Malachi Richardson entered the 2016 draft after a laudable NCAA Tournament run in which he led a 10th-seeded Syracuse team all the way to the Final Four. He was one of the more unexpected breakout freshmen that season, and rode his hot hand all the way to the 22nd pick.
Now kicking off just his second season in Sacramento, Richardson has hit some early road bumps. Injuries have affected his development, and he’s now starting the 2017–18 campaign as one of the last players in the Kings’ perimeter depth chart.
A strong showing from Bogdan Bogdanovic has launched him into the starting group, while Justin Jackson, Buddy Hield and Garrett Temple all figure to out-pace Richardson in terms of minutes.