3 Kings Players Who Could Get Cut Out of the Rotation This Season

The Sacramento Kings have a much more crowded rotation than most fans would expect for the 2026-27 season. Despite being projected to be one of the worst teams in the NBA this season, the Kings have a talented roster, and head coach Doug Christie will struggle to figure out who to play and who to sit.

With their current roster, the Kings have 14 players on standard contracts. As odd as it sounds, each of those 14 players could make a case to be in the rotation. Of course, though, the Kings are not going to play 14 players every game. At most, we could see a 12-man rotation some games, but that would still be pushing it a bit. For the Kings to at least get down to an 11-man lineup, let's look at three players who could be cut from the rotation:

Daeqwon Plowden

The most obvious omission from the Kings' rotation is Daeqwon Plowden. The 28-year-old wing was elevated from a two-way contract to a standard contract this offseason, and he deserved it after what he put on display for the Kings toward the end of his 2025-26 campaign.

In the final 17 games of the season, he averaged 14.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 30.4 minutes per game, while shooting 45.2% from the field and 36.5% from deep. However, most of his minutes came when the Kings' lineup was depleted by injuries. When the Kings are healthy, Plowden will likely not scratch the rotation.

Plowden is a solid talent to have at the end of the bench, though. Sure, he will rarely touch the floor, but he has proven that he can make an impact when given the opportunity, providing the Kings with a reliable depth piece.

Emanuel Sharp

The next most likely cut from the rotation will be Emanuel Sharp. The second-round rookie could be a very valuable player for the Kings to have on the floor, but at the start of the season, it will be hard for him to get minutes.

Sharp is a prototypical 3-and-D guard who seems like the perfect player to have alongside Darius Acuff Jr., or frankly, to have in the lineup at all. However, Sharp is starting the season behind Acuff Jr., Zach LaVine, Malik Monk, and Nique Clifford on the depth chart, making it an uphill climb to actually get into the rotation.

We should certainly see Sharp get his fair share of minutes throughout his rookie season, especially as this rebuilding Kings team focuses on its youth, but we likely won't see him on the floor as much as some of Sacramento's other guards.

Ben Simmons

Obviously, the Kings have high hopes for Ben Simmons by giving him a chance to complete his NBA comeback, but there is a chance he struggles to stay in the rotation this season. As much as I love the decision to bring in the former first-overall pick and three-time All-Star, if Simmons is not performing well, Christie should not hesitate to pull him.

Simmons, 30, should not be the Kings' focus this season. As much talent and optimism are there with Simmons, the Kings still need to prioritize their young talent. Should Simmons be stealing minutes from guys like Sharp, Alex Karaban, and Nique Clifford? While we certainly need to see how Simmons looks after a year out of the NBA, it is easy to imagine a world where he falls out of Sacramento's rotation.

We could also see young Kings like Karaban or Dylan Cardwell struggle to keep their spots in the Kings' rotation, but Christie should favor those two, and potentially even Sharp, over a veteran like Simmons.

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