Kings Still Shopping Buddy Hield, Three Deals to Get It Done

The first path the Kings could take is very future-focused. The Cleveland Cavaliers are frustratingly miles ahead of the Kings at the moment, and they’re looking to make some noise in the playoffs this season.

One area they could certainly improve in is three-point shooting. The Cavaliers rank 12th and 20th in three-point percentage and three-point attempts, respectively. Buddy Hield could fix both of those issues and then some while Tristan Thompson is allowed the chance to return to where it all began and make one last playoff run with the Cavs.

Of course, the Cavs cannot have Hield without a price. Isaac Okoro is in his second year in the NBA, and he’s still an extremely raw prospect, offensively that is. Defensively, he’s already a stud who has been one of the biggest reasons the Cavaliers boast the second-best defense in the entire NBA.

It’s no well-kept secret that the Kings’ defense is about as tough as tissue paper. Okoro cannot fix that himself, but he can certainly improve the situation in Sacramento. The long-term potential of him and Donovan Mitchell is positively frightening defensively, and they could lead the Kings into a new era of defensive competency.

The deal doesn’t end at Okoro either, as the Kings would also receive a lottery-protected first-round pick from the Cavaliers. Currently slated in the early 20s, the pick would likely end up in the late teens by the end of the season, giving Sacramento the chance to draft a solid contributor.

What the Kings would have to do in order to secure both Okoro and a pick is take on the behemoth that is Kevin Love’s salary. It’s not the toughest ask considering not only what the Kings would be receiving but also the surprising fact that Love has averaged 11.9 points and 7.3 rebounds with shooting splits of 41.9/40.4/96.2 this season.

Okoro isn’t the only young small forward the Kings should have their eyes on, though: