Why a Boring Offseason Might be Best for Kings

The Sacramento Kings enter the offseason with more questions than answers, and a roster filled with expensive veterans who not only don't fit their current timeline, but also don't fit with each other. We saw what this team looked like last year, and while injuries didn't help, it's clear that this team needs a major shake-up before they're going to make their way back up the standings.

But with a cap sheet that currently projects them as a second-apron team, that's easier said than done for second-year General Manager Scott Perry. Sacramento has intriguing players who could theoretically help teams around the league, but we saw both last offseason and at the trade deadline that none of those players are highly coveted by anyone around the association.

Domantas Sabonis, Malik Monk, and DeMar DeRozan are all players who could help contending teams, but they remain in Sacramento after nearly a full year of being on the trade block. There were murmurs of Sabonis heading to Toronto at the deadline, but nothing came to fruition. It's possible that some, or all, of them could have better markets with a year removed from their contracts, but the odds are high that their trade values will remain about the same.

That leaves a real possibility that the Kings bring back a similar roster to the one that won them 22 games last season, which is not an ideal situation or outlook to have going into the offseason. But unfortunately for the Kings, it's one of the paths forward that makes the most sense.

Zach LaVine is arguably the biggest question mark of the group, thanks to both his player option and large expiring contract. Due $49.0 million next year, him staying or leaving will easily have the biggest impact for the Kigns. But even if they somehow move LaVine, or if he miraculously turns down his player option, that would still leave the Kings with the shell of a 22-win team.

It's just hard to imagine Perry, who has shown nothing but patience, making more than a big move or two. Looking back at his time in New York, he was patient and waited for his opportunity to make his splashy trade of Kristaps Porziņģis to the Dallas Mavericks until the trade deadline of his second offseason.

Much like everyone else in the league, the Kings have been hesitant to take on any long-term big-money contracts. The good news for Sacramento is that they have money coming off of the books with not only LaVine, but DeMar DeRozan as well after next season. And while Sabonis and Monk have additional years left on their deals, it should only become easier to trade them as they get closer to the end of their deals.

Would it be better to trade them just to get rid of them now? Or wait it out for a better deal or the cap relief? It may be boring, but the better answer may be to wait. That's just a hard thing to stomach as a Kings fan after a miserable season.

Free Agency

Oct 29, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu (11) drives to the basket against the Sacramento Kings during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

I've also recently written about the Kings' lack of spending power in free agency. Even if they wanted to go out and make a splasy move in the free agent market, they don't have a way to do so unless Perry gets really creative. That makes free agency, one of the most exciting times in the NBA offseason, almost pointless for the Kings.

They'll still have to fill out their roster with minimum deals, but it's almost inevitable that there's a sense of 'boredom' to free agency for Sacramento.

Thankfully, the Kings have the draft. We don't know where they will select until May 10th, but it's easily the Kings' clearest avenue to improvement with the current roster and cap situation. It's not hard to envision the Kings bringing in their high draft pick, making maybe a move or two, and heading into the season in wait-and-see mode. It's not exciting, and fans may not like it, but it may just be what's best.

Right now, there's a clear path out from this roster. It may be a year or two away, but if you squint and tilt your head just right, you can see it. A big move gone sideways, though, could set the Kings back even further. The question is, is it better to be boring and safe, or take a big swing for the fences with a high-risk, high-reward move? That's a question that only Scott Perry can decide.

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