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

Sacramento Kings Struggle

The early season narrative surrounding the Sacramento Kings worsened after their 126-113 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday. As Sam Quinn of CBS Sports observed, the old joke about the Kings "turning into the Bulls" no longer fits. Chicago now features a younger, faster, and more modern team, except for Nikola Vucevic in their rotation. Sacramento, on the other hand, remains reliant on mid-range shots, ranking twenty-second in shots at the rim and fifth worst in overall offense. Their style resembles an All-Star nostalgia team rather than a cutting-edge NBA offense.

Sam Quinn of CBS Sports: "Chicago is younger, faster and modern... Sacramento is stuck in mid-range land."

Zach LaVine's Market

Regarding Zach LaVine, Sam Amick of The Athletic shared on The Carmichael Dave Show that he cannot currently "name one team" clearly monitoring LaVine. While Keegan Murray's return should provide some boost, the Kings need more substantial improvements. Their brief success led to panic, causing them to cling to older players, which appears to have cost them their identity.

Sam Amick of The Athletic: "I cannot name one team monitoring LaVine right now with any certainty."

Daniel Gafford and Injuries

Daniel Gafford is expected to make his season debut on Saturday in Mexico City against Detroit, according to reports from 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. Meanwhile, D’Angelo Russell remains questionable, and Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, and Dante Exum continue to be sidelined with injuries.

Summary: The Kings face challenges maintaining their identity amid offensive struggles and unclear interest in Zach LaVine, while Daniel Gafford's return brings cautious optimism.

Hoops Wire — 2025-11-02