Monte McNair and Luke Walton spent much of their 2021 exit interviews talking about the need to build functional depth. With limited cap space this offseason, the most plausible way for the Kings to be better in 2021-22 is through internal improvement.
The Kings have a solid stable of young players, some of whom are getting regular time with Sacramento — De’Aaron Fox, Tyrese Haliburton, and Terence Davis top that list — and some who didn’t get much playing experience this past year. That makes the Stockton Kings critical to the overall development of the franchise. So long as the Sacramento squad plays to win, the young guys will need to find some place to get minutes, and it behooves the Kings to make that environment as similar to an NBA setting as possible.