Sacramento Kings: 5 offseason roster moves they need to make

Sacramento Kings offseason roster move No. 2: Move on from Hassan Whiteside

The Sacramento Kings signed Whiteside to a one-year, $2.3 million deal prior to the season starting. While he could still contribute, Whiteside saw his production and playing time decrease during his time with the Kings.

He was able to average 8.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 15.2 minutes per game. The problem is that Whiteside is a throwback center in a league where they are dying out. There are so few teams that have centers that can only block and rebound who have limited range on their shots.

If they are still around, they have to be elite in other areas as well. Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz is a multiple Defensive Player of the Year award winner which is why he can help the Jazz. Clint Capela of the Atlanta Hawks is also elite defensively but is surrounded by players who can space the floor with a point guard who gets him involved.

Whiteside had a couple of seasons where he was really good defensively but relies too much on blocking shots. As Steven Adams was taught, if you have to block a shot, then you have failed to stop the player on the floor. This is Whiteside’s biggest flaw on defense and is the reason the Kings would be better off with a more contemporary backup big.