouse (and shorthanded) Phoenix Suns.
With the win, the Kings secured its 30th win of the season to finish the year with a 30-52 record, placing them 12th in the Western Conference standings.
This season has ended, but you can make the argument that it was over long before Sunday’s finale, possibly even as early as before February’s All-Star break.
Even so, the team pushed forward and kept on playing basketball. What did we learn over the past two months of play?
For starters, Davion Mitchell’s rookie year narrative has completely shifted since the guard was inserted into the starting lineup on March 18th. Not did the 23-year-old looked like a starting-caliber NBA guard during the final month of play, he did so as the leader of this team while De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis sat out due to injury.
During Sunday’s season finale, the Baylor product racked up another double-double, posting 19 points to go along with an incredible 15 assists (only one turnover) over 39 minutes.
Mitchell has been a bright spot–quite possibly the only bright spot–for Sacramento during the closing stretch of the season as they capped off an NBA-record 16th-consecutive losing season without a postseason berth.
As we set our sights towards another offseason that is certain to be full of changes, a few points of emphasis will be addressed in the coming months:
The Coaching Search Is On
Sacramento parted with interim head coach Alvin Gentry on Monday morning. Shortly following the announcement of Gentry’s exit, it was reported that the front office will “commence a comprehensive search” for a new head coach.
A coaching search would be a breath of fresh air, seeing that the franchise hasn’t conducted one in nearly a decade. The franchise’s most-recent head coaches (George Karl, Dave Joerger, and Luke Walton) were hired without much of a search in each instance–if any.
It seems as if Sacramento will be doing things right this time and conducting several interviews as several names of potential targets and candidates have already been leaked.
Just this past weekend, coaches Mike Brown, Steve Clifford, Mike D’Antoni, and Terry Stotts’ names were mentioned in reports from our very own Carmichael Dave and NBA insider Marc Stein.
Finally, we will get to see a thorough coaching search. It is imperative that McNair leaves no stone unturned, as the past two coaching searches left a lot to be desired.
Do You Feel Lucky?
“Well, do ya?”
Once again, we will cross our fingers for some ping pong balls that will determine Sacramento’s fate in the NBA Draft Lottery on May 17th.
The Kings hold the seventh-best odds (7.5%) of jumping into the number-one spot and a 32% chance of jumping into the top-four. Here’s some good news: the last time that Sacramento held the seventh-best odds in the lottery (2018), the jumped into the number-two spot!
Bad news: we all know what happened next.
We’ll see where the cards lie on May 17th, as a top-four pick would do numbers for this struggling franchise that could use another stroke of good fortune.
Let Monte Work
It wouldn’t be the Sacramento Kings offseason if there wasn’t some gasoline tossed onto the burning flame of disappointment.
The Sacramento Bee‘s Jason Anderson released a story on Sunday morning that highlighted the ineptitude of the Sacramento Kings ownership–particularly that of majority owner Vivek Ranadive–that has taken place over the years.
It has long been rumored that Ranadive’s meddling with the basketball side of things has caused a variety of issues with the on-court product.
Coaching hirings and firings, selecting draft picks, hold up potential trades that ended up falling through or forcing ill advised deals through. Ranadive must step aside and let McNair do his job this summer if this team wants to slay the beast that is a 16-year playoff drought.
The jury is out for McNair after the second-year general manager traded away prized guard Tyrese Haliburton in return for two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis during February’s trade deadline.
Once again, we are looking at an offseason with massive implications for this franchise as a new head coach is needed and acquiring talent to surround stars Fox and Sabonis with is an absolute necessity.
No more distractions from ownership. Let the front office do its job.
Who’s In, Who’s Out?
When you look at the active roster, there aren’t many names that are guaranteed to be back in the purple and black next season.
De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis will 99.9% be back in Kings jerseys next year. As for the rest of the players on the roster, as we learned during the Haliburton-Sabonis deal, there are no guarantees.
Mitchell is a player that is undoubtedly valued by the organization, but you have to wonder if McNair would include the defensive standout guard in another blockbuster deal.
The conversations surrounding whether or not Mitchell, who has looked incredible in a ball-dominant role, can work in the same backcourt as fellow ball-demanding guard De’Aaron Fox will have to take place this summer.
The rookies offensive game has blossomed since he moved into the lead-guard role, but Sacramento will need to ensure that Mitchell can become a constant perimeter threat if paired with Fox longterm.
