After a Summer League that gave fans a glimpse of the roster, the Sacramento Kings appear to be shaping around three veterans, Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine and Malik Monk, and a trio of young bigs. The sophomores Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell, along with Sabonis, can all man the center spot, meaning the team will have three players competing for the same minutes. Early offseason analysis suggests a two-big lineup could be the most viable path forward, but only if the coaching staff can solve the minute-allocation puzzle.
Sabonis is expected to log 30 plus minutes each night, a workload that mirrors the heavy usage he saw in the past two seasons. By contrast, LaVine enters his final year of contract and does not need to shoulder the primary load in Sacramento’s game plan this season. Monk, a veteran guard, will continue to provide scoring from the perimeter while the bigs battle for paint time.
The central challenge for Doug Christie and his assistants is to get creative with the minutes of Sabonis, Raynaud and Cardwell. With three players capable of anchoring the paint, the rotation leaves little room for error. The Kings have already hinted that they may lean more heavily on two-big sets, a trend that is gaining traction across the league as teams look to add size without sacrificing speed.
In theory, fielding a true center alongside a second big would give LaVine and Monk more room to operate on the perimeter and would bolster the team’s rebounding and rim protection, areas that have hurt the Kings’ defensive rating in recent campaigns. The extra big can also act as a secondary playmaker, offering passing options that diversify entry points and keep defenses honest.
The coaching staff will need to experiment with minute splits early in the season, watching for any dip in efficiency or signs of fatigue. If the trio can each see substantial time without a noticeable drop in performance, the two-big approach could become a staple of the Kings’ identity, especially in stretches that demand a slower tempo. Conversely, early wear and tear could push the team back toward a traditional five-man rotation, leaving the condition of effective minute management unmet.
