NBA Rumors: Best free agent every team in Pacific Division should target
By Matt Sidney
Sacramento Kings: Hamidou Diallo, SG/SF
The starting 5 of De'Aaron Fox, Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes, Keegan Murray, and Domantas Sabonis are very good. Add their sixth man, Malik Monk, and their top 6 is one of the more talented in the NBA. After the top 6, things make like Yahtzee and get dicey. This team on the whole is not the best defensively and they could use a specialist who is also athletic and can drive/cut/slash to the hoop, which is why Hamidou Diallo makes the most sense here.
Diallo is a long, 6-foot-5 wing with a 6-foot-11 wingspan. He is a career 49.5% field goal shooter, but that elevates to 53.4% when we are just talking about 2-point attempts. The Kings make and take the 3rd most 3-pointers in the league, with 15.1 and 41.4 respectively. This is an ideal situation for both parties. Diallo can drive and slash to the hoop, with driving lanes wide open due to the spacing the Kings naturally provide. Huerter and Sabonis are above-average passers for their positions, which makes the idea of finding Diallo cutting even more intriguing.
Last year, the Kings broke the longest playoff drought in the NBA but succumbed to the Warriors because they couldn't stop them defensively. The defensive approach has not changed this season and if they don't find a fix for it this season, they might just be another first-round flop. The Kings should reach out to Diallo's camp and get him reps with the team ASAP to build the necessary chemistry needed for a deep playoff run.