Kings Assign Rookie Big Man to NBA G League

The Kings drafted Raynaud with the 42nd overall pick in this year's draft, and many viewed the selection as a huge steal. The 7-foot-1 French big man showed plenty of promise through four years at Stanford, especially as a Senior, when he averaged 20.2 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game.

Why send Raynaud to the G League?

However, his game has not translated to the NBA as smoothly as many would have hoped. Raynaud has appeared in just two games so far for the Kings, playing a total of 15 minutes, and has yet to score his first NBA points.

Of course, while many fans want to see more from Raynaud, this move to Stockton makes a ton of sense. The 22-year-old big man still has plenty to learn, and he is simply not getting the necessary reps to make mistakes and improve in Sacramento. In Stockton, however, Raynaud will be the star of the show and will have the freedom to play his game and make strides to get better.

Many Kings fans were very excited about their rookie duo of Raynaud and first-round pick Nique Clifford. This G League decision is in the best interest of Raynaud's future as an NBA player, and it certainly helps that the Kings now have a much more reliable backup center in Achiuwa, to where they will not have to force the rookie big man onto the court when he is not ready.

The Stockton Kings tip off their season on Saturday, where Raynaud will likely get much more opportunity to shine, rather than being stuck on the end of the bench in Sacramento.

Once the Kings feel Raynaud is ready to take on actual NBA minutes, he will certainly get called back up, but spending some time in the G League never hurts young players.