3 Trade deadline moves that would boost the Kings, 2 they must avoid

Trading for Zach LaVine is not the answer

Zach LaVine is a great scorer and would apparently love to play in Sacramento. He is not the answer for the Kings, however. He is injured too often—just this season, he has only played 25 games, and the Bulls were better without him—and he is not a good defender.

The idea of adding another star, another offensive engine, to this squad is intriguing, but LaVine isn’t the right player. His massive contract would limit the Kings financially, and they just don’t need another scorer who can’t play defense. 

Yes, the Kings would like to be better than the seventh seed in the West, but there is no rush to take a huge leap to title contention right now. 24-18 is a solid record, the Western Conference is just stacked. 

Plus, this is not a champion or bust season. The core is still under contract for years, De’Aaron Fox just played his first season of winning basketball, and Keegan Murray is only in his second NBA season. 

Teams rarely go from losing for years on end to being a championship contender over just one season. Trading for LaVine just because he is the only star available would not be the right decision.