The Sacramento Kings will begin their 2024-25 regular season with a home game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. After 16 consecutive seasons of finishing below .500 from 2006-07 to 2021-22, the Kings have now posted winning records in the past two seasons, breaking their lengthy playoff drought in 2022-23. Last season, however, they didn’t make it past the Play-In Tournament.
Sacramento’s expectations are still high. During the offseason, they acquired six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan, who will join other top talents like Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox. Unfortunately, one of their new players has suffered an injury that will sideline him at the start of the season.
Kings Big Man To Miss At Least 4 Weeks With MCL Sprain
Jason Anderson from the Sacramento Bee has shared an update on center Orlando Robinson. The 24-year-old has been diagnosed with an MCL sprain, which he sustained during Kings practice on Thursday. He is expected to be re-evaluated in approximately four weeks.
This setback is particularly challenging for Robinson, as he is not on a fully guaranteed contract. He signed a one-year deal worth just over $2 million in early August, but only $500,000 of that is guaranteed. The entire amount would become guaranteed if he is still under contract by January 10, 2025.
Being sidelined for four weeks means Robinson will miss the Kings’ first six games of the regular season. However, he could be out longer, as the four weeks only mark when he will be re-evaluated to assess his knee’s recovery. Currently, Sacramento has Domantas Sabonis as their starting center, with Alex Len and Trey Lyles providing backup.
The Kings have 12 players on guaranteed contracts, so they have the flexibility to keep Robinson on the roster. It remains to be seen whether they will choose to do so or seek a healthier alternative to start the season.
Robinson Played Two Seasons For The Heat
Robinson played three seasons at Fresno State before going undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft. He initially signed a two-way contract with the Miami Heat in November 2022, was later released, and then signed another two-way deal in December. During his rookie season, Robinson appeared in 31 games for the Heat, averaging 3.7 points and 4.1 rebounds in 13.7 minutes per game.
In the 2023 offseason, Miami re-signed Robinson to a standard two-year contract that included partial guarantees for both years. He spent the entire last season with the Heat, playing in 36 games but logging fewer minutes than his rookie year, averaging 8.4 minutes per game with 2.8 points and 2.3 rebounds. Robinson achieved a career-high of 16 points against the Indiana Pacers on December 2, 2023, and improved his three-point shooting, going 8-for-15 after not making a three-pointer as a rookie (0-for-6).
The Heat released Robinson in July during the offseason after selecting center Kel’el Ware in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft, which reduced the need for him. Sacramento showed interest in Robinson following his impressive performance with the Houston Rockets during the Summer League.
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