SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Another season of Sacramento Kings basketball is set to begin this week.
The Kings will tip off the 2024-25 season at home Thursday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
After breaking a 17-year playoff drought, the “Beam Team” fell short of returning to the playoffs last season after losing in the Play-In Tournament to the New Orleans Pelicans.
Following an offseason that included the addition of DeMar DeRozan, the Kings should be in the mix in a deep Western Conference.
Opening night preview
The Kings will welcome the Timberwolves in their season opener. Minnesota has already played its first game of the year, beginning its season in the NBA's opening night slate Tuesday.
The Timberwolves lost 110-103 to the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena.
Sacramento was 2-1 against the Timberwolves last season.
40th season in Sacramento
The 2024-25 will mark the Kings’ 40th season in Sacramento and the team will wear a throwback uniform to celebrate the anniversary.
In September, the Kings unveiled its Classic Edition uniform to much fanfare. The throwback is the team’s 2000s purple jersey that had “Sacramento” appeared across the chest.
The Classic Edition will be worn at select games this season and will debut during the team’s home game against the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 24.
Offseason moves
The biggest offseason change was the acquisition of DeRozan and the departure of Harrison Barnes.
DeRozan was brought to Sacramento this summer in a sign-and-trade deal that sent Barnes and Chris Duarte to the San Antonio Spurs.
Along with acquiring DeRozan, the Kings re-signed Malik Monk on a four-year, $78 million deal. Monk was among the league’s best scorers off the bench, averaging 15.4 points per game and finishing as a finalist for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award.
Notable changes are the departures of Davion Mitchell, Kessler Edwards and Sasha Vezenkov. The Kings signed guard Jordan McLaughlin and drafted Devin Carter with the 13th pick in 2024 NBA Draft.
Here is the projected starting five, according to ESPN:
•Point Guard: De’Aaron Fox
•Shooting Guard: Kevin Huerter
•Small Forward: DeMar DeRozan
•Power Forward: Keegan Murray
•Center: Domantas Sabonis
Can the Kings return to the playoffs?
The Kings are hoping the addition of DeRozan gets them over the hump after the last season came to a disappointing end.
Not only are the Kings looking to make the playoffs again, they’re looking for their first 50-win season since 2004-05 and to compete for their first championship in the Sacramento era.
Despite finishing the season with a winning record, the Kings failed to make a second consecutive trip to the playoffs.
Sacramento finished 46-36 as the ninth seed in a competitive Western Conference. The Kings defeated rival Golden State Warriors in the first stage of the Play-In Tournament, but later fell to the Pelicans in the eighth seed game.
WATCH MORE ON ABC10 | Sacramento Kings fans get chance to meet Malik Monk at Roseville event
