The Sacramento Kings’ roster is crowded enough that almost nobody can afford to drift. In a rebuild, spots can vanish quickly, and the pressure is especially thick on the wings and guards, where Zach LaVine is likely to open as the starter and four others are fighting for minutes behind him.
That makes the season a proving ground for several players who need to leave a strong mark if they want to stay in the picture. Some are trying to turn temporary opportunities into something permanent. Others are trying to show they belong at all.
Daeqwon Plowden is one of the clearest examples. After four years in the G League on two-way contracts, the Kings recently gave him his first standard NBA contract.
That’s a real step forward, but it hardly means the work is done. The combo wing can line up at small forward or shooting guard, and that flexibility matters in a rotation that already looks crowded.
If he gets minutes, he’ll have to make them count fast.
Adam Flagler is in a similar spot, even with a championship ring from his time with the Thunder a little over a year ago. He’s on a two-way deal with Sacramento, and his best path to sticking around may be the fact that he could be the main, maybe only, backup to starting point guard Darius Acuff Jr.
Still, that kind of opportunity only matters if he can back it up. A spot on the roster is one thing; earning a standard contract is another.
Jonathan Mogbo arrived with some momentum after the Raptors moved on from him, a decision that raised some eyebrows because he’s viewed as a strong young power forward. Sacramento moved quickly to bring him in on a two-way contract, and he backed that up with a strong Summer League showing that likely put him first in line for the main roster. The issue is whether the Kings will have the money to make that jump soon, so every chance he gets matters.
Precious Achiuwa has already shown enough to stay in the conversation. Sacramento brought him in a few games into the 2025-2026 season to add defense, and the fit was good enough that the team decided to keep him for a couple more seasons.
Even so, nothing is locked in for long on a team like this. If he wants to remain part of the rebuild in Sactown, he can’t ease up now.
At the top of the list is Nique Clifford, the Kings’ top draft pick in 2025. His first season didn’t come as smoothly as it did for fellow rookies Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell, but he kept improving as the year went on.
His aggression, three-point shooting, and defense all got better over the course of that rookie season. Now season two has to bring another leap, the kind that tells Sacramento he’s ready to be part of the franchise’s rebuild in a bigger way.
In Other News...
Kings Face A New LaVine Question As Heat Interest Emerges
The Heat are searching for another high-volume shooter after losing Tyler Herro and Norman Powell, and the familiar list of names around that pursuit tells you how tight the market has become. Miami would like to boost an offense built around Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo, but with limited cap space, the paths to a real upgrade are narrow enough that Bradley Beal, DeMar DeRozan and Klay Thompson have all surfaced as possibilities.
Zach LaVine has also come up in the conversation, but from Sacramento's side of the equation, the fit is far from simple. Financial and contractual hurdles make a deal look unlikely, and the Kings are not eager to take drastic measures to create one, leaving Miami to keep weighing whether its best route is a costly trade, a cheaper veteran option or simply trusting Erik Spoelstra to make more of what he has. [Read more 🡒]
Domantas Sabonis Is Suddenly At The Center Of Sacramentos Rebuild
Domantas Sabonis has become a central figure in Sacramentos rebuild discussion, with the Kings already having open conversations with him about possible trade paths while also keeping the door open to a future together. He still has two years and $94 million left on his contract, which makes him both one of the franchises most valuable assets and one of the toughest pieces to move.
Sabonis has signaled a willingness to stay in place and help with the transition if that is where things settle, and the Kings are in no hurry to force the issue. For now, the focus is on player development and on waiting for a deal that truly changes the roster, rather than moving a veteran center just to make a move. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Offseason Pivot Around Patrick Williams Just Got More Serious
The Bulls offseason plans have started to crystallize around Patrick Williams, and the latest reports suggest Chicago is at least listening on the forward while also weighing a wider pivot for more draft capital. Williams still has three years left on his contract, which makes him one of the more interesting names on the market for teams hunting a young wing with upside, and the Bulls are also said to have interest in Bennedict Mathurin as they sort through their next move.
For Sacramento, the chatter is worth watching because the Kings have already surfaced in proposed framework conversations as teams around the league try to map out where Williams could land. Nothing has been finalized yet, but if Chicago keeps pushing for picks and a cleaner roster direction, the Kings could wind up part of a larger chain of movement before the dust settles. [Read more 🡒]