2016 Sacramento Kings

Written by Paul Banks of the Washington Times, David Kay and Peter Christian of the The Sports Bank. Send Paul an e-mail here: paulb05 AT hotmail DOT com.
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Sacramento Kings (Last Year: 33-49)

2016-17 Projected Depth Chart:

C: DeMarcus Cousins/Kosta Koufos

PF: Willie Cauley-Stein/Eric Moreland

SF: Rudy Gay/Omri Casspi/Duje Dukan

SG: Ben McLemore/Marco Belinelli

PG: Darren Collison

NBA Free Agents:

PG-Rajon Rondo (UFA)

SG-Seth Curry (UFA)

PF-Quincy Acy (UFA)

SG-James Anderson (UFA)

SF-Caron Butler (PO)

PF-Eric Moreland (RFA)

2016-17 Team Salary: Approximately $61.6 million

NBA Offseason Team Needs:

1. Point Guard: With Rajon Rondo a free agent and Darren Collison getting arrested over the Memorial Day weekend on felony domestic violence charges, the Kings’ point guard situation is a huge concern. Rondo had a nice bounce-back season, leading the league in assists, and will be due a hefty pay raise this summer. Sacramento will likely try to bring him back if the price is right. Rondo could look to flee Sacramento though in hopes of linking up with a playoff contender. If that is the case, the Kings must look elsewhere to add another point guard.

2. Frontcourt Scorer: Besides DeMarcus Cousins, the Kings lack a whole lot of scoring punch inside. Willie Cauley-Stein isn’t there yet, and Kosta Koufos has never been known as a real offensive threat. The Kings don’t need to land a starter to pair alongside Cousins since Cauley-Stein should be that guy, but adding an offensively capable four man to come off the bench would help diversify the frontcourt.

3. Be Aggressive, but Smart Sacramento’s management wants to win now and figures to be aggressive in free agency with whatever cap space is available. The franchise also possesses the eighth-overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft; its eighth consecutive lottery pick. The Kings should be able to add a couple nice pieces, but shouldn’t force a big move just for the sake of making a big move. A decision like that would only hurt them in the long term.