Sacramento Kings: Will they be active in 2017 NBA free agency?

Will the Sacramento Kings speed up their rebuilding process by being aggressive in NBA free agency this offseason?

Vlade Divac and the Sacramento Kings are heading into an intriguing offseason. They traded their franchise superstar last season, sending DeMarcus Cousins to the New Orleans Pelicans in a deal that netted them Buddy Hield. Now, they need to decide the direction that they will take moving forward.

Over the past couple of seasons, Sacramento has been active in free agency trying to find talent to place around Cousins. Now that they are in another rebuilding phase, many are wondering whether the Kings will be active in free agency or will decide to sit out and focus on young talent alone.

Head coach Dave Joerger is not the kind of coach that likes to lose. He has been a winning coach since he first took over the Memphis Grizzlies’ head coaching job. Perhaps the Kings will bring in some veteran talent to go along with their youth movement in order to compete in 2017-18.

Looking at the current list of free agents, there are a few that could fit into a rebuild for the Kings. There are a few names that are young enough to join a young nucleus of talent and help take it to the next level faster. A few more look like the type of veteran presence that a young team needs in order to grow, both on and off the floor.

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So, should Kings fans expect their team to show interest in signing some free agents this offseason?

Despite the fact that the Kings are going into a rebuilding period, they are not going to sit down and sit out of free agency.

Sacramento likely won’t land a superstar in free agency, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see them try to enter the bidding war for players like Blake Griffin, Gordon Hayward, or even Jrue Holiday if they choose to pass on a point guard in the draft — though $38.2 million worth of cap holds will hold them back until their pending free agents sign elsewhere, per Spotrac.

There are also other young free agents that could help boost the rebuild on below-max deals. Some of those players include names like Nikola Mirotic, Tony Snell, or perhaps Tim Hardaway Jr., though again, cap holds will hinder their cap space until those free agents are renounced or sign elsewhere.

The young players likely will be restricted free agents for the most part, but Sacramento would be wise to throw some offer sheets out in hopes of snagging one of the top young talents on the market.

Sacramento should focus on their youth movement, but should not accept losing. If Joerger wants to change the atmosphere back to being a contender, it all starts with competing right now.

That being said, if you’re a Kings fan, you know how difficult it can be to attract a talented free agent. With “super teams” becoming a thing around the NBA, rebuilding teams don’t get high-caliber free agents for the most part.

It will certainly be intriguing to see what ends up happening this offseason. There are a lot of big names that could switch teams and change the landscape of the NBA. Don’t expect the Kings to get one of those players, but don’t be surprised if they sign some pieces that help them compete this season.

The draft will be the biggest part of the Kings’ offseason, but re-tooling in free agency can help take that young talent to the next level.

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Do you think the Sacramento Kings should be active in free agency this offseason? Which players do you think they should consider pursuing? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below!