I will have much more to say about the Keon Ellis trade in tomorrow’s Monday Morning post, but for now, the Kings have a must-lose game to play. It’s the worst of the West meets the worst of the East, loser take all!
Who: Sacramento Kings (12-38) vs. Washington Wizards (12-35)
Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.
When: 3:00 PM PT / 6:00 PM ET
Watch: NBCSCA / League Pass
The Kings currently hold the worst record in the NBA, but the Wizards are right there with them as the only other team in the league with just 12 wins. Both teams are angling for a top pick in this draft, but the Wizards have already started their rebuild in earnest while the Kings are just starting.
The Wizards have some fun young talent already, particularly in second year players Alex Sarr and Kyshawn George. Sarr and George currently lead the team in scoring, rebounding and assists. Unlike the Kings, the Wizards are a very young team, with veteran Khris Middleton being the only rotation player over the age of 26. They did acquire Trae Young in a big trade a couple of weeks ago, but it sounds like they might opt to just sit him for the rest of this season to allow him to recover from his injuries while they continue to chase another top pick.
This is the last game of a season-long six-game road trip for the Kings and so far they haven’t managed to win a single one. In fact, the last team they did beat was this very same Wizards squad back on January 16th, when the Kings won 128 to 115 in Sacramento. Russell Westbrook led the way in that one with 26 points, but he has missed the last couple of games and probably will sit this one out as well if I had to guess. If he does sit, and with Schröder now gone, it will be interesting to see how the Kings handle Point Guard duties, as the other player who has traditionally played Point Guard, Malik Monk, is also questionable. Maybe we finally see some extended Devin Carter action.
Prediction: Kings 116, Wizards 121