After a blowout loss to the Grizzlies, the Sacramento Kings are staring at the same ugly truth: the defense is a mess. That’s why Victor Oladipo keeps coming up as a name that makes sense for them. He’s still trying to work his way back into the league, and the Kings could use exactly what he brings.
Oladipo has been out of the NBA for a couple of seasons after dealing with a string of tough injuries. In the 2026 offseason, he said he was ready to return and began searching for a new landing spot. Sacramento had him on its radar then, but the team went with Ben Simmons instead.
That move has not worked out. Simmons is done for the season with a torn Achilles while trying to stage his own comeback. The Kings have not waived him, and they still have to keep paying him because of the injury and the CBA requirements.
Even with Simmons sidelined, that does not suddenly create a roster opening for Oladipo. Sacramento already entered the season one player short, though, and the team does have the salary room to sign someone to a veteran minimum deal and fill that spot.
There’s a clear case for using it on Oladipo. The Kings do have defenders on the roster - De'Andre Hunter, Precious Achiuwa, Keegan Murray, Jonathan Mogbo, Emanuel Sharp, Maxime Raynaud, Alex Karaban, and Dylan Cardwell all bring real defensive strengths. But several of them are injured, and the bigger issue is that the group still lacks any real defensive identity.
The individual pieces can show up in spurts. What’s missing is the sustained effort and structure. According to the source, that’s a leadership problem, and it points straight at the coaching staff.
Oladipo could help there even if he’s not the same player he once was. He’s an experienced defender with a high basketball IQ, and he could give Sacramento the veteran base its defense needs. The source even suggests he might be a useful defensive coach for the Kings if nothing else.
If Sacramento isn’t going to use that final spot on a backup point guard for Darius Acuff Jr., then Oladipo is the move being pushed here. The message is simple: nothing changes for the Kings until the defense gets under control, and Oladipo is being presented as the player who can help make that happen.
In Other News...
Kings May Have Found A Low-Risk Fix For Two Roster Problems
The Kings have spent the early part of this season trying to balance short-term roster needs with a broader youth movement, and that makes the market for young, versatile players worth watching. Several players around the league, including DaRon Holmes II, had their 2027-28 team options declined, pushing them toward unrestricted free agency and opening the door for teams with flexibility to take a calculated swing. Sacramento is expected to have meaningful cap space, which gives it a chance to look beyond stopgap veterans and hunt for players who can help on both ends.
Holmes fits that kind of profile in a way that should appeal to a Kings front office looking for defense and floor spacing without taking on much risk. He is still working back from an Achilles injury, but his G League play offered enough promise to keep him on the radar as a developmental target. With the general manager already signaling a preference for younger pieces, Sacramento may see this as the sort of low-cost roster fix that can address multiple needs at once. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Could Get The Interior Boost Theyve Been Missing
Dylan Cardwell is nearing a return for the Sacramento Kings after missing more than two weeks with a left calf strain, and his timing could matter on both ends of the floor. The Kings have been looking for more size and activity around the rim, and Cardwells presence should help with interior defense and rebounding while giving the rotation a different look in the paint.
Darius Acuff Jr. may be the other half of the equation. The rookie has shown enough to make a pick-and-roll pairing with Cardwell worth watching, and the fit could give Sacramento a cleaner path to easy offense if the two build chemistry quickly. For a team that could use more stability inside, that combination is one of the more intriguing developments on the horizon. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Face Early Test With Short-Handed Roster Against Rising Lakers
The Lakers are heading into their matchup with Sacramento in noticeably better shape than they were a few days ago, with Adou Thiero the only player ruled out because of left knee management and Walker Kessler cleared as available. For a Kings team already trying to navigate an early-season rhythm, the timing is not ideal. Sacramento is dealing with a thinner rotation of its own, and the contrast in availability could matter as much as anything else when the game tips.
Keegan Murray and Ben Simmons are among the Kings players out, while Precious Achiuwa is listed as probable, leaving the staff to piece together lineups on the fly. It is the kind of short-handed test that can expose depth, force extra minutes on the wrong players and make every possession feel a little heavier than usual. Against a Lakers group that is getting healthier, Sacramento will have to find answers quickly if it wants to keep the matchup from slipping away early. [Read more 🡒]