Sacramento

Kings

After torching the Warriors on Tuesday, Murray could not rebound from a slow start in Friday’s loss to New Orleans. He began 2-of-7 from the field, and suffering a left hip injury during the second quarter didn’t help. Murray did return and go on to play 38 minutes, but a solid second season in the NBA came to a disappointing end. Beginning the season with a Yahoo ADP of 104.5, the 2022 lottery pick ranked just outside the top 50 in 8- and 9-cat formats. The key for Murray moving forward will be to play with consistent aggression and not go through stretches in which he’s overly deferential to De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. At a minimum, he’ll be worth selecting with a top-75 pick in standard league drafts.

Barnes was solid in his final game of the season, duplicating his point total from Tuesday’s win over the Kings. Something evident in the Kings’ six games against the Pelicans (all losses) was a need to get more athletic on the wings. Sacramento should emphasize improving that area of the roster during the offseason, especially in free agency. Barnes has two seasons remaining on his contract, but the positions held by him and Kevin Huerter (when healthy) for most of the 2023-24 campaign are worth keeping an eye on. Entering the season with a Yahoo ADP of 143.4, Barnes finished ranked outside the top 150 in 8- and 9-cat formats. He should be a late-round pick, at best, next season if his role does not change.

As was the case on many nights, Sabonis recorded a double-double in his final game of the 2023-24 season. He recorded a league-best 77 double-doubles, including 61 straight at one point. Sabonis posted a full stat line on Friday, par for the course for a player who provided top 20 per-game value in 8-cat formats. He finished the season ranked 30th in 9-cat formats, according to Basketball Monster. Sabonis did not make good on his Yahoo ADP (15), but he wasn’t far off, with free-throw percentage (70.4%) and turnovers (3.3 per game) being the issues. He’s unlikely to last past the end of the second round in most drafts next fall.

Fox produced a gaudy point total in his final action of the 2023-24 season, but the Pelicans made him work for his numbers. The Kings point guard was inefficient, shooting 4-of-16 from three while committing five turnovers. While Fox’s scoring (26.6), rebound (4.6), and steal (2.0) averages increased in comparison to last season, his field-goal and free-throw percentages decreased. However, that did not prevent him from providing 2nd-round per-game value in 8- and 9-cat formats, and the same can be said for Fox’s totals value. If he’s to threaten 1st-round value in 2024-25, the percentages need to improve.

Sabonis and the Kings are one step closer to a second straight playoff berth, as they took advantage of offensive rebounds and Warriors turnovers to keep their season alive. The NBA leader in double-doubles recorded another on Tuesday, finishing three assists shy of a triple-double. Also, Sabonis only committed one turnover in his 37 minutes on the floor. The Kings will visit New Orleans on Friday, with the winner receiving the West’s No. 8-seed. New Orleans won all five regular-season meetings by an average of 19.0 points.

What a night for Murray, who scored 11 of Sacramento’s first 15 points and did not let up. The second-year forward improved his production across the board compared to his rookie campaign, except for 3-point percentage (35.8% compared to 41.1% last season). Murray finished the regular season providing 5th-round per-game value in 9-cat formats while ranking just inside the top 100 in 8-cat. Tuesday’s victory earned Sacramento a matchup with New Orleans on Friday, and the winner will be the 8-seed in the West.

All five Kings starters finished Tuesday’s win in double figures, with Fox being one of two (Keegan Murray) to score at least 20. In addition to the 24 points, Swipa dished out six assists while only committing one turnover in his 39 minutes on the floor. Next up for the Kings is a matchup with New Orleans on Friday, and the Pelicans won all five meetings by an average of 19.0 points. Fox struggled with inefficiency in those matchups, shooting 40.9% from the field and averaging 4.0 turnovers per game.

Sabonis posted a full stat line on Sunday and likely would have recorded a triple-double if the game was closer. He entered halftime with 10 points, seven rebounds and eight assists, but he only ended up logging 27 minutes in this game. His current three-game double-double streak isn’t as impressive as his 61-game streak, and it will take him a while to match that again. They’ll host the Warriors in the 9-10 Play-In matchup on Tuesday after they split the season series 2-2. Before winning this game, they lost five of their previous six games, so they’ll need to get back on track to return to the playoffs.

Fox only needed 26 minutes in this game to have a big scoring night, and he did it while maintaining efficiency and posting a full stat line. The win locked them in as the 9th seed in the West, where they will host the Warriors in the first Play-In game. If they win, they will take on the loser of Pelicans-Lakers, with a chance to play the Thunder on the line. It is a very different scenario from last season, when they hosted the Warriors at the 3rd seed, but they will still get to add another chapter to their rivalry with Golden State.

While Lyles has been a dependable option within the Kings’ rotation, he has not done enough to merit being rostered in most active fantasy leagues.