3 Early trade targets the Kings should chase over the summer

1. Jerami Grant

Jerami Grant has been on the Kings’ radar for a while now. He was rumored to be one of Sacramento’s main targets for a trade deadline deal. Grant is a good three-point shooter, capable defender, and true offensive weapon. Several wanna-be contenders in the West were hoping to land him at the deadline, but the Trail Blazers were not ready to part ways. 

That may change over the summer, as Grant does not fit the timeline of Portland’s rebuild and could get them plenty of assets. He is on a giant contract and may not be as good of a fit defensively as the other two targets on this list, but Grant could really boost the Kings’ offense. 

There is no guarantee that Malik Monk will stay in Sacramento once he hits free agency—there are teams that could offer him more money and a potential starting spot—and Keegan Murray is still young. He has star potential, but it might still be a little early to expect him to put up big scoring numbers every game. 

The Kings might not have a third high-level scorer next to De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis next season. Adding Grant to the mix would completely change that narrative and give the team another weapon. 

Offense is what put the Kings on the map in the first place, so they might as well lean into it and rely on the defense De’Aaron Fox, Keegan Murray, Keon Ellis, and Davion Mitchell provide. Grant is not a bad defender but also not the kind of player to change a team’s identity on that end of the floor. 

There are not many perfect trade targets out there for the Kings, and the front office should definitely keep an eye on what is happening in Portland.