5 Free Agents the Kings Should Target Next After Waiving Adam Flagler

It has been a rough last week for the Sacramento Kings, to say the least. After Maxime Raynaud went down with a knee injury, the Kings lost Ben Simmons for the season with a torn Achilles tendon during practice on Sunday. 

Sacramento is going to have to scramble to find reinforcements on the front line and at the point guard position before the season begins. One way of providing insurance for injuries like this is with two-way players, and the Kings may be on the lookout for another addition after waiving Adam Flagler on Monday.

Why Flagler Didn't Make Sense for the Kings

Flagler was brought in as a replacement for Isaiah Stevens as a smaller point guard with some solid shooting priors in college, which is fine on paper. The issue I've had with the Kings’ use of two-way slots is that they’ve often brought in older players that have a slim chance of developing into rotation-level players.

 After the success they’ve had with Keon Ellis, Neemias Queta, Dylan Cardwell, and others on two-way contracts, it would make sense to target younger players and give them real time to develop.

None of Sacramento’s two-way success stories were even that young to start out with. Ellis had just turned 23 when he was first picked up by the Kings, Queta was 22, and Cardwell was 23 (turned 24 in December), making Flagler feel quite old at 26 (turning 27 during the season). 

The Kings had some success with an older two-way player in Daeqwon Plowden, though I see Plowden as a far more talented player and still an end-of-the-bench option on a good team at best. 

With Leaky Black already taking up a two-way spot at 27, Flagler would need to have really shown a lot to be worthy of taking up another spot. To be fair, his numbers in the G-League have been quite good, especially as a three-point shooter. The problem is the G-League isn’t the NBA, and Flagler didn’t look great in Summer League, and many of those players won’t even make the league in the end. 

The Kings really need to find more quality NBA players, and I can’t help but believe there are better swings than Flagler available.

Other Options For Sacramento

The timing of this move for Sacramento isn’t a coincidence, as teams look to trim their rosters down to 15 today. Teams like the Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Lakers, and others have roster decisions to make expeditiously, and the Kings are in prime position to grab one of the castoffs that they feel may still have promise. As I’m writing this, the Rockets are waiving Sean Pedulla, the Lakers parted ways with Dalton Knecht, and other high-profile players are sure to be without homes shortly.

Sean Pedulla

Let’s start with Pedulla, who hasn’t quite found a home after spending time with both the Rockets and formerly the Los Angeles Clippers. Pedulla was named G League Rookie of the Year after filling up the stat sheet with 23.6 points, 6.7 assists, 5 boards, and 1.6 steals per game last season. 

The former All-SEC and All-ACC performer is a competent shooter and a smart player defensively, though his lack of size is a worry. Pedulla would be worth a shot as another point guard option for this season, and if Darius Acuff Jr. and/or Malik Monk miss any time, they’ll need options to keep themselves afloat.

Koby Brea

The Phoenix Suns just announced that they will be waiving former second-round pick Koby Brea, giving Sacramento another option for their final two-way slot. Brea was one of the best shooters in college basketball during his time at Dayton and Kentucky, but he’s struggled to show much else thus far. 

A true specialist, Brea shot 50% and 43.5% on threes in his final two years in college on 6.1 and 5.9 attempts per game, respectively. Even if he ultimately doesn’t provide much else, it is completely insane to think that he could end up being an Isaiah Joe-type player off the bench, and the Kings can use all the shooting they can get.

Trevor Keels

Keels is a former one-and-done from Duke who played with Paolo Banchero and Mark Williams in Durham. Keels was one of Duke’s few ball-handling options other than Banchero at the time, and was second in assists after Paolo. His stats were modest for the Blue Devils; however, he’s the type of player who can impact winning in a few different ways. 

He’s a stout defender at 6’4”, 220, and his 2.4% steal rate in college backs up how active his hands are on film. He may not be a flashy choice, but the Kings are short on solid perimeter defenders, and it wouldn’t be the worst idea to give him a shot. 

KJ Simpson

The Denver Nuggets waived the former University of Colorado guard to make room for Ryan Nembhard, and possibly did the Kings a huge favor. Simpson is another smaller guard, but he put up massive numbers for the Buffaloes as a senior, averaging 19.7 points and nearly 6 rebounds and 5 assists per game. 

Two-Way Talents’ Finn Kuehl writes, “Simpson is a gamer of a point guard who can control the flow of a contest with his scoring and floor generalship. His shot hasn’t fallen much so far in his NBA career (26.5% from three), but he finds other ways to affect the game.” Simpson is also a former teammate of Nique Clifford, which could bode well for their chemistry on the court.

Pete Nance

Lastly, we get to Pete Nance, one of the top unsigned two-way talents according to Kuehl, and brother of Larry Nance Jr. Pete is very different from his brother (and father) as a player, and the Kings shouldn’t expect many highlight dunks if they bring him in. 

Nance might be my favorite option out of the bunch not only because he may be the most talented, but because he could play as a stretch four or five for a team that doesn’t really have that option currently. Nance also played solid minutes for the Milwaukee Bucks last season and has already proven that he can hang in the NBA.

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