After losing in the Play-In Tournament, the Sacramento Kings improved their roster this offseason. However, they still need to address a need to become a contender in the West.

Sacramento added DeMar DeRozan via sign-and-trade to create a big three with De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. The Kings also have an emerging young forward in Keegan Murray, who is an impactful two-way player. Malik Monk is another key player for Sacramento long-term, as he just inked a four-year $78 million deal.

DeRozan is coming off a good season with the Chicago Bulls, as he averaged 24 points per game along with 4.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.1 steals. The 34-year-old shot 48 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three.

While he's not a perfect fit, DeRozan is a much-needed scoring punch. The veteran forward has a three-year $76.7 million contract, making him valuable as the team tries to enter title contention.

Moving beyond the likely starting five, the Kings brought in Devin Carter in the draft and Jalen McDaniels in a trade. The rest of the bench unit consists of young two-way wing Keon Ellis, Kevin Huerter, Trey Lyles, Kevin Huerter, and Jordan McLaughlin.

Huerter has been a quality three-point shooter for the Kings in his first two seasons. However, if Sacramento wants to make another trade, Huerter's two-year $34.8 million remaining on his deal.

Ellis and Lyles have proven to be key contributors to the rotation. Carter could be impactful as a rookie, and McDaniels could crack the rotation with some improvement on offense.

With the rotation laid out, let's dive into the biggest need the Kings must still address in 2024 NBA free agency.

Kings need a two-way forward

A general of the Sacramento Kings logo on the court before the game against the Golden State Warriors at Golden 1 Center.
Kings home court, the Golden 1 Center.

At the moment, Sacramento is relying on McDaniels to step up as a role player. The 26-year-old appeared in 50 games for the Toronto Raptors, averaging 3.4 points and 1.6 rebounds, shooting 34.4 percent from the floor and 16.9 percent from deep.

He is a solid defensive forward but needs to develop into an average three-point shooter to be a reliable role player. The Kings could target free-agent veterans like Gordon Hayward, Cedi Osman, Jae Crowder, Markieff Morris, and Robert Covington.

Osman would be the ideal target, as he is the youngest at 29 years old and a quality three-point shooter. The six-foot-seven forward played in 72 games for the San Antonio Spurs, averaging 6.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game. Osman shot 47.9 percent from the floor and 38.9 percent from behind the arc.

He's not a great defender, but he is solid on that end of the floor and would help with the Kings' spacing. With the free agency market drying up as most teams have used their cap space, the Kings could likely land Osman on a minimum deal.

Sacramento would highly benefit from adding Osman to their bench unit. While it may seem like a depth addition isn't important, the Kings need to improve to match up with contenders in the West.

Teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Denver Nuggets bolster elite rosters. The New Orleans Pelicans, Phoenix Suns, and Los Angeles Lakers could also pose a threat in the West. The Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, and San Antonio Spurs are teams that could go either way.

The addition of DeRozan makes the Kings better, but to make a jump to title contenders, they could use a forward for their bench unit like Osman.