A lot can happen over the course of 16 years. In fact, our world has greatly changed over the last 16 years with iPhones and smart technology becoming daily essentials in life. For the Sacramento Kings, nothing happened from 2006 through 2022, as they consistently sat at the bottom of the NBA standings, the laughingstocks of the league.
That is no longer a narrative associated with this organization, as everyone has quickly forgotten about the Kings of old. Sacramento's 16-season playoff drought is no more, and now this franchise is out to prove they are actually a legit contender in the Western Conference. Executive Monte McNair, head coach Mike Brown, and everyone a part of this organization bought into the idea of positive change, which is why the Kings have suddenly become a team nobody can seem to root against.
Aside from the fact they won 48 games last season, the most in franchise history since the 2003-04 season, the Kings captured NBA fans around the world with their one-of-a-kind “Light The Beam” theatrics. Powered by six laser canons that sit atop of Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, the beam is a giant purple ray that lights up the night sky following a Kings victory, something everyone became very familiar with last year.
The Kings have put themselves back on the map. As a result, there is a lot of hype surrounding them as they prepare for the 2023-24 season. However, the main goal at hand, whether people outside the organization believe it or not, is to compete for and win a championship. This is something the franchise has not done since they were the Rochester Royals in 1951.
Even though they found so much success last season, it means nothing if they come back for the 2023-24 season and fail to meet expectations. Brown knows this, which is why he continues to bring new energy and preach that the Kings can be true title contenders each and every day.
“I've tried to tell our guys that the expectations, especially from our fans, are high,” Brown stated during media day earlier this month. “We showed we were a good team last year and even around the NBA world, the expectations are high. We went from one national TV game last year to 22… We have to understand and acknowledge that our expectations are high, but our fan's expectations are our reality.
“We expect to compete for a championship, so any of the noise that we hear out there, we are trying to attain that and more.”
Brown, who was named the 2022-23 NBA Coach of the Year last season, understands the journey that lies ahead for his group because he has been through it dating back to his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors. Early on in his coaching career, Brown took the LeBron James-led Cavs to the NBA Finals. Following his time in Cleveland, he went on to win three titles with the Warriors as an assistant coach next to Steve Kerr.
Success is embedded in Brown's mind and his philopshies, which is why the Kings were able to form a new identity so quickly. Heading into his second season with the team, Sacramento's head coach is continuing to challenge his group to exceed expectations.
“I'm excited about it. I’m looking forward to seeing how we can handle the pressure,” Brown told Sean Cunningham from FOX40 News in Sacramento this offseason. “It’s flipped now. We’re no longer hunting people; people are hunting us. And there are expectations, so how do we handle that? I believe our guys are ready for it, and with the fans that we have here and the juice they brought last year – let’s go. Let’s get it.”
Coach of the Year, Executive of the Year, Clutch Player of the Year, All-NBA and All-Rookie selections; the Kings had all of that last season. Now, the only goal at hand is to continue winning in order to earn the respect of everyone in the NBA world.
The moves they made this offseason reflect the win-only mindset that exists in Sacramento.
Kings offseason additions and departures
Additions: F Sasha Vezenkov (EuroLeague), G Chris Duarte (trade – IND), C JaVale McGee (free agency – DAL), G Jaylen Nowell (free agency – MIN), G Colby Jones (draft)
Departures: F Chimezie Metu (free agency – PHX), G Terence Davis (free agency), C Richaun Holmes (trade – DAL), G Matthew Dellavedova (free agency – overseas)
The Kings had two main priorities entering the offseason. The first was to extend All-NBA big man Domantas Sabonis since he had just one more year left on his contract. The second was to bring back veteran forward Harrison Barnes, who was set to become an unrestricted free agent.
Figuring out the numbers on Sabonis' new deal was no problem for McNair and the Kings' front office, as they restructured the star big man's contract. Sabonis is now under contract with Sacramento for at least the next five seasons and can make a total of $217 million in that span.
An irreplaceable part of their core, Sabonis led the league in rebounding at 12.3 rebounds per game and led the league with 65 double-doubles in 79 games. What makes the 27-year-old such a special player is the fact he is like Nikola Jokic in the sense he creates opportunity every single offensive possession.
Sabonis can score at the rim, he can rebound against any other player, and he is a very smart and capable passer who averaged 7.3 assists per game last season. Not many big men in the league can do the things Sabonis does with such ease, which is why the Kings decided he was worth opening up their checkbooks for, even after his struggles against the Golden State Warriors in the first-round series loss.
As for Barnes, re-signing him over the summer did not present much of a challenge either, especially since he never officially hit free agency. Despite there being interest from rival teams, Barnes never had thoughts about leaving Sacramento and earned himself a three-year, $54 million contract extension less than 24 hours before he would have become a free agent.
