The Sacramento Kings may be content with the moves made by the front office but they're not in a position to contend in the Western Conference.
Heading into the NBA offseason, the Sacramento Kings were one team whose odds were stacked against them. Not only did they have to figure out a way to re-sign Malik Monk but they also needed to find a path toward upgrading the roster. Thankfully, especially with all the continued uncertainty that revolves around De'Aaron Fox's future with the team, the Kings managed to do so.
Right before the start of free agency, it was announced that the Kings had agreed to a new deal with Monk. Then, in the way of another splash move, the Kings acquired DeMar DeRozan via sign and trade.
In the words of Domantas Sabonis, the Kings "exceeded" his expectations with the re-signing of Monk and the addition of DeRozan. On the surface, those look like two moves that will seemingly help the team take a step forward in the West. But even though the Kings' locker room will see a boost heading into this season, I'm not sure they're in a position where they'll be able to compete with the rest of the Western Conference.
Where do the Sacramento Kings stand in the West?
Looking at the landscape of the conference and how it has improved this offseason, it's tough to predict where a team like the Kings will finish. They should be able to compete for a playoff spot but nothing is a guarantee with how deep and talented the West is.
At the top, you have to begin with the likes of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Denver Nuggets. After those top 4, there's the second tier of contenders like the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, Golden State Warriors, and LA Clippers. This is also where you can throw in a team like the Kings.
However, even after the additions from this offseason, there's still a pretty large talent gap between the Kings and any of the top 4 teams. And with 11-12 teams fighting for a top 6 spot as an automatic qualifier for the NBA Playoffs, it's hard to envision anything a given for a team like the Kings.
You have to credit this front office for doing its best to upgrade the roster. However, at least for now, even though the Kings are improved, you can also make the argument that they do leave a bit to be desired as a potential championship contender. The Kings aren't quite there yet, and that's OK to say.
The question is, how will this locker room handle that throughout this season?