Trade season is approaching fast, and the Kings are expected to be very active. Last season, they finally returned to the playoffs, taking the first step towards becoming a force in the West.
Building on that first success, they brought back pretty much the entire team, which has them sitting in fifth place in the Western Conference right now. The only teams ahead of them are the Timberwolves, the Thunder, the Nuggets, and the Lakers.
Despite early injury troubles, the Kings are off to a solid start to the season, but it seems that they are just one piece away from true contention. A starting-caliber wing-stopper à la OG Anunoby, for example, could have them competing for the top seed in the West.
So, let’s look at four players who are expendable in a trade and three the Kings can’t afford to lose.
Davion Mitchell is expendable
The Kings selected Davion Mitchell in the 2021 draft lottery, enticed by his on-ball defense. As a rookie, Mitchell played an average of 27.7 minutes per game. By now, that number had dwindled to 16.9 minutes, and he even lost his spot in the rotation to Keon Ellis for a stretch. Before that even, most ball-handling duties in the second unit went to Malik Monk, putting Mitchell’s role with the team in question.
After two full seasons in the NBA, Mitchell doesn’t appear to be as developed as the Kings would like him to be. They want to win now and that means every player has a very slim margin for error.
Mitchell has not looked very good in that situation, and a fresh start with a rebuilding team, for example, might be just what he needs to develop. Thus, the young guard is expendable for the Kings and could very well be included in any deal the team will make in the near future.