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Sacramento Kings: 2016 Offseason Grades

By Gerald Bourguet

Mar 16, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) looks on during the second quarter of the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Sleep Train Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 16, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) looks on during the second quarter of the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Sleep Train Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sacramento Kings
May 10, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings vice president of basketball operations and general manager Vlade Divac and head coach Dave Joerger share a laugh during a press conference at the Sacramento Kings XC (Experience Center). Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

Overall

The Sacramento Kings added three (and possibly four) rookies to their ranks this summer, but they didn’t go all in on a full-scale rebuild. They added useful veterans that you’d expect to see from a contending team, but they didn’t build anything substantial around DeMarcus Cousins.

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They neither improved nor got substantially worse. As always, the Sacramento Kings just kind of…are.

Well, that’s actually not true. The Kings will probably be worse or about the same next year. They lost Rajon Rondo and replaced him with the incumbent Darren Collison, they replaced Quincy Acy with Anthony Tolliver, and they got rid of Seth Curry so they could sign Matt Barnes. Losing Rondo was inevitable, but does any of the rest of that make any sense?

As has been the case for a decade, the Kings are adrift at sea, devoid of direction. They didn’t trade Cousins, nor did they assemble anything but another 30-win team around him. They brought in rookies, but they couldn’t even do that completely right, passing up on Marquese Chriss‘ long-term potential for that curious Papagiannis pick. Either trade your star or go all in to help him.

It’s no wonder Rudy Gay and Boogie each had not-so-nice things to say about the front office this summer. They’re absolutely right. While the individual deals are good from a value perspective, they add up to a jumbled mess of flawed rookies and veterans who are either past their primes or not the best locker room influences.

More hoops habit: Phoenix Suns: 2016 Offseason Grades

Hiring Joerger was a major score for the franchise, but sadly, it just gave the fanbase false hope that this summer would amount to something. Labissiere and Richardson are nice finds, and none of the contracts Sacramento handed out this summer are toxic, but good luck trying to explain this team’s direction after such a contradictory and aimless offseason.

Grade: C-

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