Kings’ 2021 first round selection Davion Mitchell discusses the origin of his nickname ‘Off Night’ as well as the other skills he’ll bring to the Kings organization.
When the Kings were sitting at No. 9 in the 2021 NBA Draft, Arkansas’ Moses Moody fell right into their lap. The 6-foot-6 19-year-old projects as a 3-and-D wing with potential for more at a major position of need for Sacramento. The Kings passed.
Davion Mitchell, the player the Kings selected at No. 9 is a potential franchise-changing personality. He is a defensive rock star and brings a no-nonsense brand of basketball to the court.
Unfortunately, Mitchell doesn’t play small forward, where the Kings need depth in a major way. Harrison Barnes is set to eat major minutes at the position, but coach Luke Walton also likes to use him at the four. The Kings will utilize three-guard sets with their stack of guards, but this still is a position of need.
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The draft is over and now it’s on general manager Monte McNair to fill the holes in the roster through free agency and trade. Here is a look at some of the options they have when free agency opens Monday at 3 p.m. PST.
The Guy You Know: Moe Harkless
While Harkless shot just 24.7 percent from 3-point range in his 26-game audition with the Kings, he still did enough to earn the trust of head coach Luke Walton. The 28-year-old started 20 games for Sacramento after joining the squad at the trade deadline, and he still has a ton of basketball left in him. At last check-in, the Kings still were very interested in bringing the veteran combo-forward back for another tour of duty.
He’s like a budget player at this point that will earn something around the bi-annual exception that comes with a $3.7 million salary in year one or two years at $7.65 million. He’s a valuable defender and brings veteran leadership that fits well into the Kings’ system.
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Major Swing: Kelly Oubre
This is an interesting add to the list. Oubre and De’Aaron Fox played on the same AAU team and have been friends for a long time. Just 25 years old, the 6-foot-7 small forward has high-end potential, but he also runs a little hot.
He didn’t have a great shooting season at Golden State, but he plays with a fire and force the Kings need and he would be fun to watch in an up-tempo offense. After making $30 million combined over the last two seasons, the Kings would have to get creative to sign a player like this, but it might be worth the trouble, especially if they can land him on a short-term MLE deal.
RELATED: What options do Kings have if Holmes leaves in free agency?
The Gamble: Otto Porter
Before the Kings added Harrison Barnes, Porter was a hot name in Sacramento during the Vlade Divac era. He’s missed huge chunks of time over the last two seasons and enters free agency as a player that needs to rebuild his value. There might be a team willing to throw the full MLE at Porter, but that’s a gamble. If he returns to health, he’s a solid vet that can pass, shoot from distance and plays defense.
The Gamble II: Justise Winslow
Like Porter, Winslow’s career has been sidetracked by injuries. He’s a player with tons of potential and an interesting skill set, but he’s played in just 37 games over the last two seasons. He’s a little all over the place as a 3-point shooter, but he’s a physical player that can act as a secondary distributor and has defensive potential. Winslow has to completely rebuild his value. He might have to sign for a league-minimum deal and show that he can stay healthy, but he’s only 25. On a side note, Winslow was on the same AAU team as Fox, Oubre and former King Justin Jackson. The Houston Hoops had a pretty solid squad.
Secondary Options: Kent Bazemore, Reggie Bullock, Furkan Korkmaz, Torrey Craig
Baze made a tremendous impact on the Kings roster during a short stretch in the 2019-20 season. At 32 years old, he still has a spring in his step, but he’s more of a 15-20 minute per game vet off the bench. He knows a lot of the players, fits the system and might be available on the cheap this season.
Bullock has turned himself into a 3-and-D wing during the course of his career. He shot 41 percent from 3-point range last season and started 64 games for the Knicks. He’s likely heading back to the big apple, but the Kings could use a player like this on a short-term deal. He’s probably not an MLE player, but he might get close, which makes things difficult for the Kings.
Korkmaz is the youngest of this group, but he’s also a player that can really stretch the floor. Philly has Bird Rights to the 24-year-old wing, but they also are pushing the luxury tax. There have been rumors of the Sixers still having interest in Buddy Hield. Could this be a piece that makes sense for both teams in a sign-and-trade?
After struggling to find time in Milwaukee, Craig found a rotational spot in Phoenix on their run to the Finals. He’s a defensive-minded player that has improved as a shooter over the last few years. Craig likely is looking at a minimum scale deal or slightly more, but if the Kings are serious about turning around their defense, he’s a nice veteran role player.
