NBA Notes: Kings, Zach LaVine, Mavericks, Daniel Gafford, Pacers

Sacramento Kings Struggles

The early season narrative around Sacramento has taken another hit after the Bulls defeated the Kings 126-113. As Sam Quinn of CBS Sports noted, the old joke about the Kings becoming the Bulls "no longer applies." Chicago is younger, faster, and more modern, with a young rotation aside from Nikola Vucevic. Sacramento remains stuck in mid-range shots, ranking 22nd in attempts at the rim and fifth worst overall on offense. Their playstyle resembles more of an All-Star nostalgia team than an innovative NBA offense. Quinn also pointed out that teams are not actively pursuing Zach LaVine at this time.

Sam Amick of The Athletic said on The Carmichael Dave Show he cannot “name one team” monitoring LaVine right now with any certainty.

Keegan Murray's return will bring some relief, but Sacramento needs significantly more than just a boost. The Kings seem to have lost their identity after panicking to maintain success with older players.

Player Updates

Daniel Gafford plans to make his season debut Saturday in Mexico City against Detroit, according to reports by Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News and Christian Clark of The Athletic. Gafford has been sidelined since spraining his ankle on the first day of training camp.
D’Angelo Russell is listed as questionable for the upcoming game.
Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, and Dante Exum remain out due to injuries.

Author’s summary: The Kings face early-season challenges marked by offensive struggles and uncertain player availability, highlighting the need to redefine their team identity.

Hoops Wire — 2025-11-02