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The Sacramento Kings are in desperate win-now mode, raring to achieve the heights they reached during the 2022-23 season, when they won 48 games and the Pacific Division crown, capturing the hearts of millions in the process. The two seasons after that, however, have not gone according to plan, with the Kings missing the playoffs in both seasons after faltering in the play-in tournament.
In the loaded Western Conference, it would take a lot for this iteration of the Kings to compete for a playoff spot. De'Aaron Fox is gone, and in are DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine around Domantas Sabonis. Keegan Murray has been declining since his successful (and historic) rookie campaign. Malik Monk is on the outs from the team.
It's not quite clear if the Kings can still free up the space to sign Jonathan Kuminga. A Monk trade would pave the way for that. But is it really worth bringing in Kuminga on a huge contract, especially when his fit around the more ball-dominant DeRozan and Sabonis isnn't exactly the best?
Nevertheless, the Kings have already made a few moves in free agency to try and keep in step with their peers in the stacked Western Conference. They haven't made many moves, but they committed early to someone they believe will help address their need at the point in the aftermath of Fox's departure.
Is Dennis Schroder the answer for the Kings?
Dennis Schroder had a topsy-turvy 2024-25 campaign. He started off scorching hot with the Brooklyn Nets, leading them to a more competitive record than was expected of them. But due to his hot start, he caught the eye of the Golden State Warriors, trading for him in December.
Alas, Schroder struggled big-time with the Warriors. He wasn't a seamless fit on the Dubs' motion-based offensive system, as he was predominantly a pick-and-roll ballhandler. This led to such a huge decline in his value, and he ended up being a throw-in in the Warriors' trade for Jimmy Butler, eventually landing on the Detroit Pistons.
That's when Schroder found his groove once more. He settled in as the Pistons' primary backup behind Cade Cunningham, and he embraced the underdog mentality that Detroit had. He was a major part of their rotation during the playoffs, recording 12.5 points, 3.7 assists, and 1.2 steals in 27.3 minutes a night across six games.
This certainly played a part in him catching the Kings' eye. Schroder was relentless in his ball pressure in the backcourt, and he embraced his role as an annoyance — all while providing some efficient scoring (49/48/81 shooting splits in the postseason).
The Kings then signed Schroder to a three-year, $45 million contract. That deal seems rather fair considering how Schroder ended last season, and it seems like he'll be continuing his strong play alongside another strong playmaker in Sabonis.
Schroder is a relentless driver of the basketball, and he is a willing playmaker. He is certainly more of a passer than Monk is, although Monk did show that he can dish the rock when he's locked in.
But considering how DeRozan and LaVine are more shoot-first players who can handle the rock, Schroder, at least on paper, looks like the better fit in their starting lineup. Even then, did going out of their way to pursue him on a three-year contract the best use of resources for the Kings?
If they wanted a more low-usage backcourt partner for LaVine, they have Keon Ellis for that role. Now, Ellis is not the ballhandler Schroder is, but he is a better three-point shooter (43.3 percent from deep last season) and a better defender. The 25-year-old deserves a shot at a larger role, but it doesn't seem as though the Kings have any interest in that.
The best way to use DeRozan is to have him be the number one focal point of the offense. Schroder coming in only takes away some touches from him and LaVine.
Nevertheless, Schroder wasn't signed to that big of a contract anyway and should be easy to trade when the right deal comes along.
Grade: C+
Drew Eubanks to be Domantas Sabonis' primary backup?
To say that the Kings' center rotation is dire would be an understatement. Drew Eubanks has had his moments over the past few seasons, but he averaged 4.6 points and 3.7 rebounds a game last season all while struggling to find minutes for himself despite the lack of many viable centers in the Los Angeles Clippers' rotation.
But for the low price of $3.1 million on a one-year deal, Eubanks is a low-cost, low-risk, low-reward signing. He'll be competing for backup minutes alongside Dario Saric.
Grade: C-
