Why Kings cut vets Cook, Bazemore ahead of roster deadline originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
The Kings are entering the 2022-23 NBA season confident that they can end the franchise’s 16-year playoff drought.
Despite being a young team, the Sacramento front office is banking on the confidence which allowed them to waive Kent Bazemore and Quinn Cook, two veteran players with plenty of playoff experience, on Thursday.
“This is probably the worst part of the job, is when you have to release guys, especially good guys that have worked their tail off and they could just as easily be on this team,” coach Mike Brown told reporters.
“And you talk about Kent Bazemore and Quinn Cook; they’re fantastic human beings and had a good chance. I think this comes down to we have to make a decision at some point, and they were the decision we made last night.”
Bazemore spent the 2021-22 NBA season with the Los Angeles Lakers; meanwhile, Cook was hoping the Kings would be the team that allowed him to return to the league after being away for a year.
RELATED: How playoff-hungry Kings stack up in Western Conference postseason picture
Although Bazemore and Cook have plenty of playoff experience under their belt, the Kings might feel that having Harrison Barnes and Matthew Dellavedova, two players with NBA championship rings, is enough to help the young Kings team.