This should come as a shock to absolutely no one, but the Sacramento Kings have made some serious mistakes in the past decade or two. One such error was trading Kevin Huerter, but it can be fixed. He's an unrestricted free agent, and the Kings need to bring him back to Sacramento.
At the point Huerter was traded to the Kings, he had been with the Hawks since they drafted him in 2018. Atlanta liked Huerter so much that they signed him to a four-year rookie extension in October 2021. Apparently, they didn't like Huerter enough to keep him and traded him in July 2022.
During the 2022-2023 season, Huerter was an integral part of the Beam Team Era. He started 75 games during that run, averaging career highs in field goals and three-pointers. Ultimately, he also averaged a career high in points per game at 15.2. This was absolutely peak Huerter.
The following season wasn't as successful for Huerter, due in no small part to a shoulder injury that required surgery. It ultimately cut 2023-2024 short for him. He made his comeback in 2024-2025, but was traded to the Bulls and then the Pistons. His contract is now up, and he's a free agent.
Huerter was at his best on the Kings
It's not that Huerter hasn't been a reliable player, but he hasn't been as effective or as efficient since his time in Sacramento. A return to Sactown as part of the rebuild could be good for him and the Kings. He's a team-first sharpshooter who is dangerous off the ball and from deep.
Sacramento sent Huerter to the Bulls as part of the trade that brought Zach LaVine in. That has not worked out well for the Kings, as LaVine just doesn't fit whatever the Kings were trying to do. He fits the current rebuild even less. Plus, LaVine's massive salary is keeping the team from making moves.
Bringing Huerter back won't get rid of LaVine. That's going to take a major trade or buy-out, assuming he takes his player option and hangs around. Regardless, that's not what re-signing Huerter is about. This is a guy the Kings never should have traded in the first place.
Huerter is the kind of guy who could do good work for the Kings, either as a starter or off the bench. He's a versatile shooting guard/small forward who would enhance every line on the court. Unless the Pistons are determined to keep him, this is a guy Sacramento should be seriously considering.
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