The Sacramento Kings’ starting backcourt is presumably set, with recently acquired Dennis Schröder and Zach LaVine expected to be paired together. Despite Malik Monk still being on the roster, the Kings are reportedly looking to upgrade their depth at point guard with another veteran.
Sacramento may have to outbid the New York Knicks for Ben Simmons, according to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer in a recent Bleacher Report stream. While Simmons appears to be among the veterans on the Kings’ list, he is not the only one, as Fischer mentioned as a target. Fischer added that the Kings are still interested in Russell Westbrook and Malcolm Brogdon.
“For Ben Simmons, the two teams we’re hearing that are still in the mix are: Sacramento, New York,” Fischer said. “Personally, I think Ben Simmons would be interesting in Minnesota, but I haven’t heard that they have interest in him.”
Can Sacramento Outduel New York For Former No. 1 Overall Pick, Two Other Veteran Options For Kings
Simmons inked a rest-of-the-season contract with the Los Angeles Clippers after receiving a “buyout” from Brooklyn. However, the 29-year-old couldn’t carve out a significant role with the Clippers, and he saw less than nine minutes of game time during the playoffs.
While it may be surprising for some fans that Simmons still garners interest despite not being able to shoot or struggles with staying on the court, the fact remains that the 6-10 guard is productive when he is healthy and can do things others can’t.
Simmons is an elite distributor and ballhandler. Simmons thrives in transition and is an outstanding finisher at the rim. He can also defend all five positions and is an exceptional defensive rebounder. However, he is not a threat from the perimeter.
Simmons hasn’t been excellent in recent years. However, Simmons holds a career average of 13 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, and one steal per game. Despite not recording a triple-double the past few seasons, he has produced seven triple-doubles per 82 appearances for his career.
Sacramento has 14 players on standard contracts with a salary cap hit of $185 meaning. The Kings, who are $2.8 million below the luxury tax, have the league’s bi-annual exception ($5.13 million) and most of their mid-level ($10.9 million). They also have some flexibility with Keon Ellis ($2.3 million) and Terrence Davis ($2.5 million), who hold non-guaranteed deals.
Russell Westbrook and Malcolm Brogdon
Westbrook has finished in the top 10 in 6th-Man of the Year the past three seasons. The 36-year-old point guard, who turned down his player option with Denver, showed he still has more left in his tank after a subpar 2023-24 season with the Clippers.
Westbrook averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, 1.4 steals, and 4.9 rebounds. Westbrook compiled 13 double-doubles and four triple-doubles with shooting splits of 44.9/32.3/66.1 in 27 minutes over 75 appearances. He has garnered interest from several teams, with Detroit being named the “Top Landing Spot” by Nathaniel Holloway of Athlon Sports.
Brogdon has been a free agent since July 1. Like Simmons, Brogdon has struggled to stay on the court recently. He has appeared in 63 games over the past two seasons, seeing action in just 24 contests this past season.
Brogdon compiled 12.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in 23.5 minutes for Washington. He recorded two double-doubles while scoring in double-figures in 16 of his 24 appearances, topping the 20-point plateau three times, with shooting splits of 43.3/28.6/88.
Fischer suggested four potential landing spots for Brogdon. He mentioned Milwaukee, Golden State, Sacramento, and Minnesota as fits, though he later dismissed the Bucks.
“For Malcolm Brogdon—I don’t think Milwaukee is still a landing spot for him, especially after they brought in Cole Anthony on a buyout from Memphis. But teams like Sacramento, New Orleans, Minnesota, [and] Golden State …still have plenty of interest in Brogdon.”
Kings Reportedly Looking to Upgrade Their Point Guard Depth
If Monk isn’t traded, Simmons makes the most sense of the three veterans mentioned for the Kings. The addition of Simmons would allow Monk, Schröder, and LaVine to focus on what they do best: putting the ball in the basket. Meanwhile, the 2016 No. 1 overall selection would take care of running the offense and guarding the other team’s top perimeter scorer. Plus, if DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray, or Domantas Sabonis suffer an injury, Simmons could step in for any of those three.
Sacramento can easily outbid New York for Simmons. The Knicks have two open roster spots that they must fill on their 15-man roster. The Knicks are $2.4 million from being hard-capped at the second apron. They only have $185,000 of their NBA exceptions available.
Suppose Simmons doesn’t sign with Sacramento. Westbrook is the next logical choice, as he and Monk would complement each other well. Westbrook is a better scorer and shooter than Simmons, but he lacks the same level of versatility. Meanwhile, Brogdon doesn’t make much sense as he and Monk are two similar players, and neither guards well.
Photo Credit: © Gary A. Vasquez, Imagn Images
The post Can Sacramento Outduel New York For Former No. 1 Overall Pick, Two Other Veteran Options For Kings appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.