Kings' Offseason To-Do List: What's Next for Sacramento?

Now that the Sacramento Kings’ summer league is over, the team shifts its focus to taking care of the remaining housekeeping items as they gear up for training camp, which will begin in late September. None of the decisions will transform the franchise, but they will determine Sacramento’s flexibility beneath the luxury-tax line and how the team uses its final roster positions.

Figure out DeRozan’s Salary

Sacramento has already made the proverbial big decision on this matter, as the Kings waived DeRozan on July 6.

The writing was on the wall for this move for a while. Sacramento was unable to find a trade partner willing to give value for the likely Hall of Famer, and the team is not nearly good enough to justify paying a 37-year-old win-now player as much as they were going to have to.

Apr 3, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard DeMar DeRozan (10) during the second quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Golden 1 Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Waiving DeRozan cleared the non-guaranteed portion of his salary, saving $15.7M in the process. The team now has until August 31 to decide whether to pay his full $10M guarantee this coming season or to stretch the salary across three seasons at $3.33M.

Sacramento’s obligation could fall further through the CBA’s set-off provision if DeRozan signs elsewhere for a sufficient salary. Once the Kings has clarity on this item, they can proceed with their next decision.

Final Roster Spot

Aside from the DeRozan situation, the most glaring item to address before the season begins is the final roster spot. The CBA requires that teams carry 14 players on the active/inactive list, and Sacramento currently has just 13 players on their official roster.

This is subtly related to the DeRozan decision, though. Sacramento’s room under the luxury tax will vary by a few million dollars depending on what DeRozan ends up signing for and whether Sacramento stretches his salary or keeps all $10M on the books this season.

The Sacramento Kings current roster👀

What else does the front office need to do? pic.twitter.com/nHDW0mIVwH
— Kings Lead (@KingsLeadSM) July 25, 2026

As things stand, a minimum contract is the most likely vehicle the Kings will use to fill that roster spot. The Kings could go many different ways with this last spot.

However, Sacramento used their Bi-annual exception to bring Precious Achiuwa back. Achiuwa rejoins Domantas Sabonis, Maxime Raynaud, and Dylan Cardwell in the frontcourt, making it relatively unlikely that the Kings sign a big with the last roster spot.

Three-point shooting was a problem last season, and the Kings now have four non-shooting bigs rostered. It stands to reason that Sacramento will probably look to add guard or wing depth with this last spot.

If they want a veteran point guard to help bring top pick Darius Acuff Jr. along, they could look at Gabe Vincent, a Sacramento-area native and former Stockton King, as a steadying presence who has been on winning teams. A Russell Westbrook reunion seems unlikely at this point. Brandon Williams would not be a veteran mentor, but would be an interesting flier.

Jonathan Kuminga, heavily linked to the Kings for over a year now, would bring more size at the wing and fits their age arc more than a conventional veteran addition. Kuminga’s market does not appear particularly robust, so there is a chance he could be had in Sacramento’s limited price range.

The big wing would not solve (and in all likelihood would add to) Sacramento’s shooting issues, but the connection and theoretical upside are present enough to warrant mention.

Patrick Baldwin Jr. (with the Kings on a two-way last season), Ochai Agbaji, MarJon Beauchamp, and Trendon Watford could be other young wings to consider.

Johnathan Mogbo is an in-house option to watch. The 31st pick in 2024 simply did not catch on with the Toronto Raptors and finds himself currently on a two-way with the Kings.

Jonathan Mogbo with the block and the bucket 💪 pic.twitter.com/tVHjwaUMCW
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) July 13, 2026

Mogbo is a high-motor, versatile defender. This stood out in Las Vegas and matches what he brought in Toronto. Per Databallr, Mogbo’s steals, turnovers forced, and deflections per 75 possessions all ranked in at least the 80th percentile. No one will accuse the Kings of being loaded with defensive talent, so those numbers are a welcome sight.

While the defense is promising, the shooting is nonexistent. Mogbo does not take threes, making it difficult to pair him with Sacramento’s frontcourt options. Absent some injuries ahead of him or shooting development, it is hard to see a clear path to regular minutes.

Mogbo’s best path forward is to show he is way too good for the G League, make the most of spot minutes in Sacramento, and get converted to a standard contract mid-season. Upon conversion, he would earn the prorated veteran minimum based on when he is converted.

Final Two-Way Spot

Oct 15, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings Head Coach Doug Christie instructs guard Isaiah Stevens (24) and Keon Ellis (23) during the second quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers at Golden 1 Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Kings recently waived guard Isaiah Stevens, who spent last year with the Kings and was on a two-way contract for this season. Now, Sacramento has just Adam Flagler and Johnathan Mogbo signed to two-way contracts, leaving one free spot.

Two-way contracts are limited to players who will not reach four years of NBA service during the term of the deal, and no player can spend portions of more than three salary-cap years on two-way contracts. So, this would be another way for Sacramento to get young talent in the building.

Set Final Spots After Training Camp

Sacramento could wait to fill the roster spots and bring players in for training camp via Exhibit 10 contracts. These would also allow the team to get a look at a player and potentially convert him to that final two-way spot, or funnel him to the Stockton Kings. Players who are waived could also be allocated to Stockton as affiliate players, although Sacramento would not hold exclusive NBA rights to them.

The Kings could pair those deals with Exhibit 9 protection (limiting financial exposure if a non-guaranteed camp invitee is injured before the regular season) after reaching 14 standard contracts. The CBA does not permit Sacramento to use it while the standard roster remains at 13 players, though, so this is not available at the moment.

None of these moves are seismic. The Kings are far more set than teams like the Cavaliers or Warriors, who now need to pivot after losing the LeBron James sweepstakes. However, the DeRozan waived salary and how they use the final roster spot will give insight into how aggressively they are trying to duck the tax, and whether they felt the need to sign immediate veteran help to avoid the relegation zone or if they wanted to swing on another young player.

The Kings will undoubtedly continue assessing the trade market for their larger veteran contracts and address these moves around the margins to set their roster for the 2026-27 season.

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