The Kings got their big win.
Now, they’re taking their loss -- Malachi Richardson for the rest of the season.
James Ham of CSN California:CSN California has confirmed that the team is shutting down rookie Malachi Richardson for the remainder of the season.
Richardson, 21, suffered a partial tear of the right hamstring on February 15 and was listed as out 4-6 weeks. While the wing has not incurred a setback, he will need the entire six weeks to heal, which places him ready to return to action with just a handful of games remaining in the schedule.
Richardson rode a breakout NCAA tournament into being the No. 22 pick last summer. He’s a physically impressive shooting guard with nice raw tools and questionable shooting. Just 198 NBA minutes have not drastically altered his scouting report coming out of Syracuse.
But his situation in Sacramento has changed. The Kings added Buddy Hield in the DeMarcus Cousins trade, and they’ve talked about signing 2014 No. 27 pick Bogdan Bogdanovic this summer. That’s a lot of competition at shooting guard, and Richardson will miss this late-season developmental opportunity.