Doug Christie has a real call to make before the regular season starts, and it comes down to a simple question with a messy answer: who should be the first man off the bench?
For the Kings, the options are Malik Monk, Precious Achiuwa, Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell. Sacramento is looking for a backup point guard and more defense to steady things, but none of those pieces covers every need at once. Monk, though, remains the most established answer.
That’s because his offensive punch is hard to ignore. Monk was the runner-up for Sixth-Man of the Year in the 2023-24 season, finishing just 10 points behind Naz Reid in one of the closest races in award history. When he gets rolling, he can tilt a game fast with shot-making and burst.
His quick release makes him a real threat on catch-and-shoot looks. Against the Brooklyn Nets on March 22, he dropped a season-high 32 points, and six of his seven made threes came on catch-and-shoot attempts. Once defenses close out late, Monk can get downhill, use his body control through contact, and finish with creative layups or the occasional dunk that jumps off the screen.
He also brings a layer of playmaking Sacramento badly needs. The Kings have been searching for a backup for rookie guard Darius Acuff Jr., and haven’t found one yet. Russell Westbrook retired after 18 seasons, and Victor Oladipo, who said there is mutual interest with the organization, hasn’t logged extended NBA minutes since the 2022-23 season with the Miami Heat.
Monk isn’t the kind of creator who sees every possible angle, but he can make the basic reads that keep an offense moving. He showed that on March 24 against the Charlotte Hornets, when he handed out a season-high 14 assists.
The other candidates bring something different, and in some ways more urgent, on the defensive end. Achiuwa and Cardwell play with relentless energy, and Cardwell finished the season as one of the better shot blockers in the mix, averaging 1.5 blocks per game. He posted a career-high five blocks against the New Orleans Pelicans on April 3, including a game-saving rejection on Zion Williamson.
Achiuwa gives Sacramento another kind of defensive flexibility. At 6-foot-8 and 243 pounds, he can switch onto the perimeter and help create extra possessions on the glass. One of his best nights came against the Toronto Raptors on April 1, when he scored a season-high 29 points and pulled down 18 rebounds.
That defensive bite matters for Sacramento, especially after the team finished with the third-worst defensive rating in NBA history last season.
In Other News...
Kings Final Roster Battle Is Heating Up In The Backcourt
With training camp approaching, the Kings are still sorting through the backcourt market and have lined up workouts for veteran options as they look to fill out the end of the roster. Sacramento has 13 players under contract and two openings after waiving DeMar DeRozan, which leaves the front office with a little flexibility and a need to keep adding competition before camp opens.
Among the names on the radar is Cameron Payne, while Elfrid Payton is also set to get a look as the team weighs experience and fit behind its established guards. The Kings have also continued to monitor Victor Oladipo, and his summer pro day in Las Vegas drew team personnel, another sign that Sacramento is still exploring every realistic path as it tries to settle a crowded but unfinished guard picture. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Suddenly Have A Point Guard Decision Fans Should Watch
The Kings are still sorting out what their backcourt looks like behind rookie Darius Acuff Jr., and the search for a veteran point guard has quietly become one of the more interesting roster questions around the team. With Russell Westbrook retired, Sacramento has been weighing experienced options to help steady the room, and Victor Oladipo has been part of that conversation while the front office continues to look for the right fit.
Aaron Holiday has emerged as another name worth watching, and he makes sense on paper as a possible mentor and backup. The 29-year-old brings NBA experience, three-point shooting, defense and playmaking, and he could fit on a veteran minimum deal, which keeps him in the range of a practical add rather than a flashy one. For a team trying to support a young lead guard without overcommitting resources, this is the kind of decision that can shape the tone of the bench for a while. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Priorities Could Decide Whether DeMar DeRozan Stays In Play
Denvers roster squeeze has created an opening that could matter well beyond one transaction, because the team now sits at just 13 players after moving Peyton Watson to Cleveland for future draft capital. The deal brought back a 2031 unprotected first-round pick and a 2032 second-round pick, but no immediate help, and the front office is now being forced to weigh how to fill out the depth chart while staying mindful of the second apron.
One name already tied to that vacancy is DeMar DeRozan, though the fit is far from simple. Denver would like to add veteran scoring on a minimum contract, but DeRozans camp is said to be looking for exception-level money, which the Nuggets cannot realistically hand out under their current financial constraints. For a team trying to balance win-now urgency with roster limits, the question is whether the market narrows enough for a deal to become workable. [Read more 🡒]