Six Sacramento Kings Players Still in NBA Free Agency

The Kings have only made two signings this offseason, excluding rookies, adding point guard Dennis Schroder and center Drew Eubanks for some much-needed depth at both positions. Still, it is surprising that a guy like Trey Lyles still sits on the open market.

Lyles, 29, has played the last three-and-a-half seasons in Sacramento, but had one of the worst statistical years of his career last season in an inconsistent role. The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 6.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 19.6 minutes per game with 42.0/34.0/70.0 shooting splits.

Lyles has also spent time with the Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, and Detroit Pistons throughout his ten-year NBA career, and could certainly at least pick up the veteran's minimum to find a new home this summer. However, guys like Doug McDermott, Jae Crowder, and Mason Jones will have a harder time finding a new franchise to join.

Of those three guys, Crowder has a good shot of being picked up thanks to his reputation around the league as a reliable veteran, even though he does not make as much of an on-court impact at this point in his career.

Another intriguing name that could find a home is Markelle Fultz, a former first-overall pick. The Kings picked up Fultz fairly late in the 2024-25 season, and the 27-year-old point guard made just 21 appearances in Sacramento, averaging 2.9 points, 1.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 0.5 steals in 8.8 minutes per game.

While Fultz undoubtedly has some talent, he went nearly the entire 2024-25 season without getting picked up by a team before the Kings gave him a chance, and he could have similar trouble finding a new opportunity this offseason.

The most likely player to return to the Kings this summer is Isaiah Crawford, who earned a two-way contract for his first year in the NBA after going undrafted. However, the Kings only have one standard spot and one two-way spot left to fill, so they could be looking to keep those slots open until they know for sure. Still, Crawford has likely done enough to convince the Kings to give him another two-way contract.