NBA: Ranking every team’s best player in 2018-19

30. Sacramento Kings: Buddy Hield, SG

The Sacramento Kings are caught in the cycle of rebuilding, continually adding young players without gaining traction. Every other year they reach for veterans to try and jumpstart the rebuild, only to pick the wrong players or improperly deploy them. The best player on this team is a difficult decision because no player has stepped up as a star.

That does not mean the Kings do not have talent, because they absolutely do. Buddy Hield became a standout sixth man for the Kings last season, scoring 13.5 points per game and leading the Kings with 2.2 3-pointers per game. By being available for the entire season, he led the team in total points and steals, and has settled in as a solid rotation player in the NBA.

Marvin Bagley III, Harry Giles and De’Aaron Fox all have plenty of pedigree and could grow into the role of “best player” as early as this season. Hield himself could continue to grow and perhaps creep up this list. But for now, the Kings are still groping for a star, and that keeps Hield at 30th in these rankings just like the team is in a power ranking.