The Sacramento Kings have not had the season that everyone was hoping for. As a result, there is a chance that they could look to swing a trade to try and get things back on track.
But to make a trade, you need to have players to trade, and up until now, the Kings have had five players on their roster who are ineligible to be traded. However, on December 15, four of those five players will have their trade restriction lifted.
Sacramento Kings players eligible to be traded on December 15
When a player signs a contract with a team, there is a period of time they cannot be traded. This year, for most players who signed a new deal this offseason, that day was Sunday, December 15.
The Kings signed five new players to new contracts in the 2024 offseason. The four that will become eligible to be traded are DeMar DeRozan, Jordan McLaughlin, Orlando Robinson, and Alex Len.
McLaughlin, Robinson, and Len are not exactly super valuable names on the open market. Plus, they are all on minimum contracts. So, they don't do much from a salary-matching perspective. None of those guys being trade-eligible means too much in the grand scheme of things.
DeRozan, on the other hand, is a notable figure, and he does make a decent bit of money (23.4 million this season). If the Kings decide the DeRozan experiment hasn't worked the way they hoped it would, they are now able to trade him.
Sacramento Kings players still not eligible to be traded
As we've been alluding to, the Kings still have one player that signed a new contract this offseason that is still not eligible to be traded. After signing a 4-year, 78-million dollar contract, Malik Monk can not be traded until January 15, 2025.
Monk is a fan favorite who has been putting up monster numbers since being moved to the starting lineup. It is unlikely that he will be traded.
But there is a world where the Kings decide that Monk is the offense-first creator that they want to move instead of DeRozan. If that is the case, we've already suggested a potential trade that could help give their team some needed balance.
Fortunately, January 15 is still well before the NBA Trade Deadline (February 6). So, the Kings will have plenty of time to make a move involving DeRozan or Monk if they choose to do so.