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Are the Sacramento Kings actually having a good offseason?

By Morgan Dunn

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 22: De’Aaron Fox walks on stage with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being drafted fifth overall by the Sacramento Kings during the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 22, 2017 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 22: De’Aaron Fox walks on stage with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being drafted fifth overall by the Sacramento Kings during the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 22, 2017 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /
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The Sacramento Kings surprisingly had one of the best NBA offseasons; can they build on it?

For the past several years, the Sacramento Kings organization has been largely defined by their dysfunction. The days of Chris Webber and Peja Stojakovic seem like a lifetime ago, and owner Vivek Ranadive and executive Vlade Divac have received their fair share of criticism as of late.

The pair was again condemned last season when the team traded star big man DeMarcus Cousins for what seemed like pennies on the dollar at the NBA All-Star Break. The Boogie trade signaled a new era in Sacramento, and if this offseason is any indication there may still be hope for Kings fans after all.

Let’s start with the NBA Draft. Sacramento had the 5th and 10th picks in the first round, a pretty nice setup for a team looking to rebuild. Heading into the draft it looked as though the Kings would end up with one of the trio of De’Aaron Fox, Josh Jackson and Jayson Tatum. Any of the three would have been a nice addition to the Kings roster, but Fox felt like the best fit.

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The Sacramento Kings should be looking for a change to their culture, and securing the services of high character players can really help in that regard. Fox is the kind of player that everyone seems to rave about, and the Kings also happened to have a huge hole at the point guard position.

Former ESPN draft guru Chad Ford’s scouting report on Fox:

"“His speed, quickness, toughness, defense and ability to get to the basket are all elite.”"

Sacramento had to be happy to see the Kentucky point guard still on the board at five.

The team then decided to use the 10th pick to move back in the draft and secure the 15th and 20th picks from Portland. For a team looking to add as much young talent as possible, this seemed a prudent decision. While Zach Collins, who Portland used the 10th pick on, is a really nice player, he didn’t seem to be the best fit for an already crowded Sacramento frontcourt.

The Kings used the 15th pick to take North Carolina small forward Justin Jackson, who was fresh off helping the Heels win a National Championship. Jackson projects as a solid 3-and-D player at the pro level, and small forward was most definitely a position of need for the Kings.

After two relatively safe picks in the first round, the Kings had earned the ability to roll the dice at 20. They did so to draft a player that was once projected to be the first overall pick in the 2017 draft, Harry Giles.

The Duke big man was drawing Kevin Garnett and Chris Webber comparisons in high school before multiple injuries derailed his progress. He didn’t seem himself in his one year at Duke, but his upside remains enormous. Of course, Giles could go the way of Greg Oden, but with the 20th pick he was well worth the risk. The team would also add Frank Mason III, a guy that could become a decent backup PG, in the second round.

After the draft, Sacramento turned their attention to free agency. The Kings have had some trouble landing free agents in recent years, but that trend appears to have changed. Guard George Hill has reportedly signed with the Kings for three years at $57 million. The third year of the deal is only partially guaranteed. This is a great move for a young team that needed to add some veteran leadership. Hill is a pro’s pro, an adult to help some of the kids on Sacramento’s roster. He’s capable of playing either guard positions, defends at a high level, can shoot the three and should be a good mentor for Fox in particular.

The Kings then proceeded to land power forward Zach Randolph on a two-year deal worth $24 million. Z-Bo’s best days are certainly behind him, but he can still bang inside and should provide some valuable instruction for youngsters like Skal Labissiere, who showed flashes of his immense talent after the Cousins trade last season.

Both Hill and Randolph come with reasonable price tags, and they should be good examples for what is otherwise a young squad.

The crowned jewel of the Kings’ young core has to be Fox, a player that has the chance to develop into a top-tier point guard if he can handle his shooting issues. Labissiere is a long, supremely-talented big man with serious two-way potential. Buddy Hield improved a lot over the course of his rookie season and could very well end up being a long-term answer at the two-spot.

Justin Jackson should be ready to contribute right away on both ends of the court. Harry Giles has all the upside in the world, and Georgios Papagiannis is massive in size and just 20 years old. Willie Cauley-Stein looks like a decent role player, and newly-signed Bogdan Bogdanovic arrives with promise.

Must Read: NBA Power Rankings: Post Draft and Free Agency edition

The Sacramento Kings did a good job of adding young talent and really kickstarting the rebuilding process, but also acquiring solid veteran leadership on short-term contracts. I have not thought this in quite a long time, but I actually like what this team is doing.

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