Kings' Marvin Bagley III Out vs. Rockets with Shoulder Injury Diagnosed as Soreness

Sacramento Kings power forward Marvin Bagley III will not play Sunday against the Houston Rockets because of right shoulder soreness.

Bagley has developed into a solid role player for the Kings, but he hasn't lived up to the perennial All-Star expectations that come with being the second overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft.

He's averaged 9.1 points and 7.3 rebounds in 25 appearances so far during the 2021-22 campaign.

After a promising rookie campaign, the 22-year-old Duke product missed a vast majority of his second NBA season in 2019-20 because of thumb and foot injuries, which limited him to 13 appearances. He suffered a fractured left hand last season.

His limited role this year has created some extra minutes for Alex Len and Chimezie Metu as part of the frontcourt rotation.

Bagley is a work in progress at both ends of the floor and may still transform into the foundational piece Sacramento expected, but staying healthy for extended stretches will be an important part of his growth in the coming years.