Why the Kings' Final Roster Addition Is Not as Important as It Seems

NBA training camp starts in about six weeks, and most teams across the league have their roster already figured out for the 2026-27 season. While the Sacramento Kings are not technically in that group, they might as well be.

Since waiving DeMar DeRozan in early July, the Kings have yet to replace him. They currently have 13 players on standard contracts and two on two-way contracts, meaning they can still sign up to three players to fill out their 2026-27 roster. However, we should expect just one or two more additions this offseason.

The Kings need to at least fill their 14th standard contract, due to the league's mandate, and even though this is a necessary move, it might not actually impact Sacramento's 2026-27 rotation.

The Kings' rotation is set

Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine and forward Domantas Sabonis — Feb 21, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine (8) and forward Domantas Sabonis (11) look on during the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Golden 1 Center. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

When looking at the current state of the free agency market, it is hard to imagine the Kings signing someone who will crack the Kings' preferred rotation this season. The expectation has been that the Kings will sign a veteran guard, with former two-time All-Star Victor Oladipo being mentioned as the most likely target, but that reinforces this idea even further.

Sure, Oladipo is an experienced veteran and should be a valuable presence for the Kings' young core, but the 34-year-old has not played an NBA game since the 2022-23 season. He has no business taking minutes away from Malik Monk, Nique Clifford, or Emanuel Sharp in Sacramento's second unit, and it would be shocking to see him play meaningful minutes for the Kings if they sign him.

"Victor Oladipo is not coming in here and taking minutes away from Malik Monk. I'm sorry, he's not."@MattGeorgeSAC says the Sacramento Kings NEED to play Malik Monk consistently this season: https://t.co/t5qLONIKKI pic.twitter.com/4JEsyaR2Pz
— Sactown Sports 1140 (@Sactown1140) August 17, 2026

Other free agent options include Gabe Vincent, Aaron Holiday, Brandon Williams, Ochai Agbaji, and Ben Simmons, among many similar names. Sure, some of their free agent options could find value in Sacramento, but it would be very minimal. If the Kings sign a guard, it is better to focus on bringing in a solid veteran presence rather than adding more competition to the backcourt.

Let's take a full look at the Kings' current rotation:

PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Darius Acuff Jr.	Zach LaVine	De'Andre Hunter	Keegan Murray	Domantas Sabonis
Malik Monk	Nique Clifford	Alex Karaban	Precious Achiuwa	Maxime Raynaud
Adam Flagler (TW)	Emanuel Sharp	Daeqwon Plowden	Jonathan Mogbo (TW)	Dylan Cardwell

Sure, the Kings could use some extra point guard depth, but do they need to find someone who can compete with Monk for the second-string job? No. While Oladipo is not a good signing on paper, with many questions about how he could actually contribute to the lineup, he could be a good third-string guard to have simply due to his veteran experience.

While fans are eager to see who the Kings sign to fill their 14th roster spot, they need to ease their expectations. Doug Christie, Scott Perry, and the Kings should be excited about the group they have put together for the 2026-27 season, and nothing is going to significantly shake things up at this point.

That does not mean the Kings could not use some improvements in certain areas, as there are still a handful of concerns with this group, but they are not trying to compete for a title this season. For a team with a rebuilding mindset, this group will do just fine, and adding any more serious competition to take minutes away from their core would be a mistake.

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