Sacramento Kings

Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (personal) will be in the lineup on Thursday versus Minnesota. DeRozan sat out Friday's practice for personal reasons but isn't listed on the injury report. This will mark DeRozan's debut with the Kings following a big sign-and-trade deal that brought him to Sacramento in the summer. With De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis next to him, DeRozan's usage rate looks bound to drop in 2024-25, but the presence of two costars should also help him get plenty of good looks.

Sacramento Kings shooting guard Kevin Huerter (shoulder) has been cleared to return from his shoulder injury and will play in the Kings' season opener on Thursday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Huerter was sidelined with the injury for the last 15 games of the 2023-2024 season and will be a welcome return to the Kings' lineup. Head coach Mike Brown noted the other day that the 26-year-old would "probably" start if he was able to return, meaning he may still hold his normal fantasy value that managers have grown accustomed to. His role may be affected, though, by both the acquisition of DeMar DeRozan and the departure of Harrison Barnes. Given Huerter's value is generally dependent on his three-point shooting, fantasy managers should still expect him to get up his usual amount of threes to replace Barnes' volume. DeRozan generally doesn't do much of his damage from behind the arc, so fantasy managers should not worry about Huerter losing volume to him.

Sacramento Kings guard Kevin Huerter (shoulder) has a chance to play in Thursday's meeting with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He's been working his way back from shoulder surgery. However, head coach Mike Brown said after Tuesday's practice that Huerter "looks good," adding, "he doesn't look like he's missed a beat." Brown also indicated the 26-year-old would "probably" start if he's cleared to play. Fantasy managers can consider Huerter a starting option if that's the case. If he doesn't suit up, Keon Ellis, who averaged 8.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 40.4% shooting from deep in 21 starts last season, would be worth streaming in deep category formats.

Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (personal) was not available for Friday's practice. The veteran forward is currently away from the team due to personal reasons. He played 25 minutes during Thursday's preseason contest. He figures to be a significant part of the rotation this season. His absence isn't expected to be long, so DeRozan should be back in time for the season opener on Thursday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Last season, DeRozan averaged 24.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists across 37.8 minutes per game with the Chicago Bulls. The 35-year-old is showing no signs of slowing down and should continue being a viable option for the Kings this season.

Veteran small forward Doug McDermott has agreed to a one-year contract with the Sacramento Kings. The 32-year-old was a free agent after finishing the 2023-24 campaign with the Indiana Pacers. McDermott averaged only 4.2 points as a member of the Pacers. However, he posted 10-plus points in four consecutive seasons prior to the 2023-24 campaign, and the Kings are getting an extra scoring option in McDermott as a big three-point threat who has nailed 41 percent of his attempts from deep over the course of his career. With that said, McDermott likely won't see enough action to make an impact in fantasy basketball.