Grade the trade pitch: Sacramento Kings move fan favorite to add more balance

Sacramento Kings

Grade: B+

For the reasons I outlined in the first slide, this would be a very good deal for the Kings. Adding DeRozan diminished Monk's importance to this team. So, swapping him for Caldwell-Pope pushes the team closer to their ultimate goal (winning an NBA title). Losing the pick isn't great, but it's a necessary evil if you're including McDaniels in the deal.

With that said, there are a few factors that keep this deal from being a perfect one. First, as we said, Caldwell-Pope is five years older than Monk. So, there is a higher probability that his deal (three-years, 66 million) ages poorly.

Second, while this deal raises the team's ceiling (giving them more balance), it also lowers their floor. The Kings may have a sufficient amount of on-ball creation with Fox and DeRozan on the roster, but what happens if (God forbid) one of them gets injured? It will be a repeat of what happened last year when Monk went down.

Third, while Caldwell-Pope raises our ceiling, it is uncertain how much. As we said earlier in the offseason, what the Kings really need is two-way players with size. In my opinion, Caldwell-Pope is one of the best two-way players money can buy, but he is also only 6'5.

And lastly, if the Kings don't end up being a better team because of this deal, they run the risk of seriously upsetting their fanbase. Few players have a connection with the city they play for the way that Monk does with Sacramento. Trading him away right after you signed him to a long-term deal would be a huge gut punch to the fanbase, especially if they don't follow it up with some success.