Which players on the Kings roster will be a part of their regular rotation, and what will their roles be?
STARTERS
PG De’Aaron Fox
SG Kevin Huerter
SF Harrison Barnes
PF Keegan Murray
C Domantas Sabonis
BENCH ROTATION
Richaun Holmes
Trey Lyles
Davion Mitchell
Malik Monk
DEEP BENCH – VETERANS
Kent Bazemore
Terence Davis
Matthew Dellavedova
Alex Len
Chimezie Metu
KZ Okpala
DEEP BENCH – DEVELOPING YOUTH
Keon Ellis
Neemias Queta
LIKELY TO BE WAIVED
Quinn Cook
Sam Merrill
Chima Moneke
POSITION BATTLES
The only real uncertainty in the starting lineup is at shooting guard. Kevin Huerter is the likely starter, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone if Malik Monk ended up in the role. Monk and De’Aaron Fox have already proven to be a highly successful backcourt duo with the success they had in their college days at Kentucky. On the other hand, Huerter has started 79% of his games since being drafted whereas in Monk’s first four seasons in Charlotte he only made one start; it may make more sense to keep them in the roles in which they are most accustomed.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
The Kings took a lot of heat for drafting Keegan Murray over Jaden Ivey (and somewhat deservedly so given their history over the past 15 years with failed lottery picks). It really helped, though, that Murray looked dominating in the summer. The Kings are highly motivated to break a 15 year playoff drought and are counting on Murray to be productive out of the gate. If he does, he will quickly become a favorite of a fan base starving to have some source of pride to associate with their team and the moves they’ve made.
Neemias Queta is a young big man that has shown a lot of promise. He’s not quite at the level of Richaun Holmes but his development will be interesting to watch. Many of the other veterans on the Kings bench are on expiring contracts; if at midseason the Kings feel that an upgrade is necessary to secure a playoff spot, you could see some of these players packaged with draft picks in an attempt to find that missing piece.