Who are the Sacramento Kings Starters?
The Kings return the same starting five that took a 2-0 lead on the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs last season before they lost Games 3, 4, 5 and 7. This is very much an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" thing, and the lineup that ended last season is the same lineup that will begin this season.
Point Guard - De'Aaron Fox
Winner of the inaugural Clutch Player of the Year award, Fox was the team's leading scorer at 25.0 points per game, the sixth-highest average for any point guard in the NBA. Fox averaged only 6.1 assists because the Kings run so much of their offense through Sabonis, but make no mistake: This player is a terrific passer and speedster with six years of NBA tread on his tires despite being only 25.
Shooting Guard - Kevin Huerter
A favorite of all redheads around the United States, Huerter is a 3-point specialist with size (6-foot-7) who is coming off the highest-scoring season of his five-year career after the Kings acquired him from Atlanta for Justin Holiday, Moe Harkless, and a first-round pick. General manager Monte McNair was criticized at the time for giving up too much, but Huerter's scoring average rose from 12.1 points per game to 15.2 points per game in his first year in Sacramento.
Small Forward - Harrison Barnes
The old man on the team at age 31 and entering his 13th season, his sixth with the Kings, Barnes started all 82 games last season and averaged 15.0 points, making a career-high 84.7 percent of his free throws. He is the same solid but unspectacular player he was when he played for Golden State and Dallas after being the seventh overall pick of the 2012 draft.
Power Forward - Keegan Murray
Will the second-year player from Iowa be looking over his shoulder this season after a rookie campaign in which he averaged 12.2 points and knocked down 206 3-pointers? That is a distinct possibility now that Vezenkov is aboard after a standout season for Olympiacos in Greece. Murray made first-team All-Rookie last season while averaging 12.2 points and 4.6 rebounds. In his final season at Iowa, he averaged 23.5 points and 8.7 rebounds, so keep this guy on your Most Improved Player radar.
Center - Domantas Sabonis
This is Karl Malone's favorite player who is not named Jayson Tatum. That is a fact. What else did the Mailman say about the best player from Lithuania? "What was Indiana thinking when they traded that guy?" Sabonis is a dark-horse MVP candidate who averaged 19.1 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 7.3 assists last season playing "point-center," and if the Kings exceed expectations this year and Sabonis can start dropping regular triple-doubles a la Nikola Jokic, watch out.
Who is on the Sacramento Kings Bench?
The Kings have positioned themselves nicely when it comes to depth to the point where some fans are wondering how the coaching staff will find enough minutes for everyone. That's a fantastic problem to have and should help keep the team fresh for another playoff run. Here's a look at the players who will typically be coming off the bench, outside of any injuries to the starting five:
In addition to the names above, the Kings also have guys like Colby Jones and Jordan Ford as depth options as well. With Alex Len out for several weeks, Trey Lyles and JaVale McGee will be the only options at center to come off the bench.
Who Is the Kingsā 6th Man?
Malik Monk is the Kings' 6th man for the second year in a row and has built upon that role and improved from last season. Monk finished sixth for the Sixth Man of the Year Award last year and currently has the second-shortest odds to win this year. Monk's 6th Man of the Year odds at +205 on DraftKings, trailing only Tim Hardaway Jr. at +105.
Who is in the Kings' Front Office?
| Position | Staff Member |
| General Manager | Monte McNair |
| Head Coach | Mike Brown |
| Associate Head Coach | Jordi Fernandez |
Who is the Kings' Head Coach?
Mike Brown is best known for his time spent coaching LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Kobe Bryant with the Los Angeles Lakers. He also went 12-2 as Steve Kerr's replacement (COVID) when he was an assistant with Golden State. Last season, he led the Kings to their first playoff appearance since 2006 and was the first unanimous Coach of the Year, receiving all 100 first-place votes.
Who is the Kingsā General Manager?
McNair left the Houston Rockets in September 2020 after having spent 13 years in that organization. He is the reigning Executive of the Year after having acquired Sabonis from Indiana for Buddy Hield and Tyrese Haliburton, helping the Kings become a third seed in last year's playoffs.
Sacramento Kings Roster FAQs
Vivek Ranadive, an Indian-American businessman, has been the owner of the Sacramento Kings since 2013 when he bought the team for $348 million.
Jon Rinehart has been the chief executive officer since the 2000-01 season.
Many people would say Peja Stojakovic and Chris Webber formed the core of the best Kings team ever, a squad that took Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant to a seventh game in the 2001-02 Western Conference finals. Vlade Divac and Mitch Richmond are among the other Hall of Famers in Kings' history, but the No. 1 guy on that list is Oscar Robertson, who played for the franchise when they were the Cincinnati Royals.
The Kings' starting lineup consists of De'Aaron Fox, Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes, Keegan Murray, and Domantas Sabonis. Malik Monk has continued his Sixth Man role from last year and is averagine nearly 25 minutes per game.
Through early December, De'Aaron Fox is leading the team in points per game at 30.3, a number more than 10 points per game higher than the second leading scorer, Domantas Sabonis at 19.0.
Author
Chris Sheridan is a veteran NBA writer who has been covering the league since 1992, with a specialty in international basketball after being credentialed for every Olympics since 1996 in Atlanta. He has been covering sports gambling since 2018.
