The Weight of Unfinished Business

The 2019–2020 NBA season was supposed to mark the payoff for the Sacramento Kings. Coming off a surprising 39‑win campaign—the franchise’s best in more than a decade—and armed with a young, fast core of De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, and Marvin Bagley III, the Kings looked ready to snap the longest playoff drought in the league. Instead, the season buckled under the strain of injuries, coaching inconsistency, and a brutal streak of bad luck that culminated in being left out of the Orlando bubble. Finishing with a record of 31‑41 in a shortened 72‑game schedule, the Kings found themselves stuck in the NBA’s no‑man’s land: falling short of the play‑in tournament and missing out on the draft lottery’s top prizes. To understand the current success of the Sacramento Kings, one must first understand the organizational trauma and hard lessons baked into the 2019–2020 season.

The Lingering Shadow of the 2018 Draft

No assessment of this era is complete without acknowledging the massive gravitational pull of the 2018 NBA Draft. Selecting Marvin Bagley III second overall while Luka Dončić and Trae Young flourished elsewhere created an inescapable narrative that haunted every move the franchise made. Bagley averaged 14.5 points and 7.6 rebounds as a rookie—solid, but not transcendent. Meanwhile, Dončić was already an All‑Star caliber player in Dallas, posting 28.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game in his second season. Every team losing streak or Bagley injury reignited the debate. The front office, led by Vlade Divac, felt a constant pressure to justify the pick, which led to rushed development timelines for Bagley and a reluctance to build a roster that maximized the modern NBA spacing that Dončić represented. This single decision dictated the team’s ceiling and forced the Kings to play catch‑up in roster construction, often prioritizing potential over fit.

The Ripple Effect on Roster Construction

The draft miss meant the Kings lacked a true primary initiator who could warp a defense, forcing De’Aaron Fox to carry a larger creative burden than expected. General managers and analysts noted that the team struggled to find wings who could shoot and defend—a problem that stemmed from a lack of high‑value trade assets. The front office attempted to patch the roster with veterans like Trevor Ariza and Dewayne Dedmon, both of whom failed to mesh with the young core. Ariza, signed for two years at $25 million, shot only 35.2 percent from three and was traded mid‑season to Portland. Dedmon, brought in to provide floor‑spacing and rim protection, never found his rhythm and was eventually sent to Atlanta in a salary‑dump deal. The roster was a collection of mismatched parts: scoring guards, injured bigs, and a desperate need for two‑way wings. According to Basketball‑Reference, the Kings ranked 24th in defensive rating (112.4) and 19th in net rating (-1.8) for the season—statistics that reflected a team with no clear identity.

A Roster Hamstrung by Injury

The 2019‑2020 Kings were never healthy, and the injury bug hit hardest when the team needed stability the most. Head coach Luke Walton was forced to use 24 different starting lineups over the 72‑game schedule—the fifth‑most in the league. This constant flux prevented the team from developing any semblance of rhythm or continuity, a death sentence for a young team trying to establish an identity. The Kings’ starting lineup combinations posted a collective net rating of -1.2, and no five‑man group logged more than 200 minutes together.

De’Aaron Fox’s Ankle Sprain

The most significant injury was a severe ankle sprain suffered by Fox in November. The young point guard missed 18 games, a stretch during which the Kings’ offense cratered to a 103.1 offensive rating—equivalent to a bottom‑five unit in the league. Without their engine, the team fell into a deep hole that they spent the rest of the season trying to climb out of. Fox’s absence exposed the team’s lack of shot creation outside of his blazing speed and highlighted how reliant the offensive system was on his ability to collapse the defense. When Fox returned, he was visibly below his peak athleticism for several weeks, needing time to regain his explosiveness.

Marvin Bagley III’s Fragile Sophomore Season

Bagley’s season was a disaster. After a promising rookie campaign (14.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, 50.4% FG), he played only 13 games before a foot injury shut him down for the remainder of the year. The injury not only robbed the team of the frontcourt scoring they had hoped for but also fueled the fire of the Dončić debate. In his absence, Richaun Holmes emerged as the team’s best big man, averaging 12.3 points and 8.1 rebounds on a staggering 65.1 percent shooting from the field. Holmes proved that energy and efficiency often trump raw potential, and his chemistry with Fox in the pick‑and‑roll became the team’s most reliable offensive weapon. The front office’s insistence on Bagley being a franchise cornerstone looked increasingly stubborn as the season wore on.

