4. Sacramento Kings
One year ago, I never would’ve thought I would be putting the Kings this high on a list of the best young cores in the NBA, but the NBA is crazy and here we are!
The Kings were quite possibly the most surprising team in the NBA this past season. Prior to opening night, I would’ve predicted the Kings would end up with a bottom-5 record in the league. Instead, they were a couple of unlucky breaks away from making the playoffs in the loaded Western Conference.
De’Aaron Fox took a huge leap in the 2018-19 season. He averaged 17.3 points per game on 45.8% shooting from the field and 37.1% shooting from 3-point range to go along with 7.3 assists and 3.8 rebounds. He was simply magnificent.
Another bright spot for the Kings was rookie big man Marvin Bagley III. It was ludicrous for the Kings to pass on Luka Doncic with the no. 2 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, but Bagley looks like he’ll be a star for years to come. He’s crazy athletic, he can score around the basket and he’s a good rebounder.
Oh, and that Buddy Hield guy? He’s pretty good, too.
The Kings are all of a sudden one of the most promising teams in the NBA.