Previewing The 2024-25 Sacramento Kings
September 17th, 2024
by Alan Lu
After having a very successful 2023 season, the Sacramento Kings struggled to fare as well in the very competitive Western Conference in 2024. They were able to defeat Golden State in their first play-in tournament game, but then they lost to New Orleans in the second play-in tournament game, and the 2024 Sacramento Kings ended up missing the playoffs. They did have another banner season from Domantas Sabonis, and De’Aaron Fox has continued to prove that he is a very good complementary piece to their team. However, while the Kings improved considerably on defense, they weren’t quite the stellar offensive team that they were in 2023. This time around, the Sacramento Kings brought in new superstar acquisition DeMar DeRozan, which could fortify the Kings as title contenders for the upcoming season.
Domantas Sabonis has been one of the league’s best centers, and he will team up with DeMar DeRozan and De’Aaron Fox to lead the Sacramento Kings into the 2024-25 NBA season.
(Photo: Kyle Terada/USA Today Sports, via Star Local Media)
Star Players:
C Domantas Sabonis, G De’Aaron Fox, and F DeMar DeRozan
Sabonis is a very skilled, All-Star center that had a very good season last year, and he was able to help the Kings get a playoff berth in 2023. De’Aaron Fox is a speedy, skilled playmaker that can attack the basket to score and get assists. DeMar DeRozan is an established, star forward that boasts having a strong mid-range game, and he’s a smooth scoring forward that can distribute the basketball, and will help give the Kings another reliable scorer on the floor that can help them in crunch time.
Additions:
G-F DeMar DeRozan, G Devin Carter, G Jordan McLaughlin, C Orlando Robinson, and F Jalen McDaniels
The Kings were able to add a slew of players, but the most notable additions were that they signed DeMar DeRozan, and were able to select Devin Carter in the draft. They were able to add a third star player that can easily generate offense, and they also boosted their depth by adding a couple of solid playmaking point guards, as well as by adding other talented players that can compete for a rotation spot on this team.
Subtractions:
F Harrison Barnes, C JaVale McGee, F Kessler Edwards, G Davion Mitchell, F Sasha Vezenkov, G-F Chris Duarte
The Kings lost a slew of role players, but the biggest one was that they lost Harrison Barnes in the offseason. He was a solid 3 and D role player for them, and his presence will be missed on this team.
Rookies:
G Devin Carter, F Isaiah Crawford, F-C Isaac Jones, and G Boogie Ellis
The Kings added a slew of rookies that can make contributions to their roster, and their top rookie on this team is Devin Carter, a tough, skilled point guard that can knock down shots, distribute the basketball, and is a very good defender at his position, and he will likely replace Davion Mitchell and his role on the team this season.
Expected Rotation:
De’Anthony Fox, DeMar DeRozan, their owner Vivek Ranadive, and Devin Carter will team up to help the Sacramento Kings in 2025. (Photo: José Luis Villegas/The Sacramento Bee)
The Kings have a talented starting unit. Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox have been a very good tandem together. They have good supporting shooters in Huerter and Murray, so they should have the firepower to be one of the better offensive teams in the league. Plus, they also added DeMar DeRozan to add even more offensive firepower to their team.
Projected Starting Lineup:
Key Bench Players:
Malik Monk had a very solid season last year, and he has developed into being one of the best sixth men in the NBA. (Photo: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images, via Sactown Sports)
Malik Monk has become one of the more reliable sixth men in the league.
G-F Keon Ellis
The Rest of the Roster:
G-F Colby Jones
C Alex Len
F Isaiah Crawford (Two-Way)
F-C Isaac Jones (Two-Way)
G-F Mason Jones (Two-Way)
Others in Camp:
G Boogie Ellis (Exhibit 10)
Team Options at the End of the 2025 Season:
Here I will project the likelihood of the Sacramento Kings to pick up and accept or decline the team options for various players at the end of the 2025 season.
Keegan Murray – Team Option Will Likely Be Accepted (100% Certainty)
Keon Ellis – Team Option Will Likely Be Accepted (100% Certainty)
Head Coach:
Sacramento Kings’ head coach, Mike Brown won Coach of the Year last year, and he will look to build off of that for the upcoming NBA season.
(Photo: USATSI, via CBS Sports)
Mike Brown
2023-24 (SAC): 46-36, missed the playoffs
Coaching Career: 441-286, 50-40 in the NBA Playoffs
Mike Brown had an excellent first season in Sacramento. He installed a dynamic motion offense that greatly boosted their efficiency. In his second season with them, they regressed, and they lost in the play-in tournament and barely missed out on the playoffs, but now that they have DeRozan, the Kings should make it to the playoffs in 2025.
NBA Head Coach Rank: 8
Outlook:
After having a successful 2023 season, the Kings barely missed out on the playoffs in 2024, but with DeRozan joining their team, the Kings will most likely make the playoffs in 2025.
(Photo: Sergio Estrada/USA Today Sports, via The Kings Herald)
The Sacramento Kings were able to make an interesting move to get DeMar DeRozan, which could add a new dimension to their offense, which may be enough of a difference for them to gain some ground and make the playoffs.
Projected 2024-25 Finish:
Expected Win-Loss Record: 50-32
Projected Regular Season Finish: 4th in the Western Conference
Expected Playoff Finish: Projected to lose in the 1st Round
Preseason NBA Power Ranking: 9
I went to Basketball-Reference and SalarySwish to look up some information for this write-up. It will be an exciting basketball season this year, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the season will unfold. Anyways, that is my write-up on my preview of the 2024-25 Sacramento Kings. Thanks for reading.