Marquel Sutton did enough in Sacramento’s Summer League run to get noticed, and that’s the real story here.
After going undrafted in 2026, Sutton landed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Kings and used the opportunity to make a strong impression on the organization. He spent five seasons across three colleges, with LSU as his most recent stop, and then entered the draft without hearing his name called. That didn’t stop him from turning heads once he got on the floor for Sacramento.
In Summer League, Sutton averaged 8.1 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while shooting 47% from the field. For a player trying to carve out a path, that kind of production matters. It gave the Kings a real look at what he can offer, and he clearly made the most of it.
The challenge now is less about interest than logistics. Sacramento has room on the roster, but not the financial flexibility to simply add more salary.
Any move that increases payroll would push the team into a harmful luxury tax situation, and that’s not where a rebuilding club wants to live. The Knicks can absorb that kind of hit.
The Kings, as currently constructed, can’t.
There’s also the roster crunch to consider. Sacramento remains heavy on guards, especially shooting guards, even after Scott Perry has already started reshaping things. That leaves a young power forward like Sutton as a potentially useful fit for a team still trying to sort out its future pieces.
For now, the Kings don’t even have a two-way contract available. All three are already occupied by players the team values. Still, there’s another path that could keep Sutton close: Stockton in the G League.
That would at least place him inside Sacramento’s developmental pipeline and keep him on the team’s radar. Then, once the 2026-2027 season ends, the Kings would likely have a chance to offer him a two-way contract at minimum, moving him one step closer to the NBA roster.
That’s the kind of long view Perry has to take in a rebuild, and it’s the kind of approach he’s known for. Sutton may not be an immediate addition, but Sacramento has reason to keep him in mind as a developmental piece with real upside.
In Other News...
Kings Cannot Afford To Get This Jalen Duren Decision Wrong
Jalen Durens name is already floating around the Kings orbit for reasons that go beyond simple curiosity. After a strong regular season in Detroit, the young big man became the kind of player Sacramento could picture alongside its core, and the Kings even explored a sign-and-trade framework that would have sent Domantas Sabonis the other way. Detroit, unsurprisingly, shut that down, but the interest alone says plenty about how aggressively Sacramento is looking to reshape its frontcourt.
The problem is that the Pistons are staring at a difficult decision of their own, and Durens playoff showing only made it harder. His production dipped sharply when the games tightened, which is why contract talks have become so delicate, and why the Kings have to be careful not to overestimate how clean this fit might be. Sacramento can see the upside, but if Detroits hesitation lingers and the market keeps shifting, the next move on Duren could become one of those decisions that defines more than one team. [Read more 🡒]
Nique Clifford Is Running Out Of Time To Claim A Kings Starting Role
Nique Clifford arrived in Sacramento as the No. 24 pick in 2025 and quickly carved out a real role in his rookie season, the kind of early traction that usually buys a young player some runway. The Kings valued his ability to help right away, but the numbers also showed how much work remains if he is going to be more than a useful piece. His shooting efficiency lagged badly, and his shot profile did not exactly scream future starter for a team trying to sharpen its offense.
Cliffords path to a larger role may come down to how much he can clean up his scoring game while the Kings sort out who handles the ball and who benefits from those touches. He did not get to the line nearly enough for a player with his minutes, and the next step is less about proving he belongs than showing he can create easier offense for himself and the group around him. If Sacramento is going to keep him in the starting conversation, the margin for error is getting smaller. [Read more 🡒]
Kings May Finally Have A Real Path To Jonathan Kuminga
Jonathan Kumingas next move is suddenly one of the more interesting front-office dominoes to watch, and Sacramento has at least been connected to the conversation. The Kings have shown interest in the forward, and the appeal is easy to see: he brings upside, athleticism and a chance to reshape a roster that could use more long-term swing talent, especially if the money and contract structure line up in a way that makes sense for both sides.
The wrinkle is that any real path for Sacramento would likely have to be creative, because the Kings are not just shopping for talent, they are trying to solve a roster puzzle. DeAndre Hunters expiring contract gives that idea some logic, and it is the kind of asset that can open doors in a negotiation, but the rest of the framework is still very much in the speculative stage. For now, the intrigue is less about whether Sacramento likes Kuminga and more about whether the pieces can be arranged in a way that makes the deal worth doing. [Read more 🡒]