The Sacramento Kings have been heavily criticized for not making bigger moves in the offseason, but it wasn't for lack of trying. There were rumors of several trades that went nowhere, most recently with Devin Carter. But the Kings are going to need to make big trades if they want to be contenders.
When it comes to trade talk that went nowhere, the Kings came up a lot in conversation. First, there were rumors of them trying to move DeMar DeRozan to make room for Russell Westbrook. Then, Malik Monk was tied to the same strategy. Both players are still with the Kings.
Devin Carter is another player whom the Kings have been trying to trade throughout the summer and possibly beyond. Again, there doesn't appear to have been much movement in that department. It's enough to make fans wonder what's going on and what's going wrong.
The Kings' trying and failing to make trades
Just because Sacramento wasn't able to make any of the trade scenarios pan out doesn't mean they've stopped working on them. According to Jake Fischer at The Stein Line, Devin Carter remains someone the Kings' front office wants to work on trading.
"No trade now, though, doesn't rule out future deals. Devin Carter's days with the franchise appear to be dwindling. He might have been the 13th overall pick out of Providence as recently as the 2024 NBA Draft, but the front office leaders who made that selection (Monte McNair and Wes Wilcox) are no longer in Sacramento."Jake Fischer
What Fischer has touched on is why these trades are being attempted. Monk, DeRozan, and Carter were all acquired during McNair's tenure. As such, new general manager Scott Perry is looking to move them. Despite his great preseason play, Zach LaVine could be in a similar position.
Why the trades aren't working out is a different story. The players the Kings are trying to move likely don't have the trade value their front office thinks. On top of that, Sacramento may simply be trying to trade the wrong players to the wrong teams. If it's not a good fit, the trade won't happen.
The Kings need these trades to work
Sacramento has designs on a stronger defensive presence on the court. It's a good plan, but they can only go so far down that path with their current roster. The Kings need more focused defenders to push in that direction and improve in that capacity.
To get there, the front office is going to have to actually make trades, not just talk about them. If they want to move DeRozan, Monk, and Carter, then they need to put trade packages together that other teams will want. If these are the players they are willing to part with, move them as a group.
There is continued speculation that Dyson Daniels is unhappy with the Atlanta Hawks. The Kings should call Atlanta with a package that includes these three players. One of the best young defenders in the league would definitely boost Sacramento's defensive profile.