The Sacramento Kings head into training camp with a small but tricky problem on their hands: three camp contracts, two openings, and one front office that has to decide exactly what kind of rebuild it wants to emphasize.
That leaves Elfrid Payton, Tristen Newton and Leaky Black fighting for the final spots as camp opens tomorrow. Sacramento has one roster spot and one two-way contract still available, and beyond that the roster is largely set for now. General manager Scott Perry is expected to keep working the market later, most likely near the trade deadline, but the immediate task is simple enough on paper and messy in practice.
Each of the three invites brings a different kind of value. Payton is the seasoned option, a pass-first point guard who can organize an offense and help teammates get clean looks.
He also brings 12 years of experience, which could make him both a backup and a mentor for Darius Acuff Jr. The question with Payton is the same one that has followed him: the scoring efficiency just isn’t there, and at 32, that probably is not changing much.
Newton offers a different kind of bet. At 25, with only a couple of seasons in the league, he still has room to develop.
He can create with the ball, score, and set others up, and he brings a defensive edge as well. The biggest hole in his game is the three-point shot, but he also piles up steals and gives Sacramento a younger guard worth investing in.
Then there’s Black, the outlier in the group. Unlike the two point guards, he’s a small forward, and his calling card is defense.
He can cover one through four, using his speed and high IQ to make life miserable for opposing wings and guards alike. On that end, he’s the kind of player who seems to be everywhere at once.
That’s where Perry’s emphasis on fit becomes the real key. He has been clear that the rebuild will be shaped by how players fit into a specific vision, and these three camp additions make sense only if Sacramento sees clear roles for them.
If the Kings want defense, Black stands out. If they want a veteran hand at point guard, Payton is the choice.
If they want a young guard who can grow while contributing in scoring, playmaking and defense, Newton is the one.
However it shakes out, the outcome looks straightforward: one player on the main roster, one on a two-way deal and one headed to the Stockton Kings in the G League. All three remain in the organization’s pipeline in some form, which is about as clean a spot as a team can hope to be in while still facing a difficult decision.
In Other News...
Chris Webbers Return Brings Something This Kings Team Has Needed
Chris Webbers presence around Kings practice this week adds a familiar weight to a team still trying to define itself under Doug Christie. Invited by general manager Scott Perry, the former Sacramento star is expected to be around for the rest of training camp, offering a direct link to the franchises best stretch and a reminder of what sustained success once looked like at Golden 1 Center.
Christie has made accountability and higher standards central themes as the Kings try to bounce back from a rough season, and Webbers return fits neatly into that message. Sacramento is still sorting out the balance between young players and veterans, but having one of the defining figures from the early 2000s in the building gives the group a little extra perspective, and maybe a little extra urgency, as camp unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
DeMarcus Cousins Just Added A Disturbing Twist To Kings Media Backlash
Sacramentos media day already had an ugly backdrop after a hot mic caught reporters making unprofessional remarks about Zach LaVine and Ben Simmons, and the fallout has only widened from there. What started as a bad look for the local basketball press has turned into a broader conversation about the relationship between the Kings, their players and the people covering them, with former Sacramento big man DeMarcus Cousins weighing in from afar.
Cousins said on social media that former Sacramento Bee reporter Ailene Voisin had behaved inappropriately toward him during his rookie season, claiming she lifted his shirt to look at his body. He then blasted Sacramento media as biased and corrupt based on his own experiences, adding a personal and unsettling layer to an already messy story that is not going away anytime soon. [Read more 🡒]
Zach LaVine Sounds Convinced Ben Simmons Can Change The Kings
The Kings have taken a low-risk swing on Ben Simmons, signing him to a non-guaranteed veteran minimum contract for the upcoming season, and the early buzz around the move is more about possibility than certainty. At media day, Zach LaVine sounded genuinely upbeat about what Simmons could bring if he stays healthy, pointing to the kind of size, defense and playmaking Sacramento has been looking to add around its core.
Simmons has not played since the 2024-25 season, which is why the contract carries so little downside for the Kings and so much intrigue for everyone else. Sacramento is clearly betting that a healthy Simmons can still change the equation for this roster, but the real question hanging over the signing is whether he can get back to the level that made him such a unique fit in the first place. [Read more 🡒]