One of the big reasons Sacramento Kings fans are interested in seeing Domantas Sabonis leave is to get more minutes for young breakout centers Dylan Cardwell and Maxime Raynaud. But if the Kings end up signing Jalen Duren, that could impact their minutes dramatically down the road.
Sacramento has had a problem for years with the construction of their roster. Specifically, they have a serious logjam at shooting guard. There are several on the roster, leading to major issues getting developing players time on the court. It's something the front office has to tackle soon.
There is some alleviation coming at the end of the 2026-2027 season when Zach LaVine's contract runs out. That assumes the Kings don't figure out a way to trade him before then. They also have an opportunity to manage the situation now with the help of the Raptors and RJ Barrett.
Since this is the Kings we're talking about, fixing one problem means there's another one waiting. A similar situation is developing at the five with Sabonis, Raynaud, Cardwell, and even Precious Achiuwa. Add Duren into the mix, which is a real possibility, and the situation gets a little worse.
Don't lose focus on developing Raynaud and Cardwell
The Kings' goal would be to move Sabonis and sign Duren. Timing could be an issue. If Duren hits free agency, it will be in the 2027 offseason. Unless Sacramento finally manages to trade Sabonis, he'll be around for at least one more season after that. Thus, a logjam of centers on the Kings gets worse.
Even if you take a step back and assume the Kings pull off moving Sabonis and signing Duren, the issue is still there. If they keep Sabonis and never sign Duren, the issue is still there. The Kings have four bigs in either scenario, which means the front office needs to make some tough decisions.
Oddly, this problem is more manageable with Sabonis than Duren. Domas can function efficiently at center and power forward. The same is true of both Raynaud and Achiuwa. Cardwell is a straight-up center, but the Kings can work out several double-big rotations with this group of four.
Duren, who is also strictly a center, is a bit more complicated. If Sacramento pulls the swap off in any fashion, that leaves them with four bigs, two of whom are only playing the five. That requires a bit more management on the part of the Kings to make sure Raynaud and Cardwell aren't falling behind.
