When looking at a rebuild, there's always the temptation to sign someone who's been in the league for a few years and seems like they still have potential. In the case of Zion Williamson, that is a dead end that would make the Sacramento Kings even worse off than they are at the moment.
It has been widely reported that the Kings are probably going to undertake a massive rebuilding process in the near future. When that happens and what form it takes remains to be seen, particularly since they have salary cap issues holding them back for this season and next.
None of that changes the fact a rebuild in Sacramento is wildly necessary, and has been needed for a bare minimum of 15 years. The team is mostly guards with little to no defensive presence to speak of and a complete lack of playmaking, particularly since De'Aaron Fox left.
This is a rebuild that needs to be focused on developing current young stars, empowering Russell Westbrook as a leader and mentor, and bringing in talent who can balance the roster out. For the love of Julius Irving, the Kings are not going to accomplish any of that by trading for Zion Williamson.
The Kings need to avoid that siren call
Williamson entered the league with a ton of fanfare, drafted by the Pelicans in the number on spot back in 2019. His high octane offense combined with huge dunks made him a highly sought after rookie. Everyone thought the Pels lucked out when they got him. What a difference a few years make.
Now, Williamson is arguably one of the biggest busts in the history of the NBA. For most of his career, he's struggled with weight issues, and has missed significantly more games due to injury than he's played. It's not a winning combination for a power forward who was supposed to change the game.
Zion still has flashes of brilliance on the rare occasions he actually plays. That could be enough to convince someone like Sacramento's co-owner Vivek Ranadive to bring him on board. In reality, the same issues will follow Zion, and the Kings' will end up with an expensive purveyor of high fives.
Once Williamson's massive contract is up in 2028, it might be worth looking at him for a much, much, much lower rate. As it stands now, he is an expense the Kings cannot afford to take on as Zion could completely derail any attempt at a rebuild.