Harrison Barnes is another player that falls under this umbrella, as the veteran forward has one year ($18 million) remaining on his contract.
The soon-to-be 30-year-old has been a consummate professional on and off the court, providing the Kings with a reliable option at the small forward position that can knock down triples and defend both forward positions.
Is it possible that both players return next season? Absolutely.
That being said, changes are needed. Seeing that Sacramento has little-to-no cap space, any significant move might take one or both of those players included in a deal–this applies to Richaun Holmes, too, who McNair will likely look to relocate this summer.
How about Donte DiVincenzo? The Kings are definitely bringing him back next year, right?
According to James Ham of The Kings Beat, DiVincenzo’s camp is upset that the Kings haven’t been starting the 2020 NBA champion in an attempt to limit the guard’s value in restricted free agency.
Sacramento attempted to acquire DiVincenzo in 2020 during the failed Bogdan Bogdanovic sign-and-trade fiasco, and finally traded for the Villanova product during February’s three-team trade that sent Marvin Bagley III to the Detroit Pistons.
If the Kings want to retain DiVincenzo, it looks like they have some explaining to do once free agency negotiations begin on August 2nd.
As a restricted free agent, the 25-year-old can sign an offer-sheet with any team, but the Kings will have final say and a 48-hour window to match any offer that is signed.
Trey Lyles, another player that was included in the DiVincenzo trade, has been impressive during his time in Sacramento’s starting lineup.
The veteran forward has done a solid job of spacing the floor and pulling in rebounds, averaging 10.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while shooting 49-percent from the field and 37-percent from beyond the arc during his time in a Kings uniform (24 games).
McNair will have the choice to bring back the 26-year-old if he feels comfortable with the $2.6 million price tag on the team’s 2022-23 team option.
Another player with an uncertain future is that of center Damian Jones, who has looked strong in a starting role with Sabonis and Holmes both out of action.
Jones, 26, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and his expected to have plenty of interest on the open market.
Over the past nine games, the lengthy center has averaged 16.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting just under 70-percent from the field.
It’s possible that Sacramento looks to retain Jones, but to do so McNair would likely have to find a way to move Alex Len’s $4 million contract for 2022-23.
Jeremy Lamb and Josh Jackson will both enter unrestricted free agency this summer as well.
Here We Go
16 years is such a long time.
Think about what you were doing 16 years ago. It’s truly incredible. Personally, I was an 11-year-old child the last time that the Sacramento Kings made the postseason. So much has happened in my life over the past decade-plus, and I’m sure that the same goes for you, the reader.
Something has to give.
As stated earlier, the ineptitude, struggles, and disappointment that this franchise portrays starts at the very top. Ownership has hired a front office with plenty of basketball minds, experience and expertise.
Let Monte McNair and his front office do their jobs and have, by all definitions, a full offseason to work and check all of the boxes.
- Coaching search: hire a head coach that will be in it for the long haul. No more two-year scenarios. Get it right.
- Draft: McNair has nailed his two draft picks in Tyrese Haliburton and Davion Mitchell. Whether it be the seventh-pick or higher, can he do it again? Or will he package the pick in a move to acquire another star talent?
- Free agency: DiVincenzo’s free agency will be one to watch for. Otherwise, will Sacramento be able to bring in any other difference makers? Money is tight. Let’s see what McNair can do.
- Keep Fox and Sabonis happy: Those two players are your franchise, now. Sabonis has two years remaining on his deal, while Fox has four. The clock is ticking. If you want to retain Sabonis, the time is now to pitch him on remaining in Sacramento long term.
To me, the Kings are already in a better position come opening night this fall than they were last October.
Having De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis for an entire season, start to finish, will be a fun thing to watch next season–but more talent is needed for this growing duo. A lot more talent, at that.
It’s sad, but the offseason is arguably the most-interesting time-frame on the Sacramento Kings’ calendar.
Coaching search. Draft. Free agency. Summer League.
Bring it on. It’s time to ensure that the 16-year drought ends right here. If not, the cries for change at the helm of the franchise are going to grow louder and louder with each loss.
Upcoming Offseason Dates
- Tuesday, May 17th: NBA Draft Lottery – 5:00 pm PST
- Thursday, June 23rd: 2022 NBA Draft – 5:00 pm PST
- July TBD: California Classic @ Chase Center in San Francisco
- July 7-17th: NBA Las Vegas Summer League
- Tuesday, August 2nd: NBA Free Agency negotiations can begin – 3:00 pm PST