The Luke Walton Regime

The hiring of Luke Walton was met with skepticism from the start, considering his relative lack of success in Los Angeles (98–148 record with the Lakers). The 2019‑2020 season did little to quell those doubts. Walton struggled to define an offensive identity. While he preached pace and space, the team often stagnated into isolation‑heavy sets in the half‑court. The Kings ranked 18th in offensive rating (109.4) and 20th in pace (101.5 possessions per game)—a middling performance for a roster supposedly built to run. His rotation decisions, particularly regarding Buddy Hield, created visible tension throughout the locker room.

The Buddy Hield Sixth Man Saga

One of the defining storylines of the season was Walton’s decision to move Buddy Hield to the bench in favor of Bogdan Bogdanović. Despite Hield signing a massive four‑year, $94 million contract extension in the offseason, Walton felt the team needed Bogdanović’s ball‑handling in the starting unit. The move worked for a few weeks—Hield averaged 19.2 points off the bench in December and January, providing a legitimate scoring spark. However, as the season progressed, Hield’s frustration grew. His body language on the court soured, and his shooting percentages dipped. For the season, Hield shot 42.9 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from three—down from 45.8 percent and 42.7 percent the previous year. The disagreement between a star player and his coach over role definition became a daily distraction that undermined team morale.

Defensive Identity Crisis

Defensively, the Kings ranked 24th in defensive rating (112.4)—a unit that struggled in every facet. The team lacked a dedicated rim protector and was consistently exploited on the perimeter. Young guards like Fox and Hield were targeted in pick‑and‑roll coverage, and the team’s defensive rebounding was porous (72.7 percent DRB%, 24th in league). The Kings allowed a staggering 43.5 points in the paint per game, ranking them among the worst interior defenses in the NBA. Walton’s schemes often left the defense in rotation, scrambling to cover open shooters, which led to opponent three‑point percentages of 36.1 percent (22nd in league). According to NBA.com stats, the Kings allowed 115.1 points per 100 possessions when they were in rotation mode—a sign of a fundamentally broken defensive system.

The Cruel Reality of the Orlando Bubble

When the NBA season was suspended in March 2020 due to the COVID‑19 pandemic, the Kings were on a rare hot streak. They had won 8 of their last 12 games and seemed poised to make a final push for the playoffs. The league’s decision to invite only 22 teams to the Orlando bubble was the season’s most devastating blow. The Kings were the highest‑ranked team left out, falling just outside the cut line due to a tiebreaker with the New Orleans Pelicans (who held the head‑to‑head advantage 2‑1). The exclusion was a harsh reminder of how thin the margin for error is in the NBA.

A Financial and Competitive Setback

Missing the bubble was more than just a competitive disappointment. The financial ramifications were severe. The team lost out on revenue from broadcast games and the potential for playoff gate receipts—estimates suggest the Kings forfeited between $10 and $20 million in lost revenue during an already uncertain economic climate. More importantly, it denied the young core the opportunity to play in high‑stakes, high‑intensity games against elite competition. Development stalled for those rookies and sophomores who were stuck at home while the rest of the league competed. The Kings were the only team in the Western Conference with a winning percentage above .500 (their 31–41 mark was .431) to be left out—a cruel statistical anomaly that underscored the lack of luck the franchise experienced.

Front Office Overhaul and Philosophical Shift

The fallout from the season was immediate and brutal. General Manager Vlade Divac resigned in August 2020, acknowledging that the team needed a new voice and vision. His tenure was marked by the disastrous 2018 draft, questionable free‑agent signings, and a lack of roster direction. The Kings quickly moved to hire Monte McNair from the Houston Rockets, signaling a shift toward a more analytically‑driven, modern approach to team building.

The Monte McNair Effect

McNair brought a clear philosophy: prioritize shooting, switchable defenders, and financial flexibility. Unlike the Divac era, which valued size and athleticism over skill, McNair targeted players who could space the floor and make quick decisions. His first major move was extending Bogdan Bogdanović’s rights and then executing a sign‑and‑trade with Atlanta to acquire a future first‑round pick—a move that demonstrated his understanding of asset management. Under McNair, the Kings also stopped chasing veterans on inflated contracts, instead focusing on developing young talent. This philosophical pivot was the first real step toward breaking the playoff drought. The 2019‑2020 season acted as the necessary catalyst for this organizational self‑reflection and restructuring.

