When you speak about organisations with stability, structure and a winning culture, the Sacramento Kings certainly do not spring to mind.

In recent years, the franchise has instead been associated more with instability, mismanagement, and losing.

For a team that has failed to make the playoffs for 11 consecutive seasons, you would expect that they would've made full use of frequently being the draft lottery and identify some emerging talents to help them reach a level of success. But that hasn't been the case.

They drafted DeMarcus Cousins and saw him blossom into one of the best big men in the league, but that acrimonious marriage came to an end in February when they eventually decided to trade him to the New Orleans Pelicans.

For numerous reasons, things didn't work out between the Kings and Cousins and it was back to the drawing board for the California-based outfit.

Trading an All-Star center who is entering the prime of his career and getting Tyreke Evans, Buddy Hield and Langston Galloway in return was widely viewed as another terrible decision by the Kings management.

With Cousins gone, Sacramento can no longer blame him for problems within the organisation and it's time for them to finally decide which path they are taking in regards to the long-term future of the team.

Just months into this offseason, it finally looks like the Kings are headed in the right direction.

Smart decisions

After deciding they weren't going to offer Cousins the five-year $200 million 'supermax' extension that he would've been eligible to receive this summer, Sac gambled on being successful in the draft and in free agency this year.

Unlike previous years, the Kings were commended and spoken of as one of the winners of the 2017 draft, if only because of their failings in the past.

They selected promising young point guard De'Aaron Fox, Justin Jackson, Harry Giles and Frank Mason III. They have chosen to enter a period of rebuilding and to align themselves with a talented young core.

The four draftees will join a young team already featuring the likes of Hield, Willie Cauley-Stein, and Skal Labissiere.

There is clearly a lot of potential there and the future of the franchise appears to be in relatively good hands, particularly with Fox.

In a league that is currently being dominated by the point guard position, Sacramento has identified its point guard of the future and can aim to build around him much like the Washington Wizards and Portland Trail Blazers have done with John Wall and Damian Lillard respectively.

Balance

Regardless of whether you're entering a rebuilding phase, having a roster entirely made up of young players isn't the smartest thing to do.

Therefore, it was important for the front office to use the free agency market to bring in a number of veterans to add balance to the team and the Kings have done exactly that.

In agreeing deals with Zach Randolph, George Hill and Vince Carter, Sacramento has not only brought in some wily veterans but players who can still contribute.

The presence of Hill will be valuable as he will be a good mentor for Fox and help nurture him. Randolph will also act as a leader in the locker room and having gone through some struggles in the early part of his career, he knows all about turning things around and can help the Kings with that process.

Lionel Hollins, his former coach at the Memphis Grizzlies who convinced the organisation to take a chance on him, is sure that Z-Bo will be a perfect fit in Sac-Town and be a good role model for the young players.

“This is a process,” he said, “and the process is enhanced by the quality of your veterans. You can’t have guys who sit on the bench, get paid and don’t help their young teammates. You have to have the right veterans because that will help the young players move up faster.

"So the young kids better come ready out there, because Zach is going to teach them how to be tougher, more physical and professional."

Carter - the man dubbed 'Half-man, half-amazing' - will not be wowing fans at the Golden 1 Center with the athleticism he was known for in his younger days, but he'll also be a calming head in the locker room, especially when the team goes through its tough periods in the season which is something they've lacked.

After years of instability and chemistry issues across the franchise, the Kings finally have a structure in place and though they are unlikely to end their playoff drought in a stacked Western Conference next season, there does appear to be light at the end of a long tunnel.