Sacramento Kings: Corey Brewer gives the team much-needed flexibility

The Sacramento Kings will benefit from the signing of veteran wing Corey Brewer.

As the Sacramento Kings are gearing up for the NBA’s return, they officially brought back a familiar face to help them possibly make a run at a playoff spot. That player is veteran Corey Brewer.

Brewer has played for a whopping eight organizations throughout his lengthy NBA career, but the last time he stepped foot on the hardwood was in a Kings jersey last spring.

And after spending the entire 2019-20 NBA season as a free agent, the Kings decided to bring back Brewer in anticipation of the league’s restart.

The fan-favorite veteran won’t be asked to fill a starting role. He isn’t going to be asked to top 20 points coming off the bench either. What Brewer does provide, however, is perhaps even more important.

The Kings garnered a bit of momentum in the weeks prior to the league’s suspension winning 13 of their final 20 games. And at the moment, they sit 3.5 games back of the Memphis Grizzlies for the final playoff spot n the Western Conference.

In those final 20 games, the Kings offense finally started to click with players like Buddy Hield and Bogdan Bogdanovic playing their best basketball of the season. But it was also clear that there were still a few holes on the team.

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Perhaps none more pressing than their need for a backup wing.

Corey Brewer will fill the Sacramento Kings’ need for a backup wing.

Brewer isn’t going to be an offensive threat coming off the bench. But what he does provide is veteran leadership, defensive pedigree, and most importantly versatility.

The Kings didn’t really have a capable wing to come off the bench before signing Brewer. Rookie Justin James represented their only feasible option, and it’s safe to say that Sacramento didn’t want to force him into important situations down the stretch.

Kent Bazemore and Cory Joseph have kind of been filling that role — at least on the defensive end of the floor guarding players like LeBron James and Luka Doncic. They’ve done a fine job, but it certainly wasn’t an ideal situation.

Signing Brewer allows the Kings to have more flexibility in their lineups. That could mean more Harrison Barnes at the four and less Bazemore/Joseph guarding players taller than them.

On top of that, Brewer’s experience and intangibles will certainly provide value to a young Kings team playing for a playoff spot. He’s tough, amicable, and a locker-room favorite.

Corey Brewer is a perfect late-season signing that could be the difference between the Kings breaking their postseason drought or picking in the draft lottery once again.