Rumor has it that while the Kings will likely be trading Marvin Bagley III at some point, they are not in a rush to do so.
According to James Ham of The Kings’ Beat, the Kings are planning to use Marvin Bagley III as what I refer to as a “living trade exception.” The team would prefer to use his salary in a larger deal to bring back a high-quality player. Ham had this to say via the Kings’ Beat podcast:
"I think they look at him as an $11.8M expiring contract, that’s because that’s the feeling I get from people within the organization. They will not trade him, because there could be a bigger deal that they need his salary to throw in on and so they’re not going to take some crummy deal that might give them a little bit more talent now, when it costs them the ability to go do something much bigger down the road."
To feel frustration about Bagley’s tenure with the Kings and the lack of urgency to trade him would be more than understandable. However, considering Ham’s words, while the situation may be frustrating, it’s not the worst idea Sacramento has had. In fact –
The Kings are wise to not rush a Marvin Bagley III trade.
The King’s could certainly look to move Bagley for a couple of second-round picks, maybe a solid vet or two who can help the team win a few more regular-season games, but what does that really accomplish? Adding another role player-level talent frankly doesn’t move the needle.
Sacramento boasts some interesting assets from Buddy Hield to Davion Mitchell, to their draft capital, maybe even De’Aaron Fox or Tyrese Haliburton if they decide to give up on that tandem (not that they should). All the Kings’ would accomplish is limiting themselves by rushing to move Bagley.
The Kings may surprisingly find themselves in a position to “star hunt” (sort of), and Marvin Bagley III, or more accurately his salary, could prove to be necessary for any such deal.