Why the Kings Should Look to Sign Recent Rockets' Roster Casualty

It’s no secret the Sacramento Kings are looking at bringing a veteran ball handler who doubles as a mentor to Darius Acuff Jr. Names like Victor Oladipo, Elfrid Payton, Cam Payne, and now Ben Simmons have been thrown around in recent days.

While the Kings are likely to go with one of the aforementioned, there’s an argument that they should look at non-veterans as well. As teams start to finalize their rosters, we start to see more interesting players waived, and one name the Kings should look into is Tristen Newton.

In a related move, the Rockets have waived guard Tristen Newton.
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) August 26, 2026

Why Newton Could Be a Good Basketball Fit

Newton is a two-time national champion with UConn and was a vital piece to both teams, but he’s yet to find a home in the NBA. It isn’t for lack of talent, in my opinion, with Newton being one of the better players in the G-League last season. He averaged over 26 points per game, 8 assists, and shot 48% from the field for the Houston Rockets’ G-League affiliate, the Rio Grande Vipers. Newton also measured in at over 6-foot-3 barefoot at the combine, giving him solid size as a point guard.

Newton was named a consensus All-American in his final year at UConn, averaging over 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists per game. The one real knock on him is his three-point shooting. While he shot well in his first year at UConn, he’s been around a 32-33% three-point shooter since his final college season.

That isn’t ideal for a Kings’ team that struggled to shoot the ball, but former teammate Alex Karaban, Emanuel Sharp, Keegan Murray, and Acuff Jr. should provide plenty of firepower to make up for that.

Great game for Tristen Newton helping UConn win the national championship with 20 points, 7 assists, 0 turnovers. Executed UConn's game plan perfectly, getting the ball where it needs to be, and made big shots all night, showing his scoring instincts and versatility. pic.twitter.com/f42JRezde6
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 9, 2024

Other than a veteran mentor, the Kings are looking for a backup point guard who can run the offense, not turn the ball over, and defend at the point of attack. I won’t sell you on Newton being some hidden gem that will get himself into Sixth Man of the Year conversations, but his advanced numbers from his final college season tell a compelling story.

Newton’s 3.3 DBPM is very solid for a guard with his type of workload offensively; he was able to increase his assist percentage to 31% while decreasing his turnover percentage in his final year, plus his 47% free-throw rate and 16.8% defensive rebounding percentage are both very good for a guard.

Wouldn’t It Make More Sense To Go With a “Proven” Veteran?

It’s easy to understand why the Kings have been linked to older, experienced players to fill roster spots. Even if they end up having little to provide on the court, their experience can help the younger Kings settle into the NBA.

The issue is (and has been with Sacramento) that this type of thinking leads them to miss out on players that could be part of the team for years. Different scenario, but I can’t help but remember the Kings offloading Davion Mitchell to help sign DeMar DeRozan, trading Keon Ellis after signing multiple veteran guards in the offseason, and giving up on Neemias Queta far too early.

Sure, Ben Simmons, Victor Oladipo, Cam Payne, and Elfrid Payton have all played real minutes in the NBA while Newton hasn’t. Simmons and Oladipo are former All-Stars, Payne has nearly 1000 playoff minutes, and Payton was a top-10 pick. They have all proven more than many of the younger options the Kings could go with, but what is the value of that for a team that is years away from competing for a playoff spot again?

Ben Simmons is back on the court hitting jumpers with the Australian men's national team in Melbourne 👀

Simmons is attempting an NBA comeback with several teams reportedly interested 🔥

(Via @courtsidemelbourne) pic.twitter.com/lxMAaCEZMu
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 12, 2026

Having a mentor for Darius Acuff Jr. is important, especially when it comes to competing on defense. All four players mentioned do compete on the defensive end, but the Kings also have great examples for Acuff Jr. already. First, Sacramento Head Coach Doug Christie is one of the better perimeter defenders of the modern era, and a four-time All-Defensive selection.

After Christie, Precious Achiuwa, Keegan Murray, De’Andre Hunter, and Emanuel Sharp are all older and more experienced than Acuff Jr., and know how to sit down into a defensive stance.

Take the Shot

There are numerous examples of players finding their feet in the NBA later on in their careers, but very few examples of 30+ year olds who have been out of the NBA making meaningful contributions. Steve Nash, Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry, and more all started off slow before becoming All-Stars and legends for their franchises.

I’m not saying Newton will be THAT good, but not taking the chance because an older veteran has more experience feels like another short-sighted move by Sacramento.

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