Sacramento Kings: Trade Market Problems
By Tyler Watts
You hear rumors every day about the Sacramento Kings making a trade, but the Kings are unlikely to make a trade in the current market. This article examines why and if a shift in the market is coming.
I am sure you hear the rumors as much as I do. Sacramento Kings rumored to have talked to the Miami Heat about acquiring Goran Dragic. Rudy Gay being shopped to Oklahoma City. That is all they are rumors, but I really do not see the Kings making a trade right now.
This article examines the current trade market and why the Kings are unlikely to make a trade soon. We will then shift to looking at the mid-season trade market to determine if the Kings are more likely to make a deal. Without further ado, let us dive into it.
Every Team is Selling Big Men
If the Kings have a plethora of anything on their roster it is big men. Anchored by DeMarcus Cousins, but the Kings have Willie Cauley-Stein, Kosta Koufos, Georgios Papagiannis, Rudy Gay, Omri Casspi, Matt Barnes, and Anthony Tolliver who can all play the four or five position. That is eight players to play two positions and is a great mix of talent, upside, veteran, and youth.
The only names and places you see a need for a trade at this time are with frontcourt players. The Philadelphia 76ers have too many big men and are reportedly shopping Jalil Okafor and Nerlens Noel. The Orlando Magic’s frontcourt is crowded and they may shop a big man. The Kings have no need for big men, though.
Let us now examine what the King’s do need.
Sacramento’s Needs to Address
The Sacramento Kings’ roster lacks a point guard that can play big rotation minutes long-term and a rotation wing player if Rudy Gay cannot be resigned. Collison is a great rotation point guard, but he is only signed through next season. Also, the Kings have made it clearly they would prefer him as the back-up and not their starter. Rudy Gay has stated he plans to opt out after this season and is not likely to resign in Sacramento.
That leaves the Kings with two defined needs. You could argue the Kings could fill the small forward minutes with a combination of Barnes, Casspi, Arron Afflalo, Ben McLemore, and down the line Malachi Richardson, so maybe only the need for a point guard.
Is someone going to sell a rotation caliber point guard a week before the regular season opens? That seems unlikely. Plus, it would set the Kings’ offense back big time. Introducing a new point to the Kings’ system and getting him acclimated would take time. This is the big reason I do not see the Kings making a trade right now.
In-Demand Players
The Kings have some assets they could sell at this time, though. If the Kings want to move on from Rudy Gay or Ben McLemore, the demand for wings is always there. Sacramento could probably get a team to pay a good price, but a starting caliber point guard is a different story. I will admit the league has maybe never been riper with point guard talent, but who wants to move a talented point guard? That is like trading away a good quarterback in the NFL. You rarely see it happening unless the team is in major rebuilding mode.
Trade Deadline Market Improving?
If you have been reading up to this point, you probably know where I am going here. As the season progresses, teams will slowly slip from the playoff race and begin readying to sell off talented assets to get younger and trim payroll (Here is to hoping that the Kings are not on that list this season). Some team will be looking to sell a guard. Be it Phoenix with Eric Bledsoe or Brandon Knight or the Heat with Goran Dragic, or another team, a point guard will come available.
It is going to cost the Kings a big price to get a point guard, but I expect mid-season contending or not the Kings’ trade away assets for a point guard. What point guard they receive and who heads out of Sacramento is something we have to look forward to. This could be great news and a great idea for the Kings long-term, but until a deal gets done it is all conjecture.
Summary
There you have my reasons for why the Sacramento Kings will roll on with their current roster and not make an immediate trade. Enjoy the juicy rumors, if you wish, but I do not see a deal coming about until mid-season for the Kings.
Next: Thoughts: Sacramento Kings Cut Lamar Patterson
Expect a new point guard on the roster by season’s end. Here is to hoping, it is the point guard who leads the team to the playoffs. The Sacramento Kings are overdue for the postseason. If General Manager Vlade Divac can play his cards right, he could just make the trade that sends the Kings there. Thank you for reading.