Where the Sacramento Kings roster stands one month from camp

This offseason has felt longer than usual after the Sacramento Kings’ first NBA Playoff appearances in 16 years.

For Kings fans, summer months usually bring feelings of hopeful optimism–or warranted negativity–as the once-blundering franchise would seek any form of a life raft for a future seemingly without direction.

This summer, Sacramento is one of the more intriguing teams in the league after winning 48 games and claiming a Pacific Division title for the first time in 20 years.

Hopeful optimism or warranted negativity has morphed into grown expectations as the Kings look to build off of its success in 2022-23, with some new faces–and several familiar friends–back in the fold for the upcoming season.

Look who's back in Sac 👀

According to @ShamsCharania, Skal Labissiere has signed a one-year, partially guaranteed deal with the Sacramento Kings.https://t.co/Xy453SGS6d

— Sactown Sports 1140 (@Sactown1140) August 21, 2023

While veteran players like Harrison Barnes, Alex Len, and Trey Lyles all re-signed with Sacramento during the early stages of free agency, another player with experience in the 916 inked a deal to return to the Kings on Monday.

According to The Sacramento Bee’s Jason Anderson, Skal Labissiere, the 28th pick from the 2016 NBA Draft, signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Sacramento that will allow the forward to join the team’s training camp and preseason roster.

An Exhibit 10 contract is a one-year minimum deal that allows NBA teams to retain the player’s rights for their G-League affiliate if they are waived following training camp.

The move to bring Labissiere in for camp and preseason puts Sacramento’s roster at 18 players–13 fully guaranteed contracts, two two-way contracts, and three non or partially-guaranteed contracts.

Per the new NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement, teams can carry up to 21 players on their training camp and preseason rosters before trimming down to 15 full roster spots on opening night (not counting the three two-way contracts that teams are permitted to carry).

As of August 22nd, the Kings have space for two full roster spots and one two-way contract, and there will be plenty of competition for those three spots.

Labissiere marks Sacramento general manager Monte McNair’s third non-guaranteed signing over the past month, with veteran shot-blocker Nerlens Noel and third-year big man Neemias Queta also inking deals for training camp.

While Alex Len was brought back on a one-year deal for depth behind All-NBA center Domantas Sabonis, the Kings lack a true rim protector on its roster, a factor that plagued a roster that finished 29th out of 30th in blocks per game in 2022-23.

Noel, a 29-year-old veteran that has dealt with injuries over the past two seasons (42 games played), will battle the young-but-raw Queta for a roster spot during camp in what is expected to be the largest question mark surrounding this current Kings team: the backup center position.

While we know that Noel and Queta will be dueling it out for a spot behind Sabonis and Labissiere will be working towards joining Sacramento’s G-League affiliate, there are still a few more training camp roster spots that need to be filled–and more importantly, some areas of need for this Kings team’s depth.

Point guard depth remains an issue for Sacramento, as there is still no third-string guard that can play behind rising star De’Aaron Fox and defensive juggernaut Davion Mitchell.

When healthy, the Fox-Mitchell combo is one of the better starter-bench guard combos in the NBA. Although Fox (73 games) and Mitchell (80 games) where on the floor for nearly the entirety of last season, the Kings could use another floor general to stash on its bench in case one of the two guards miss time due to injury.

With two full roster spots open, it’s possible that Sacramento will pick one of Noel or Queta in a rim-protector role before signing a guard to a contract as a third-string option behind Fox and Mitchell.

Sure, Malik Monk (3.9 assists per game in 2022-23) proved that he can set the table on the offensive end in a pinch, but Monk is at his best when he is on the attack and looking to score the basketball.

The Kings could use another true point guard, and there are still some names on the market that can add to this up-and-coming Western Conference contender’s depth.

One name that has been on the minds of the Sacramento fanbase has been Folsom native and St. Mary’s product Jordan Ford, who turned heads during an impressive run at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas earlier this summer.

Ford, a 25-year-old guard that has a proven ability to score the ball and set up teammates, could be an option for the Kings’ final two-way contract or even as a full roster spot if McNair choses to bring a younger option in to split time with Sacramento and Stockton.

After spending the past three seasons in the G-League and averaging 12.6 points, 3.8 assists, and 2.1 rebounds per game on 48/41/84 shooting splits, Ford could be ready for a shot at the NBA level as a third-string option behind Fox and Mitchell.

Although Ford has yet to sign a contract with the Kings for 2023-24, he recently appeared at a Stockton Kings event in late July, something that could signal towards the guard being in the fold for training camp.

If Sacramento wants to look for a veteran that can fill the role that Matthew Dellavedova left behind, players like Ish Smith, Goran Dragic, George Hill, and Kendrick Nunn are free agents that are looking for a new home.

The Kings have plenty of depth on its roster for 2023-24, but there are still some spots that will need to be filled before regular season action tips off on Wednesday, October 25th in Utah.

Here’s where things stand for Sacramento’s roster as we move near the end of August and closer to the start of NBA training camps in late-September:

Current Sacramento Kings roster

Guards

• De’Aaron Fox
• Davion Mitchell
• Malik Monk
• Kevin Huerter
• Colby Jones
• Keon Ellis (two-way)

Forwards

• Harrison Barnes
• Keegan Murray
• Chris Duarte
• Trey Lyles
• Sasha Vezenkov
• Kessler Edwards
• Jalen Slawson (two-way)
• Skal Labissiere**

Centers

• Domantas Sabonis
• Alex Len
• Nerlens Noel*
• Neemias Queta*

*Non or partially-guaranteed contract

**Exhibit 10 contract

Open Full Roster Spots: 2

Open Two-Way Spots: 1

Non-Guaranteed Contracts

• Skal Labissiere signed an Exhibit 10 contract, with the hope that the forward can join Stockton following training camp and preseason.
• Nerlens Noel signed a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract for 2023-24 that is worth $3.1 million. Noel’s contract includes $300,000 guaranteed followed by $600,000 guaranteed if Noel makes the opening night roster and fully guaranteed if Noel is on the roster past January 10, 2024.
• Neemias Queta signed a two-year $4.1 million contract that includes $250,000 guaranteed. If Queta makes the opening night roster, he will receive $500,000. If Queta is on the roster on January 10, 2024, his $2 million salary for 2023-24 becomes fully guaranteed. 2024-25 contract is non-guaranteed.

All contract info is courtesy of Spotrac.

Sacramento Kings 2023-24 Preseason Schedule

• Sunday, October 8th – Sacramento Kings @ Toronto Raptors – 5 PM PST (Preseason Opener)
• Wednesday, October 11th – Sacramento Kings @ Los Angeles Lakers – 7 PM PST (in Anaheim, CA)
• Sunday, October 15th – Sacramento Kings vs. Golden State Warriors – 7 PM PST
• Wednesday, October 18th – Sacramento Kings @ Golden State Warriors – 7 PM PST
• Thursday, October 19th – Sacramento Kings vs. Utah Jazz – 7 PM PST

Sacramento Kings 2023-24 Regular Season Schedule

• Tuesday, October 24th – NBA regular season begins
• Wednesday, October 25th – Sacramento Kings @ Utah Jazz – 6 PM (Season Opener)
• Friday, October 27th – Sacramento Kings vs. Golden State Warriors – 7 PM (Home Opener)

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