None of the activity necessarily guarantees improvement, but the Kings have certainly been active in the past few weeks.

They added three young talents in the draft, most notably Rider forward Jason Thompson (No. 12 pick). The big man could help with the rebounding issue (the Kings were 29th in the league on the glass), and he is seen by the organization as the eventual running mate of center/2007 draft pick Spencer Hawes on their frontline of the future.

The Kings also drafted Sean Singletary in the second round out of Virginia (No. 42), having coveted the scoring point guard as a hoped-for backup. They also acquired Patrick Ewing Jr. out of Georgetown, with the forward's game nothing like his legendary father's but the Kings nonetheless hoping his athleticism and defense can come in handy.

The biggest move of all, however, was the signing of Beno Udrih. After signing on Nov. 1, 2007 as an emergency fill-in for the injured Mike Bibby, Udrih established himself enough in 51 games as a starter to warrant a lucrative long-term deal. Udrih -- who was also courted by the Clippers, New York, Miami and Cleveland -- signed a five-year, $32.7 million deal on July 9 to return to the Kings.

Last but not least, the Kings learned that Ron Artest would remain on their roster for at least a little while longer. The small forward did not use his early termination option by the June 30 deadline, instead deciding to become an unrestricted free agent next season.

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