The Sacramento Kings may be playing the long game this offseason, as they now not only await the contracts of Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis, and Malik Monk to lose another year or expire, but also you can throw in the possibility of Jalen Duren signing with the Kings next offseason in the mix of things to look forward to as well.

While this is all conjecture, as the circumstances would have to line up perfectly for the Kings to land Duren as an unrestricted free agent next summer, it is worth thinking more about how the Kings would theoretically have their dynamic duo to build around in Acuff and Duren.

Acuff will be 20, entering his second season, and Duren will be 23, going into his sixth year. And with both hypothetically locked up for the long-term, the Kings could shift all their focus from finding their stars to filling out the roster around them. What makes Duren's addition to the Kings so intriguing is how easy it should be to build around the duo of Acuff and Duren.

Shooting and Defense

The perfect thing about Acuff and Duren is how well they complement each other. Acuff already has the look of an elite scorer and playmaker, and Duren is one of the most athletic bigs in the game, feasting on looks around the rim and using his size and speed to help anchor a defense.

The two don't step on each other's toes, which helps tremendously from a team-building perspective. It would obviously be easier if Duren could step out beyond the arc and hit a three, but having him with Acuff, who should have no problem taking a high volume of three-point attempts, immediately balances out the Kings' looks.

Looking back on the latest iteration of the Kings' top duo of Domantas Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox, it should theoretically be easier to build around the games of Acuff and Duren. Neither Sabonis or Fox were knockdown shooters from three. Fox took a higher volume than Sabonis, but he topped out at 36.9% from three in the 2023-24 season.

Having two below-average shooters put a premium on shooting from the rest of the roster, and Sacramento never met those needs while also sustaining its defensive needs, especially.

Acuff may not be a good, or even average, defender, but having someone as athletic as Duren behind him should only help. The same can't be said for Sabonis backing up Fox (or even Sabonis backing up Acuff). Sacramento would realistically need to surround Acuff and Duren with as many three-and-D players as possible, but they could be a little more one-sided than with Sabonis and Fox, given the potential shooting and defense. And don't look now, but that's quietly what Scott Perry has done this offseason...

Perry realistically has one chance to go all in on this roster. He's already taken his shot on Acuff, and he seems primed to do the same on Duren if presented with the opportunity next season. There will always be questions until we see it on the court, if we ever do, but from the outside looking in, the duo makes sense to go for it.

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