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Apr 11, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings center Jonas Valanciunas (17) during the third quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Sacramento Kings Expected to Regret Two Big Offseason Moves

Originally posted on Sacramento Kings on SI
By Will Zimmerle | Last updated Aug 20, 2025 2:01 PM ET

The Sacramento Kings have had a relatively quiet offseason compared to the rest of the NBA. They've been connected to Jonathan Kuminga for what feels like forever, but haven't made any major changes to their roster.

The main moves that Scott Perry has made were done on draft night to bring in Nique Clifford and Maxime Raynaud, bringing in Dennis Schröder in a sign-and-trade, and trading Jonas Valanciunas to the Denver Nuggets for Dario Saric.

While bringing in Schröder to fill the point guard position filled a desperate need for the Kings and trading Valanciunas saved money helping to do so, the moves are still getting questions around the league.

Bleacher Report's Dan Favale wrote about the five teams that are most likely to regret their offseason moves in the future, and listed the Kings as one of the five for their combination of the Schröder and Valanciunas moves.

Dennis Schröder - Age, Contract, and Potential Decline

Favale started with Schröder, noting his age and potential to see a decline in his play as the contract ages.

"The contract looks like an overpay at first glance. It still might be. Schröder is 31, and so much of his effectiveness is predicated on quickness. He will not retain his value as well as others over time. Still, only thefirst two years of his agreement are fully guaranteed. Just $4.4 million of his salary in the final season is a lock to remain on the ledger."

David Reginek-Imagn Images

Schröder is a decent shooter from beyond the arc, with a 34.2% career three-point percentage, but he excels in the pick-and-roll. It's possible that his craftiness helps him age as he loses his quickness, but he likely won't transition into a catch-and-shoot specialist as his career comes to an end.

The good news for Schröder and the Kings is that he's been an extremely healthy player throughout his career. Schröder has played over 60 games every season since his rookie year, and played 75 games last year and 80 in the 2023-24 season. His durability should help him throughout the tenure of this three-year contract as well.

Jonas Valanciunas - Kings Lose One of League's Best Backup Centers

For Valanciunas, there's no denying that the Kings lost a valuable piece of their rotation in the move. The question for the Kings is if either Maxime Raynaud or Isaac Jones can step in and replicate the veteran big's production.

While losing Valanciunas hurts for this upcoming season, it's a move that helps set the Kings up for future success to clear playing time for their young bigs. Having both Domantas Sabonis and Valanciunas on the roster was a luxury that few teams have, but spending $52 million on the center position between the two is a hard pill to swallow in the current NBA landscape.

Perry seems to be taking his time reshaping the Kings' roster, and while neither of these moves are necessarily focused on the future, the hope is that Schröder can help build a culture and identity. Only time will tell if that, along with the young bigs getting more playing time, will work out for the Kings, or come back to haunt them down the line.

This article first appeared on Sacramento Kings on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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