Ranking the Sacramento Kings’ trade chips heading into 2022
By Luke Parrish
Who should the Kings avoid trading at all costs?
There are two young players on this roster that should not be moved unless a package is needed to land one of the top stars in the league. Tyrese Haliburton and Davion Mitchell have both shown a ton of promise in their young NBA careers and they should stick for the next generation of Kings basketball.
The only reason to move either of these guys is if a team like Philadelphia refuses to make a deal surrounding a Fox-Simmons swap. Acquiring a star is going to require a lot of salary coming to Sacramento so Fox, Hield, or Barnes have to be the key pieces going back in a deal. Throwing another valuable asset on top of that would be a crime for the Kings.
Haliburton has done a remarkable job in his first two seasons with the Kings. He’s been one of the best young guards in the league and even put on a strong performance in December 2021 when Fox was sidelined due to COVID protocols.
Mitchell, in his rookie season, has done nothing to warrant a trade. The Kings have something special on the horizon in the backcourt, the goal just has to be to go get wing players that can contribute at a high level.