Exploring the Hypothetical New Kings All-Star Duo

The Sacramento Kings have no shortage of questions this summer. Who are they going to select with the number seven pick in the NBA Draft? Will they be able to unload any of their veterans and their large contracts? But, maybe the biggest question of all, will they go all-in with a move for former All-Star Ja Morant?

The Kings continue to be connected to Morant, and it's been reported that the two teams were in discussion during last season's trade deadline as well. While Sacramento and Memphis haven't been able to agree on draft capital, there appears to be at least some level of interest from both parties to make a deal. Memphis will likely look for a better return now that Morant has another year off of his contract, but let's take a look at the hypothetical of the Kings landing the star guard.

In this hypothetical, the Kings would still have Domantas Sabonis, as the rebuilding Grizzlies likely don't want his contract as they reshape their roster. That would give Sacramento an All-Star duo at the guard and center position again, a la to the Fox and Sabonis pairing. While Fox and Morant are different players, pairing Sabonis with an elite guard is something that has worked in the past.

A Look Back at Morant in Memphis

Oct 7, 2022; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies center Steven Adams (4) reacts with Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) after an assist after the opening tip-off against the Miami Heat at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

And the same can be said for Morant. When pairing him with a center who can help him create open looks and get in the driving/passing lanes, he's nearly unstoppable. It could be that it was prior to his injuries, but looking back at the 2021-22 season, Morant excelled with Steven Adams as the big man had one of the best years of his career.

In that season, Morant finished seventh in the MVP voting, averaging 27.4 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.7 rebounds on 49.3% shooting from the field and 34.4% from three. Adams wasn't in the MVP discussion, but he averaged 6.9 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.6 of which were on the offensive glass, and 3.4 assists on 54.7% shooting from the field.

According to PBPStats, in the 1,291 minutes the two shared the court, the Grizzlies had a +5.83 net rating, so the advanced numbers back up the eye test. Adams is well regarded as one of, if not the best, rebounders in the league, but he's also one of the best players in the NBA at setting screens and getting people open with his large frame and elite positioning on screens.

Sound familiar to anyone currently on the Kings roster?

Sabonis' Skillset Match with Morant

You can replace Sabonis' name in that sentence and no one would know you were talking about a different player. In that 2021-22 season, Adams averaged 5.5 screen assists per game, tied for second most in the league with...Domantas Sabonis and Jakob Poeltl.

Sabonis has been best in Sacramento when he's running the offense at the top of the key, and while Morant doesn't have an outside shot to run the dribble hand off that we've seen in the past, the two of them could dance around the top of the circle, allowing Morant to get into the lanes.

Bringing Sabonis and Morant together could also allow Sabonis to slide back to more of a facilitator role, compared to him having to carry the scoring load. Sabonis can go get a bucket when needed, but he's not the type of player who is going to, or even wants to, go out and score 25+ every single night. But Morant has shown the ability to do just that, and the two could offset each other's skillsets just enough to make it work.

Is it the best path forward for the Kings? Probably not. But if they want to give it one more shot with Sabonis at the helm, it may be their best bet.

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