The Sacramento Kings topped Bleacher Report's "Worst Futures" list over the next three seasons despite presumed cap space next offseason and a strong draft with Darius Acuff Jr. as the headliner.
Sacramento hasn't been a successful franchise since the mid-2000s, and its historic 2023 season looks more like an outlier as time passes. The team has missed the playoffs in back-to-back years since breaking a 16-year drought.
Monte McNair, the previous general manager, failed to develop or retain young talent and gave out crippling, massive extensions to De'Aaron Fox -- traded to the San Antonio Spurs -- and Domantas Sabonis. His mistakes have given his successor, Scott Perry, a difficult time rebuilding the team.
Perry has struggled to find trade suitors for Zach LaVine and Sabonis, couldn't offer free agents more than the veteran's minimum and parted with DeMar DeRozan and Devin Carter to shed salary.
He left with a draft haul of Acuff, Alex Karaban and Emanuel Sharp. One positive out of an otherwise mundane offseason.
Sacramento's future looks bleak, but Bleacher Report is slightly overblowing the team's placement. LaVine's $49 million and De'Andre Hunter's $24 million salaries are coming off the books at the end of next season.
The Kings will have the much-needed financial flexibility to overhaul the team. Toronto Raptors forward RJ Barrett and Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet could be prime free agent targets next offseason.
Matt George, host of "The Matt and Kayla Show" on Sactown Sports 1140, believes those players fit the culture Perry is trying to build. Perry drafted Barrett in 2019 when he was the New York Knicks' general manager, and VanVleet is a veteran point guard who can back up and mentor Acuff.
Even Jonathan Kuminga, who signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves, could be a free agent target. His agent, Aaron Turner, highlighted the Kings, who have tried to acquire him before, will have the money to do so next offseason.
None of these potential moves are franchise-altering, but they give the team a much higher baseline to work with in the future. Anything is better than a 22-60 season with the third-worst defensive rating in NBA history.
Sacramento's future is influenced by Acuff proving he can lead a team as the No. 1 option, a tall task in his rookie year. ESPN predicted him to be the most likely to win rookie of the year (outside the top-four picks), and George believes he can "slam" Fox's rookie season numbers.
The Kings' future isn't the worst in the NBA, but they are definitely a work in progress, one that will take a few seasons to see a polished product.
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