The Silver Lining of the 2020 Draft

While missing the bubble was painful, it also secured the Kings a higher draft pick. In a stroke of fortune, the Kings landed the 12th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft—one spot higher than their pre‑lottery projection. With the pick, they selected Tyrese Haliburton, a point guard widely considered one of the most NBA‑ready prospects in the class. Haliburton’s high‑IQ play, unselfishness, and elite shooting (41.4 percent from three as a rookie) immediately gave the franchise a new identity. He perfectly complemented De’Aaron Fox, forming the dynamic backcourt that would eventually lead the team back to relevance in 2023. In many ways, the pain of the 2019‑2020 season directly enabled the joy of the 2023 playoff run.

Individual Performances That Mattered

Despite the team’s struggles, several players used the 2019‑2020 season as a springboard for their careers.

De’Aaron Fox: The Reluctant Leader

Fox took a significant leap, averaging 21.1 points, 6.8 assists, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game. He improved his three‑point shooting to 36.6 percent (up from 30.7 percent the previous season) and became a more vocal leader. The ankle injury set him back, but when he was on the court, he looked like a legitimate top‑ten point guard in the league. His usage rate rose to 27.5 percent, and his assist‑to‑turnover ratio (2.5) was among the best for young guards. Fox learned that he needed to control the game’s tempo and be the emotional anchor for the team—a lesson that would serve him well in the years to come.

Richaun Holmes: The Undrafted Gem

Holmes was the team’s most efficient player, providing relentless energy, shot blocking, and a soft touch around the rim. Signed for two years at just $10 million, Holmes averaged 12.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and shot 65.1 percent from the field—the second‑best field‑goal percentage among all players who logged at least 1,000 minutes. His chemistry with Fox in the pick‑and‑roll was the team’s most reliable offensive weapon. Holmes proved that production can come from anywhere, regardless of draft pedigree. He became a fan favorite and a symbol of the hard‑nosed play the Kings desperately needed.

Harrison Barnes: The Stabilizer

Acquired the previous season from Dallas, Barnes settled into the role of the veteran leader. He averaged 14.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while shooting 38.1 percent from three. More importantly, he was a professional in a sea of chaos, guarding multiple positions and hitting clutch shots. His steady influence in the locker room was invaluable for a team that could have easily fractured under the weight of losing and the Hield‑Walton drama. Barnes also shot 80.1 percent from the free‑throw line, providing a reliable late‑game option.

Bogdan Bogdanović: The Spark Plug

Bogdanović, entering restricted free agency, put up 15.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 38.2 percent from three. His ability to create his own shot and facilitate the offense made him a valuable sixth man. However, the tension between him and Hield over the starting role created a locker‑room rift that never fully healed. Bogdanović was traded to Atlanta in a sign‑and‑trade the following offseason, a move that netted the Kings a future first‑round pick and cleared the logjam in the backcourt.

Lessons Learned and the Legacy of Failure

The 2019‑2020 season stands as a masterclass in how not to build a basketball team. The Kings learned that talent without fit leads to mediocrity. They learned that a fractured front office and coaching staff cannot draft and develop players effectively. They learned that the NBA is a harsh business where luck (or the lack thereof) can define a season just as much as on‑court execution. The exclusion from the bubble was a humbling experience that forced ownership to re‑evaluate everything. The organizational failure of this season became the foundation for the disciplined, cohesive, and analytically sound approach that eventually broke the 17‑season playoff drought in 2023. As Basketball‑Reference data shows, the Kings’ 31‑41 record was their worst in a non‑lockout season since 2017‑18—a stark reminder of how far they had fallen and how far they still needed to climb.

Conclusion: A Necessary Pivot Point

When looking back at the history of the Sacramento Kings, the 2019‑2020 season is not a season of glory. It is a season of hard truths. It exposed the flaws of the front office, the limitations of the roster, and the growing pains of a young core. Yet it is precisely because of the struggles of this season that the Kings eventually found success. The pain of being left out of the bubble, the frustration of the Hield saga, and the final realization that the 2018 draft was a failure forced the organization to change course. The hiring of Monte McNair, the drafting of Tyrese Haliburton, and the embrace of a modern, analytics‑driven philosophy all trace back to the dysfunction of 2019‑2020. As ESPN’s analysis noted, missing the bubble may have been “a blessing in disguise” that accelerated the franchise’s long‑overdue reset. The 2019‑2020 season is the pivot point upon which the modern, competitive Kings were built. It is a reminder that in the NBA, understanding failure is often the first step toward achieving success.