Who Benefits the Most From Kings' Plan to Move On From Westbrook

The Sacramento Kings appear to be ready to move on from Russell Westbrook after one season together. It's not necessarily a surprise, but whether or not he returned to Sacramento was one of the big question marks of the offseason for the Kings.

Westbrook impressed and showed why he's a sure-ballot Hall-of-Famer last year for the Kings, averaging 15.2 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.4 rebounds on 42.7% shooting from the field and 33.8% from three. He brought the same energy and hustle that has defined his legendary career, and in the end outplayed what he was getting paid on the veteran minimum deal.

And that could be more of the case as to why he won't be back in Sacramento, rather than the Kings not necessarily wanting him back. But regardless of the reason, there are a few players who stand to benefit from Westbrook moving on to a new team as another key rotation spot from last year is up for grabs.

Malik Monk

Malik Monk's future with the Kings, just like Westbrook's, is still a bit up in the air. He's been in trade rumors since last offseason, but it's been very quiet on the trade front for the former Sixth-Man runner-up. That likely means Monk will be back for another year in Sacramento, but the question is in what role?

Last season, Monk was in and out of the rotation, which could ultimately end up being the case this year as well. But if there's one thing we learned during Summer League, it's that the Kings desperately need another ball handler behind Darius Acuff Jr.

It's a role Monk could slide right into as the backup point guard. He's not a prototypical lead guard, but he has the skills to lead the offense in a way that could still highly benefit the Kings. With Westbrook gone, those minutes have to go somewhere, and if the Kings value ball handling and the ability to score and facilitate, Monk is the best choice.

Nique Clifford

Nique Clifford may not play the same position as Westbrook, but he's another player who will have a bigger opportunity with Westbrook's departure. There's been talk of Clifford manning the point guard spot since last offseason, and it came up this year as well.

Clifford still doesn't look like a true 'point guard,' maybe even less so than Monk, but the opening for the sophomore wing is more from a pure opportunity standpoint than one of positions. Westbrook took 13.1 shots per game last year, which was tied for second-most on the team with DeMar DeRozan.

Clifford, on the other hand, was at 7.9 attempts per contest. Expect that number to go up for Clifford this season and for him to approach at least ten looks per contest with an expanded role.

Emanuel Sharp

Going back to the pure guard rotation, Emanuel Sharp has a clear shot at a true rotational role this year, which isn't common for most second-round draft picks. After excelling with his defense and three-point shooting throughout Summer League, Sharp looks like he could be a mainstay in the Kings' rotation right out the gate, and that's even more the case with Westbrook seemingly not returning.

Sharp looks more like an undersized shooting guard than a point guard, but with his energy, hustle, and defense, he more than makes up for his lack of size. Pairing him with Malik Monk off the bench would make for a nice 1-2 punch for the backup guard spots. It's not even out of the realm to start thinking about a future backcourt of Acuff and Sharp, as the two seem to complement each other well.

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