5 Moves the Kings need to make during the 2024 offseason

Move #4: Trade Harrison Barnes

This seems harsh, especially with all the good Harrison Barnes has done for the Kings over the last few years. But as we've discussed on numerous occasions here at A Royal Pain, it is time for a change of guard (well, change of forward, in this case, lol).

Don't get me wrong, Barnes is still a starting-caliber forward in this league, just not on the Kings. As we mentioned earlier, Sabonis has a very specific skillset. To maximize him, you want a power forward who provides both spacing and rim protection.

To his credit, Barnes has the first requirement in spades. Last year, Barnes was in the 72nd percentile in 3-point percentage (38.7%) while maintaining a shooting volume in the 61st percentile (5.8 threes per 75 possessions).

The issue is that he isn't anywhere close to being sufficient in the second area. While block rate isn't the only way to gauge a player's rim protection prowess, it is a strong indicator. And Barnes hasn't been higher than the 10th percentile in that statistic since 2017-18 (when he was in the 11th percentile).

At 32, it is unlikely that Barnes develops into a world-class weakside rim protector. So, the Kings are going to need to find a way to substitute him with someone who is closer to that standard.