Grade the trade pitch: Kings acquire Brandon Ingram to pair with Fox & Sabonis
By Matt John
Ingram would make the Kings better, but how much better?
The Kings are not in the worst place right now. Missing the postseason sucks, but they barely missed it and, whether Malik Monk stays or not, the Kings' core is good enough to make it again. However, even if they do, making the playoffs will not be enough in due time.
Sacramento is aware of this. They found that they actually have something with their core, and now it's on them to improve it from its current standing. If the Kings acquired Ingram, that would help their playoff chances on paper. Whether it would make them a contender is really up in the air. That doesn't only have to do with Ingram's talent.
That brings up the other problem. Ingram does not have the best rap sheet when it comes to staying healthy. The only season he eclipsed the 70-game mark was his rookie year, which was seven years ago. Since then, he's played as many as 64 games and played as few as 45. While that may factor into why he's cheap, it also factors into why he may not be enough.