Aside from the extensions with Sabonis and Barnes, the Kings did not make any big moves, at least according to casual NBA fans. When you look at the additions they made, though, it's clear to see that this isn't true.
Trey Lyles and Alex Len return to provide depth in the frontcourt, and the Kings added shooting depth with a young, former first-round pick in Chris Duarte. Furthermore, Sasha Vezenkov finally decided to come to the NBA after being drafted in 2017. Once the Kings acquired Vezenkov's rights in 2022, talk about them pursuing the EuroLeague star began to rise.
This offseason, McNair and Brown continued to pursue Vezenkov until they convinced him to join Sacramento. The 2023 EuroLeague MVP now provides more depth on the wing for the Kings and could prove to be an instant source of secondary production given his professional experiences.
The Kings only got better this offseason with none of their departing players really holding a large role. Terence Davis was replaced by Duarte, Chimezie Metu was replaced by veteran JaVale McGee, and Vezenkov arrives as a wild card no other NBA teams truly know about.
Everything has aligned for this franchise to build off their recent success.
De'Aaron Fox for MVP?
From being at the bottom of the league standings to ending their long playoff drought, the Kings have their sights set on becoming a real championship contender in the Western Conference. There is a lot to like about this team between their three-point shooting and top overall rated offense from the 2022-23 season. Even with all the talent they have, the main reason why this team has a chance to continue being special is because of De'Aaron Fox.
At just 25 years old, Fox has become one of the best point guards in the entire league and a killer in the clutch. He spearheaded Sacramento's growth and playoff pursuit last season, as well as continued to grow as a poised playmaker for both himself and his teammates. With one of the quickest motors in the league, Fox is almost impossible to stop once he starts driving downhill toward the rim, especially since he can pull up at any time with a smooth jumper.
“I'll tell you what, he was absolutely freaking great this summer,” Brown told reporters at media day, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “Not only with his development, but he was basically here every single day. Not just working out on his game, but he was around all of our young guys, helping them elevate their game. He took Keegan [Murray] under his wing on a daily basis and showed him how to work, how to get better… I'm really excited about Fox. he's just barely scratching the surface of who he can be as a player, which is scary for everybody else.”
As good as he is offensively, Fox is truly an underrated defender. He has averaged at least one steal per game since entering the league in 2017 and disrupts his opponents due to his quick reflexes. When it comes to speed, not many players in the league can keep up with Fox.
The 2023-24 season presents opportunity for the Kings and their young star. Fox made the All-Star Game for the first time in his career last season, he was named to the All-NBA Third Team, and he was named the NBA's Clutch Player of the Year. Now is the time for him to take that next step in his career and become a legit MVP candidate, especially if the Kings want to live up to their title expectations.
Entering the conversation with players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, Nikola Jokic, and Luka Doncic not only does a lot for Fox early on in his career, but it will continue to build Sacramento into a powerhouse. Making smarter decisions with the ball and staying aggressive offensively, much like he was in the postseason last year, can help Fox become a real threat in this upcoming season's MVP race.
“Man, De'Aaron. I seen something like he was a top-five MVP candidate. I think it's definitely true,” Mitchell said on the Deuce and Mo podcast this offseason. “He's running the team, he's talking more… He's being a leader. We already know what he can do on the floor, he's playing defense more, he's guarding the best players, he's doing that type of stuff. And when you got a player like that at that level, playing a lot of minutes, a young player, I think we're going to be tough to beat.”
As much as Sabonis impacts winning given his abilities to do a little bit of everything, Fox is the catalyst for the Kings. They go as far as he is able to take them, which is why he is Sacramento's most valuable player. Can he prove to be one of the league's most impactful and valuable talents?
2023-24 season outlook
It's hard to actually say this seeing as they have always lived at the bottom of the league standings, but the Kings enter the 2023-24 season as a dark-horse title threat. This team has everything they need to win their first playoff series since 2004 and nobody is going to want to play them when it matters.
Brown gets the most from his guys every single night, and the Kings proved to be a handful to deal with when they played the Warriors in the playoffs. It took the defending champions seven games to defeat Sacramento. Granted, Golden State faced their own struggles all year long, but Sacramento really brought the fight to them and pushed them to the limit before Steph Curry proved to be inevitable.
Between their speed and scoring abilities, the Kings can be a lot to deal with, especially for any team that is not exceptionally talented on the defensive side of the floor. They won 48 regular-season games last year, which is why Sacramento is destined to flirt with a 50-win season, something they have not done in almost two decades.
The Kings have two All-Stars, Keegan Murray is a star in the making heading into his second season, Kevin Huerter continues to be one of the better three-point shooting options on the wing, and the roster now has even more depth than they had a season ago.
Big things are expected from this organization entering the 2023-24 season.
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