When the Sacramento Kings published their training camp roster earlier today, there were a couple of notable names on it. One that caught some off guard was Leaky Black, a Stockton Kings' forward who recently signed a training camp contract. Given the Kings' long-term goals, he's a good choice.
Over the past few weeks, the Kings have definitely thrown a few unexpected moves at the NBA. The big one was, of course, being the team to bring Ben Simmons back to the league. It's a relatively low risk move as he's on a one-year veteran minimum and is just there to back up Darius Acuff Jr.
Sacramento also signed Elfrid Payton, a veteran point guard, to a training camp contract. Then, the Kings did the same thing with an effective young combo guard in Tristen Newton. With a main roster spot and a two-way spot left to fill, the front office could be looking to bring in more support at PG.
At the same time, they have also signed Black to a training camp contract. It's a bit of a surprising move as he's a small forward, which is a position the Kings currently have solid depth in. That being said, checking him out in this context could be the beginning of other roster changes.
How does Black fit into the Kings' training camp?
An incredibly talented defender, Black is known for doing the kind of work that doesn't always show up in the box scores. Some call him a "glue guy," which is the type of player Sacramento is looking for. While he's not as dominant on offense, he's got a solid three and could easily grow from there.
Earlier in September, the Stockton Kings acquired Black's rights as part of a larger trade. He's been around the G League and NBA since going undrafted in 2023, and is still trying to find the right fit. Being that the Kings are looking for strong defenders, Sacramento might be that spot for him.
While the Kings are stocked at the wings right now, there are more roster changes coming in the next 12 months. Bringing in Black now is likely part of the front office planning for Sacramento's next steps. If training camp goes well, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Black on the main roster soon.
Black, Payton, and Newton are currently competing for those remaining two spots on the Kings' regular season roster. For Black, even heading back to the G League this season puts him in a superb place to make his way onto the Kings next season after several roster changes happen in the interim.
