Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

Another season’s schedule released, another year where the Sacramento Kings get some pretty unfavorable situations.

For the fifth time in six seasons, the Kings will open on the road – this time in the Windy City as they’ll take on a Derrick Rose-less Chicago Bulls. They’ll then follow with a game in Minnesota and Indiana, those three contests also making it five out of the past six years that they’ll have started the season with at least a three game road trip.

The Kings will return home after their season opening roadie and have a great opportunity to start the year off on the right foot as they’ll play 12 of their next 15 at home, but the early favorable home schedule doesn’t come without its caveats. The Kings will then play 7 of their next 10 on the road, but that pales in comparison to the end of February/March frame of the schedule where the Kings play 13 of 16 on the road, flying across the country two times in a months span.

Ending the season, the Kings will play 5 of 8 at home in April, finishing their 82 game schedule against Chris Paul and the Clippers at the Barn.

For those without League Pass, the Kings have *zero* National television games this season and will only be featured on NBA TV four times, three of the four within a two week span at the end of November/early December.

Outside of two five game homestands (one in January and one in the seasons final month), the Kings only play more than two games at home in a single stretch once after that massive early home friendly schedule. Needless to say, if the Kings have any intentions of squeaking into the playoffs this year, they need to have an impressive first month because much of the year is full of bus rides and plane trips.

You can view the full schedule here.

Credit: Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIRE

Trade speculation around the Sacramento Kings’ Tyreke Evans has and will continue to be rampant, after all, players of Evans’ caliber don’t hit the market very often. Despite his struggles, a 22 year old talent that combines the size and speed that Evans does is rarely seen on the trading block, not to mention, putting up stats (although inflated) that only Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson and LeBron James did in their rookie years? That’s not exactly a tough sell.

But, like in most situations, opposing teams see a struggling Evans and want to lowball their offers. It’s good business for the opposition, but the Kings aren’t in panic mode – at least not yet, according to Sam Smith, who says the Kings are asking for quite the return in any Evans move:

A deal for Evans has been much speculated upon everywhere. But the Kings are said to want a lot and would hardly add the No. 5 pick with him. Maybe you get the pick for Noah. Hardly Evans and the pick. Maybe you get Evans and the pick for Noah and Deng, which would be ridiculous for the Bulls to do. It makes little sense for either side.

Speculation about Evans to the Bulls has been the hot topic in recent weeks, but it was a trade I never really understood for both sides. Derrick Rose and Evans seemed like an odd coupling from the start and while Deng does fit a need for the Kings, I’m not sure the price is right for Sacramento.