The Kings open training camp this week at their practice facility in the heart of downtown Sacramento. The roster is in flux, and between the coronavirus pandemic and a roster upheaval, the season is filled with uncertainty.
Can the Kings find their identity as a running team? How much will they miss Bogdan Bogdanovic? Can young draft picks and free-agent acquisitions mesh, or is this a season of retooling?
The roster that begins this year is unlikely to be the same one that finishes this season as new general manager Monte McNair looks to remake the team in his image. The league has taken away 10 games to condense the schedule that will start a little over two months late due to the pandemic.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Here is a look at where the team stands entering training camp for the 2020-21 season.
Additions
Tyrese Haliburton, Jahmi’us Ramsey, Robert Woodard, Glenn Robinson III, Hassan Whiteside, Frank Kaminsky (non-guarantee), Chimezie Metu (non-guarantee), Vince Edwards (Exhibit 10), Quinton Rose (Exhibit 10).
Monte McNair added three pieces in the draft, including a major player in Tyrese Haliburton and a pair of second-round selections in Ramsey and Woodard. He added depth at the wing in Robinson III and at center/power forward with veterans Whiteside, Kaminsky and Metu. All four are on minimum scale one-year contracts. Edwards and Rose are training camp invites with potential to land on the Stockton Kings roster in the G League.
NBA
Additions part II
Head coach Luke Walton had some work to do with his coaching staff after lead assistant Igor Kokoskov and defensive specialist Bob Beyer left. Walton replaced two very good coaches with two that might be considered upgrades in Alvin Gentry and Rex Kalamian. Gentry spent the last five seasons as the head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans and is close with Walton from their time together in Golden State. Kalamian worked under Doc Rivers on the Clippers staff over the last few seasons and this is his second tour of duty in Sacramento.
Departures
Bogdan Bogdanovic, Harry Giles, Alex Len, Kent Bazemore, Yogi Ferrell, Cory Brewer
Of this group, Bogdanovic played the most rotational minutes over the last few seasons. The Kings’ starting shooting guard signed an offer sheet with the Atlanta Hawks, which McNair decided not to match. Giles landed in Portland on a one-year deal. Len joined the Toronto Raptors, Bazemore went back to where it all started with the Warriors, Brewer is now a player development coach for the Pelicans and Ferrell still is a free agent.
RELATED: McNair says he is on same page with Hield, agent
Battle to Watch
Richaun Holmes vs. Hassan Whiteside
Holmes played extremely well in his first season with the Kings and looks like a perfect fit in the team's up tempo offense. He’s a pick-and-roll specialist and played very well on the defensive end as well. Whiteside posted 15.5 points, 13.5 rebounds and led the NBA in blocks at 2.9 per game last season in Portland. Those are big numbers, but they didn’t exactly equate to wins with the Blazers.
Player on the Rise
De’Aaron Fox is the face of the franchise, especially after landing a new five-year, $163 million extension. He put up huge numbers in the bubble and looks prime to make another leap in his production.
Player on the Mend
Marvin Bagley played a total of 13 games last season while dealing with a broken thumb, left foot sprain and right foot sprain. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft needs to find a way to stay on the court in his third NBA season, especially if he hopes to land an extension next summer.
Which Way to the Gym?
Last season Buddy Hield lost his starting job mid-season to Bogdanovic, which didn’t sit well with the veteran shooter. The 28-year-old guard loves to post pictures and videos of his offseason workouts on social media and Hield looks like he has hit the gym hard since the bubble. He’ll be in a battle with Haliburton for backcourt minutes this season.
Hungry for a Chance
Sacramento has a collection of young players who enter camp with hopes of earning time. Outside of Haliburton, who is expected to be in the rotation early, DaQuan Jeffries might have the best chance of earning playing time early in the year after a strong showing in the bubble.
Preseason Depth Chart
PG: De’Aaron Fox, Cory Joseph, Kyle Guy, Quinton Rose
SG: Buddy Hield, Tyrese Haliburton, Jahmi’ us Ramsey
SF: Harrison Barnes, Glenn Robinson III, DaQuan Jeffries, Robert Woodard, Justin James, Vince Edwards
PF: Marvin Bagley, Nemanja Bjelica, Frank Kaminski
C: Richaun Holmes, Hassan Whiteside, Jabari Parker, Chimezie Metu
Projected final roster: Fox, Joseph, Hield, Haliburton, Barnes, Robinson III, Jeffries, Woodard, James, Bagley, Bjelica, Kaminski, Holmes, Whiteside, Parker
Two-way: Ramsey, Guy