After two seasons with the Toronto Raptors and an impressive 2026 NBA Playoffs performance, Jamal Shead has proven to be a star in the making. Lost in the conversation is the fact that the Sacramento Kings were the ones who drafted him in the first place, then let this breakout player go.
Back in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Kings had two picks. They used their first round pick to select Devin Carter in the 13th spot. During the last few weeks of the 2025-2026 season, Carter finally started getting real minutes and showing off the potential that got him selected in the first place.
Sacramento used their second round pick on Jamal Shead, picking him at number 45. They then traded him to the Raptors with Davion Mitchell, Aleksandar Vezenkov, and a 2025 second-round pick for Jalen McDaniels. He was then traded to the Spurs before the season even started.
The Kings got a single 2025 second-round pick in exchange for McDaniels, as well as some salary cap space to work with. Fortunately, Sacramento won big with that pick as they used it to select Maxime Raynaud. If he hadn't worked out so well, losing Shead would be considered a disaster.
Losing out on Jamal Shead gets worse every season
Toronto is coming off a relatively successful season. They finished in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with 46 wins and 36 losses. Then, the Raptors faced off against the Cavs in the first round of the playoffs. They might have lost, but Toronto had an incredible showing.
A big part of that growth over the last two seasons has been Shead. Throughout their series against Cleveland, Shead averaged 9.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game. More than the numbers, his hustle and effort, particularly on defense, cannot be denied.
Shead could have played a big part in the Kings' rebuild if they had hung onto him. Unfortunately, that process hadn't started yet, and the front office at that time didn't have the foresight to see who they were giving up. The Raptors sure benefitted from that mistake, and will continue to in the future.
Yes, the Shead trade started the Kings on a path that led directly to Raynaud, and he's the future of the Sacramento franchise. At the same time, that trade likely could have been engineered in such a fashion that the Kings were able to keep Shead while still getting McDaniels and later Raynaud.
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