ESPN ranks Kings Star Trio among the 50 best NBA players

ESPN has released its annual NBA player rankings ahead of the 2024-25 season, with Malik Monk and Keegan Murray of the Sacramento Kings moving from unpopular players to the top 100.

Now that spots 11 through 50 have been announced, three more kings have found their place on the list, but each has fallen in the rankings compared to last year.

With Sacramento on the verge of contention, many would think their stars would get more recognition, but here is ESPN’s ranking of every member of the Kings’ new star trio:

The Kings acquired six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan via sign-and-trade this offseason, and the Hall of Fame-caliber star is already receiving the Sacramento treatment. Last year, DeRozan finished 39th in the ESPN rankings, dropping six spots despite a very impressive 2023-24 season.

The 35-year-old DeRozan is often criticized for his age, lackluster defense and poor three-point shooting, but he seems to be doing just fine. Last season with the Chicago Bulls, DeRozan averaged 24.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game, but missed his third straight All-Star appearance.

DeRozan has also been one of the league’s best clutch players, earning top-three Clutch Player of the Year honors the last two seasons.

After a few preseason games, it’s clear how effective DeRozan will be in Sacramento’s offense. The undisputed NBA star will certainly play a crucial role in the Kings’ dream of postseason success and don’t be surprised if he takes them to the next level.

Last season, Domantas Sabonis was ranked the 22nd best player in the league by ESPN. Sabonis then led the NBA in triple-doubles (26), double-doubles (77) and rebounds per game (13.7) and broke the NBA record for most consecutive double-doubles (61), but still lost seven places.

The main argument for Sabonis’ relegation is his lack of success after missing the postseason, which is fair considering he didn’t win a playoff series, but the Sacramento big man was one of the league’s most dominant players last season .

There’s nothing else Sabonis can do individually to catapult himself up this list other than help the Kings get to the playoffs.

De’Aaron Fox and Sabonis are expected to be close to each other in the rankings as even Kings fans are divided over who is the better player. Last year, Fox was one spot behind Sabonis at 23, but only dropped three spots compared to Sabonis’ seven spots before the new season.

Fox, 26, averaged 26.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.0 steals per game, tops in the league. This was the best season of his career. Fox quickly became one of the scariest point guards in the NBA as he showed the league his improved three-point shooting while continuing to improve his defensive game.

The former All-Star is aiming for an All-NBA appearance this season in order to qualify for a supermax extension next offseason. So don’t expect the star guard to let off the gas at any point this year.

Fox is in a similar boat to Sabonis, as the league needs to see how they make a postseason run to properly assess where they stand among the NBA’s best. With the help of DeRozan, this is a prime opportunity for the Kings’ stars to prove themselves in the league.

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