30Q: Can Kessler Edwards earn a bigger role?
After the Sacramento Kings acquired Kessler Edwards from the Brooklyn Nets last season, he played limited-yet-solid minutes for the Kings. 13.9 minutes per game in 22 games off the bench, averaging 3.9 points on .435 shooting from the field and .349 shooting from 3 to go along with 1.0 assists, 2.1 rebounds, and 0.5 steals. Edwards turned 23 in August, so it wasn't particularly surprising when Sacramento picked up his contract option this summer. But despite it being an obvious move to retain a young, productive wing for just $1.9 million, Edwards' role with the franchise going forward still remains uncertain.
Looking at the depth chart as it currently stands, Edwards will compete for small forward minutes with Harrison Barnes, Chris Duarte, Sasha Vezenkov (in bigger lineups) and possibly Colby Jones in smaller lineups. But despite Sacramento's depth, there's certainly still a path towards playing time for Edwards.
Kessler's biggest impact last season was on the defensive end of the floor and on the boards, where he showed an energy and ability to disrupt the game in a positive way. On offense Edwards wasn't a big factor, but he also wasn't a negative. He seemed to understand his role and willingly defer to others on the floor.
Edwards will face a crunch not because the Kings have so many small forwards, but because the Kings have a plethora of players who can slide up or down to play small forward as a way of balancing minutes. Realistically, Barnes and Duarte are the only other real small forwards on the roster. I'd even argue that Barnes is better as a power forward than small forward, but the Kings play Barnes at the three so the argument is irrelevant. With all that context, it really comes down to Chris Duarte in the way of Edwards earning a bigger role.
Duarte comes to Sacramento with question marks of his own, after an injury-derailed sophomore season in Indiana in which Duarte never found his groove. If I was a betting man, I'd still expect Duarte to earn the primary backup minutes at small forward, but there's also a reason that the Kings got Duarte so cheap this summer. He comes with risks. If Kessler Edwards can maintain his defensive and rebounding intensity, and if he can demonstrate some improvement and consistency as an offensive contributor, there's a path to a bigger role.
