NBA: Re-seeding the Western Conference after the Free Agency

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NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 21: Marvin Bagley III poses after being drafted second overall by the Sacramento Kings during the 2018 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 21, 2018 in the Brooklyn borough of 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) /

The cellar-dwellars

These are the teams still in rebuild mode, with no realistic chance of making the playoffs.

15. Sacramento Kings

Last season: 27-55, 12th

Notable ins: Marvin Bagley III, Ben McLemore, Deyonta Davis

Notable outs: Garrett Temple

It seems like a fairly safe bet to say that the Sacramento Kings will be the worst team in the West next season. They weren’t far from it last season, and their biggest offseason addition raises further questions about their roster.

Marvin Bagley was an unstoppable force in the paint in college, but it became clear during summer league that he will struggle to create good looks early in his professional career. He doesn’t have the strength to battle big men in the post, and his lack of a reliable outside shot makes him an awkward fit with the Kings.

They still need to decide who of Bagley, Harry Giles, Skal Labissiere and Willie Cauley-Stein make up their frontcourt of the future. All have shown promising signs, but none are guaranteed commodities.

Outside of that glut of big men, Sacramento has a strange hodgepodge of young and old. De’Aaron Fox is a high-upside prospect at point guard, and Buddy Hield improved drastically last season. But with Vince Carter and Zach Randolph still on the roster, it’s hard to figure out where the Kings are trying to go.

Where they want to go probably won’t matter, as they will undoubtedly find themselves out of the playoff race. They should use next season as a chance to work out who fits long-term on their roster, and try to retool around them for future years.

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