Maybe the Kings should sign Victor Oladipo after all
Victor Oladipo is trying to work his way back into the NBA, and he made that case directly in an open letter to league general managers, asking for another shot. For the Sacramento Kings, that plea lands with some added weight, because this is a franchise that knows a thing or two about second chances. The argument here is simple: the Kings should sign him.
That said, the fit is not clean on the surface. Oladipo has spent most of his career as a shooting guard, and Sacramento already has a crowded group at that spot. Adding another SG would only tighten an already jammed rotation.
There’s also the Darius Acuff Jr. situation to consider. He needs a real veteran point guard - someone who can both support him and serve as a mentor.
Oladipo has handled point guard duties before, but that’s not his natural role. Acuff needs an actual PG, ideally Cam Payne and, if possible, not Ben Simmons.
Money matters too. The Kings do not have much cap room to play with, only enough for two veteran minimum deals, so every signing has to be chosen carefully. On paper, Oladipo doesn’t solve one of Sacramento’s biggest roster needs.
Still, the case for him goes beyond the roster spreadsheet.
When Doug Christie took over as the general manager, he made defense the priority. That makes sense for a team that has gone years without a clear defensive identity. Sacramento did show some progress last season, with Precious Achiuwa and Dylan Cardwell among the players who helped push that forward.
And defense is where Oladipo’s reputation still carries real value. Even if he isn’t logging major minutes, he could still have an impact on younger players such as Acuff, Nique Clifford, Emanuel Sharp, and Alex Karaban. That kind of influence could matter a lot.
His letter also says plenty about where his head is at. It came across as joyful, painful, and intense - the voice of a player who simply wants back in the game. The Kings could use that kind of fire if this rebuild is going to amount to anything.
So while Oladipo may not be the veteran point guard Sacramento needs, he still brings something that can’t be ignored. He understands what it means to reach the top, lose it, and fight to get back. That kind of leadership could matter in Sacramento.
In Other News...
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Still, the latest outside view was a harsh one. Bleacher Report projects Sacramento to sit last in its power rankings over the next three seasons, a reminder that progress in this market is still being measured against a long climb. The organization continues to treat this as a long-term build, and Perrys recent draft and roster work has drawn some optimism, but the broader picture remains clear: the Kings are still trying to prove they can turn incremental movement into real staying power. [Read more 🡒]
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Keegan Murray sits at the center of that evaluation. His new contract starts this season, which gives the Kings both a financial commitment and a clear measuring stick for how far this rebuild can go. Projections around the team range from roughly 20 wins to 40, a reminder that the floor and ceiling are still wide apart. For Sacramento, the real pressure point is not just where the record lands, but whether the young core develops enough to make the next step feel real. [Read more 🡒]
Malik Monks Kings Role Feels Like A Rebuild Clue
Malik Monk is still in Sacramento, and that alone says something about where the Kings are headed. After trade buzz followed him through the 2025 offseason and then again at the 2026 deadline, he has stayed put, with two years left on his deal and a player option on the final season. For a Kings team that has not made any notable recent moves around him, Monks presence feels less like business as usual and more like a decision to keep one of its more movable pieces close for now.
The question is what comes next, because retaining Monk does not necessarily mean the front office is done weighing its options. Sacramento may be looking at this season as a chance to let him boost his trade value before the 2027 deadline, especially if the market shifts again. No official plan has been announced, but the longer he remains in place, the more he looks like part of a rebuild calculation rather than just a stable rotation choice. [Read more 🡒]