At this time last year, the vibe surrounding the Sacramento Kings was overly positive. The Sacramento community had just found out that Vivek Ranadive was purchasing the team with intent to keep it in Sacramento, essentially saving the franchise from moving to Seattle. This all happened in the span of a couple of months, and when the fight to keep the team was finally won, basketball decisions had to be made.
The ownership group, front office and coaching staff were assembled in such a short period of time that just about everyone was given a pass for how last offseason went. The Kings were playing catchup, and everyone knew it. I thought it was a fair, realistic and genuine lens with which to view last season’s 28-54 finish.
That honeymoon phase is most certainly over now. GM Pete D’Alessandro has had a full offseason to manipulate this roster in a way that fits his vision, and while I’d like to see this current version of the Kings play before I completely pass judgment, this roster doesn’t appear to be an improvement, not the kind of personnel jump that would put the Kings in contention for a playoff spot.
Even after a lackluster offseason, there is a still small hint of optimism and momentum surrounding the Kings. Of course, who could forget that the Kings are going to enter this season as the defending Las Vegas Summer League champions!? They also have two FIBA World Cup gold medalists on the roster, one of whom, DeMarcus Cousins, was the secondary star of the gold medal game (behind Kyrie Irving) when he came in after Anthony Davis picked up two quick fouls and used his energy to engineer a first quarter blowout turnaround after the Americans fell behind 12-5.
It’s the start of another NBA season. so it would be weird if there wasn’t that small hint of optimism. And if certain things break in their favor, who knows, the Kings might just win 40 games. Nobody saw that Phoenix Suns’ playoff push coming last season, right? Right?
Here are five things to watch for in Sacramento this season.
1. The Kings are trying to win. It has been a long time since winning was a priority in Sacramento. That may come off as a funny statement, but it’s true. Of course, winning is always a goal to some degree, but for years now that goal was a distant second to player development and keeping the franchise in town. The new ownership group and front office said as much last season. “It’s not about wins and losses” was the message.
This season, it’s different. Vivek Ranadive expressed his goals for the season on media day, and what he said couldn’t have been more refreshing. “But this year, let’s be clear, it is about wins and losses.” Player development can’t be used as a crutch for poor play any longer. And despite the noted rocky offseason, the moves they did make suggest a swing in this direction. The Kings brought in multiple veterans ready and able to contribute should some of the youngsters struggle. The signings of Darren Collison, Ramon Sessions, Omri Casspi and Ryan Hollins aren’t necessarily made to excite the fan base but do serve a purpose. They are the kind of veteran depth the Kings haven’t had in a long time. How this depth will affect wins and losses remains to be seen, but now that winning is a priority in Sacramento, this team will be judged accordingly.
2. Rudy Gay’s contract situation. According to Gay, who also spent the summer with Team USA, his agent was talking to the front office about a possible contract extension before the FIBA World Cup, but when Gay left for Spain, contract talks were tabled. Gay has addressed his contract situation a few times since, and it seems like he is open to the idea of staying in Sacramento long-term.
The Kings want to keep him. They’ve made that clear, and part of this “win now” approach is because they only have one more guaranteed season with Gay, for $19.3 million. I’m sure the front office is aware of where Sacramento stands as a free agent destination. Ranadive has done an amazing job improving Sacramento’s reputation around the league, but until the Kings start winning, signing a top-tier free agent is going to be difficult.
This is easily the most important contract negotiation of Pete D’Alessandro’s young career. Whatever decision the Kings ultimately make on Gay will have a profound effect on this franchise for years to come, and it may be the single biggest storyline heading into the season.
3. Ben McLemore or Nik Stauskas? You don’t often see a team draft the same exact position in back-to-back years, particularly with top-10 selections. But that is exactly what the Kings did this offseason when they tabbed shooting guard Nik Stauskas only one year after taking Ben McLemore. Management has said that it thinks both players can play together, but I’m not so sure.
Neither Stauskas nor McLemore are what I would consider combo guards or tweeners. They are shooting guards. You certainly don’t want either player at point guard, and while one of them could play small forward in a small-ball lineup, he could be at a severe disadvantage defensively.
Drafting Stauskas wasn’t exactly a vote of confidence in McLemore. Are they different players? Yes, but they were both billed as spread-the-floor shooters coming out of college. That is what the Kings are looking for in that role, and McLemore didn’t 
provide it in 55 starts last season. The Kings were abysmal from three, going .333 to tie Boston for 27th. This is far and away the most intriguing position battle, and either player’s ability to truly spread the floor should be the deciding factor.
4. Replacing Isaiah Thomas. The biggest move the Kings didn’t make this offseason was matching the four-year, $27 million contract the Phoenix Suns offered restricted free agent Isaiah Thomas. To simplify a complicated decision, the Kings didn’t want Thomas at that price. There are legitimate arguments to be made for both sides, but he’s not in Sacramento, and the Kings need to find his production somewhere else.
When the decision needed to be made on Thomas, the Kings were at risk of going into luxury tax territory. They didn’t, and subsequent moves (Quincy Acy and Travis Outlaw to New York for Wayne Ellington and Jemery Tyler) freed up additional cap space that was used on Casspi and Hollins.
The argument against Thomas’ long-term future in Sacramento is mostly tied to the fact that the Kings already have two high-usage scorers in their starting lineup in Gay and DeMarcus Cousins. Ball movement was an issue for the Kings last season, and while it’s easy to blame the point guard, it was really just poor roster balance. Cousins, Gay and Thomas all took an appropriate amount of shots for their skill level, but three guys shooting at that volume naturally resulted in poor team play.
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As a result of Thomas’ departure, the Kings signed veteran point guards Collison and Sessions to go with 2013 second-round pick Ray McCallum. Both Collison and Sessions have been rotation contributors throughout their careers, and McCallum showed some promise toward the end of last season. Collison is penciled in as the starter, with Sessions and McCallum battling for reserve minutes. The Kings know they will have a talent downgrade at point guard this season, but they are hoping improved roster balance will offset the lost production.
5. Boogie. You should watch DeMarcus Cousins. His transformation over the past few seasons has been remarkable. Like 
most professional athletes, he has areas in his game that need improvement, but he is on the verge of a breakout season. Anything less than an All-Star selection and a spot on one of the All-NBA teams at the end of the season would be a disappointment.
Cousins had the kind of offseason you typically see from a player who is about have a career-defining campaign. He finally made a Team USA roster and was a key contributor in the World Cup run. That meant a lot to him. He was very good last season despite the All-Star omission, and with Thomas in Phoenix, Cousins is going to have to take on even more offensive responsibilities. I think he’s ready for it.
The Kings are going to go as far as Cousins takes them. To that end, Boogie has given himself an unconventional statistical goal for this season — to accumulate no more than five technical fouls after drawing 16 last season. He has top-five player potential, and that last one is the key word. If he reaches that this season, the Kings might be better than we originally thought.
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Tony Xypteras is a writer for Bleed Black and Purple, an Independent blog covering the Sacramento Kings. He also contributes to A Royal Pain, the Fansided site covering the Kings. You can follow him on twitter @TonyXypteras.