At some point, the Sacramento Kings are going to have to seek a massive trade.
History has not been kind to the Sacramento Kings and with another season looking as if they’ll fall short of the playoffs, it is time to look into a blockbuster deal. There are some quality assets on the roster that could fetch quite the return in a package, whether it be for Buddy Hield, Harrison Barnes, Marvin Bagley III, or even De’Aaron Fox.
Sacramento has reportedly shown interest in some big names throughout the season thus far, making for an exciting trade deadline if they decide to start fresh. As they near the record for the longest playoff drought in NBA history, something has to change.
De’Aaron Fox is a star but his lack of defensive effort has not pleased everyone who supports the organization. Given that the Kings have drafted talented guards at the top of each of the past two drafts, the need for Fox is quickly diminishing.
The Kings lack depth in the frontcourt beyond Harrison Barnes and Richaun Holmes. Moving some pieces around to get a more balanced roster would change the landscape of the Kings and the Western Conference, especially if they were able to land a star.
Trading for a star is not an easy task, especially for a team that does not have a clear plan for the future right now. Can they retain whatever player they acquire for the long haul or will the losing track record continue to force players out?
Either way, here are a few teams that could make an intriguing offer to Sacramento.
New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans has struggled to get over the hump despite having several young building blocks. Injuries to Zion Williamson have slowed his NBA career but the franchise has tried to get assets for the future. They are no stranger to dealing a star and have even made major deals with the Kings in the past.
Anthony Davis helped New Orleans rebuild with Brandon Ingram as the centerpiece of a deal but sending the high-scoring wing to Sacramento for De’Aaron Fox as part of a massive trade would certainly shake things up.
Sacramento has a lot of talented guards and rather than continuing to pay Fox his monstrous salary, they could look to add a talented scorer on the perimeter to pair with Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield.
This gives the Kings some relief in the frontcourt while New Orleans gets a ball-handler of the future to pair with Zion Williamson and Devonte’ Graham. This is more of a one-for-one swap that gives two stars a fresh start while hoping to change the direction of two failing organizations but it could be a massive win for all parties involved.
Neither team appears to be heading in the right direction regardless of what they try in the offseason so they might as well go for the home run and swap two excellent players on big contracts.
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are looking to tear things apart after yet another season of failing to make the two-big lineup work. Despite an immensely talented roster on paper, Indiana sits at 12-17 and the 13th seed in the Eastern Conference. Domantas Sabonis, a two-time All-Star center who can do it all on offense, is the prized asset as the Pacers blow it up.
Sabonis could very well earn another All-Star nod this season with his 18.6 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists. His fit with Myles Turner has had some highs but plenty of lows and the Pacers have to do something about it. Trading their star as part of a blockbuster deal for a package of either draft picks or De’Aaron Fox should be desirable for Indiana.
Caris LeVert is also expected to have suitors in the trade market and could be added to a package with the Kings to make salaries a bit easier to match. After all, Sabonis is making roughly $10 million less than Fox.
Richaun Holmes is an athletic big man who has really come into his own with Sacramento so the idea of adding a star center to the lineup could make things tricky. Sabonis would be in a similar situation as he is currently dealing with in Indiana but he will be surrounded by much better shooters.
Sabonis is one of the best passing bigs in the NBA but that often gets overlooked in Indiana because they lack quality shooters. Hield, Haliburton, and Barnes are a step up from his talent in Indiana.
Boston Celtics
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum once appeared to be a perfect duo to build around but the Celtics have not made it work. Now, Brown is reportedly available in trade discussions as the team looks to focus on Tatum as the primary guy moving forward. Sacramento could make Buddy Hield available as part of a package for Jaylen Brown.
Boston needs shooters who can help Tatum without taking too much of the shine off the 23-year-old star. Buddy Hield would be the perfect piece for that but the value in a deal for Brown is difficult to assess. The Kings would likely have to offer more than a 29-year-old Hield for Brown, who is just 25 and has a ton of upside.
Could the Kings part with a first-round draft pick or another young piece in order to land Brown? That would go against the idea of adding assets but Brown has proven himself in the NBA and would be a key piece for the franchise’s future.
Let’s also not forget that the Celtics are difficult to deal with. They are always in the headlines as a trade candidate but never actually strike a deal due to their asking price. Will Sacramento fork over the pieces that Boston asks for, just for the sake of making a move?
Philadelphia 76ers
Ending the Ben Simmons saga is all that matters for the 76ers at this point. Simmons has not played this season but is still one of the best players in the NBA when on the floor, regardless of if he can shoot from the perimeter or not.
Philadelphia has done an excellent job of staying alive in the East without Simmons. If they can turn him into another star that can help them right now, it will drastically improve their chances to compete for a title.
De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield are both options for the 76ers as they look for weapons to put next to Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris. If Fox’s defense is truly an issue for Sacramento, flipping him for Simmons would be the ideal result. Simmons is arguably the best perimeter defender in the league.
The Kings cannot afford to keep the current roster together for the long haul and dealing their top assets when the value is high is always the best option. The next few months could be very exciting for Sacramento as several key pieces will have their names floated around.