Kings hoping stability, not splash, leads them back to relevance

The Kings are in transition but aren’t tearing anything down. After back-to-back seasons that ended short of expectations, Sacramento hit the reset button on leadership rather than the roster, as HoopsRumors’ Luke Adams wrote in his season preview.

Doug Christie, once Mike Brown’s lead assistant, now runs the show full-time after a steady interim stretch. And Scott Perry, the veteran executive brought in to replace Monte McNair, took a conservative first swing as head of basketball operations by patching holes, not blowing things up.

Filling the Fox void

The Kings’ biggest change, of course, came months ago when they traded standout guard De’Aaron Fox after he made clear he wasn’t signing an extension. Enter Dennis Schroder, a proven veteran who arrived via sign-and-trade with Detroit on a three-year deal worth $44 million (third year partially guaranteed).

Schroder’s track record is mixed, but the Kings aren’t expecting miracles. They’re banking on stability — a veteran guard who can run the offense, defend at the point of attack, and bring some order to a post-Fox backcourt.

He will of course be joined by the likes of Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray, and Malik Monk, forming the core of a group that’s good enough to compete in the West but still searching for the consistency that once made Sacramento one of the league’s most fun stories.

Rookies and roles

Sacramento also managed to sneak back into the first round, trading a future protected pick to Oklahoma City for the No. 24 slot and selecting Nique Clifford, a five-year college player praised for his defensive awareness and readiness. Clifford impressed in Summer League and could push for a rotation spot right away.

The Kings also added second-rounder Maxime Raynaud, a mobile 7-footer from Stanford, and brought in Drew Eubanks and Doug McDermott on minimum deals for veteran depth. The swap of Jonas Valanciunas for Dario Saric was a salary move more than anything, trimming money while hoping Saric can rediscover his stretch big form.

Roster math

The Kings have 13 guaranteed contracts and are operating over the cap but below the luxury tax line. Terence Davis remains in camp fighting for the final roster spot on a non-guaranteed deal, and there’s been quiet chatter about Russell Westbrook as a possible fit — though only if Sacramento carves out a clear role first.

More pressing, though, are the looming extension talks for Murray and Keon Ellis. Murray is viewed as a future cornerstone but still needs to show offensive growth after a bit of a plateau last season. Ellis, meanwhile, has become one of the league’s more underrated perimeter defenders and is due for a payday if the Kings want to keep their defensive identity intact.

Bottom line

The Kings didn’t make a splash this summer, and that’s by design. After a chaotic 18 months that saw coaching changes and a franchise player exit, Sacramento is betting on steadiness.

Namely, a veteran point guard, a full season under Christie, and internal growth from a talented young core.

It’s not flashy, but in a brutal Western Conference, sometimes a steady hand is the first step back toward relevance.