Marquel Sutton is headed to Chicago, and that stings for the Sacramento Kings after the way he flashed in Summer League.
Sutton, who turned in a superb run with Sacramento’s Summer League squad, has signed a new NBA contract with the Chicago Bulls. The deal is an Exhibit 10 contract, a non-guaranteed minimum-level agreement that runs for a year. Chicago could keep him as part of its developmental pipeline, or cut him loose.
For the Kings, the timing makes this feel like a lost chance. Their roster technically still has three open spots: two standard roster places and one two-way slot. Once Sacramento officially stretches DeMar DeRozan’s remaining contract over the next couple of years, the team will have room to fill two of those openings.
That should give the front office enough salary cap space to bring in both Russell Westbrook and Victor Oladipo on veteran minimum deals. In this scenario, the idea is that both veterans could help guide rookie point guard Darius Acuff Jr. while also serving as backup point guards off the bench.
That still leaves the two-way contract, and Sutton looked like a strong candidate to claim it. He was one of several Kings standouts in Summer League, but his play was especially impressive. He seemed like the kind of developmental piece Sacramento could have nurtured into a useful role.
Instead, he’s off to Chicago.
There is still a chance Sacramento made an offer and Sutton simply chose the Bulls. The source material doesn’t offer proof of that, but it wouldn’t be surprising. Even so, the end result is the same: Sutton is with Chicago, not Sacramento, and that reads like a missed opportunity for the Kings.
If the Bulls decide not to keep him, Sacramento should be ready to circle back.
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